Eleven, Lisboa, Portugal

Thinly sliced pulpo with peppers

Tartelette, Duck confit and something else

Salad with asparagus and quail egg

Fish soup with a red wine pear

Selection of fresh fish with peas

Selection of portugese cheese with pumpkin jam and fruit bread

Madeleine dessert

Dessert selection

There’s only one restaurant with a Michelin star in Lisboa, Restaurant Eleven led by Joachim Koerper. The location and the building make a simple statement – it’s not going to get any better than this. Sitting at the top of a hill, overlooking a long stretch of lawn, a sleep and very modern building awaits you. The vibe is typical for a Michelin acclaimed restaurant. Some of the dishes had a retro feel to them in terms of ingredients and presentation. The salad with the asparagus and quail egg is a dish you can get in many upscale restaurants (maybe not in this quality). A bit of a disappointment was the main course (fish with peas), especially comparing it with the pork dish which was the alternative. It looked nice but it didn’t excite the taste buds. The most surprising creation was a fish soup with a red wine pear. Surprisingly well balanced in flavor and certainly the most interesting dish on the menu. Eleven was the best restaurant I’d visited in Lisboa. Lisboa is especially tricky since the amount of tourist traps is high and even checking out acclaimed local places, they’re all a bit grimy and radiate a rather rustic charm. As such Eleven is a welcome retreat, even if the dessert plate is a real howler. Of course the place is expensive and lunch for five was just a tad cheaper than dinner for 20 the night before at Docas, it must be noted that most of the wine has great bang for the buck:

Bill for five