We covered a lot of ground today, spending most of our time in outer Lisbon. After a quick stop at one of Lisbon's many awesome diner-like eateries, where we enjoyed a delicious $6.00 breakfast (for the two of us) of espresso with steamed milk and thick toast slathered with salted butter, we hopped on the metro and took a 40 minute ride out to the town of Sintra.
There is a lot going on both in the town, and the surrounding areas of Sintra, including royal retreats, gardens, estates and ruins of ancient castles. The area was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1995, and to see everything here you would need at least a full day, and probably more. But it was about 90 degrees outside and lured by the promise of a pork sandwich back in Lisbon for lunch, we decided to limit our exploration of the region to perhaps the most famous site in Sintra, the Pena Palace.
The Pena Palace has a long history, but the current version of this magical, fairytale-like structure was completed in 1847 and was used as a summer residence for the Portugal Royal family. We spent about 2 hours exploring this enormous ornate building, including walking through nearly all the rooms, which are perfectly preserved from the time the palace was used by kings and queens. It's really unlike anything you have ever seen, and well worth the trip outside the city. I'm sure the other Sintra sites are also incredible, but if you are short on time (and eating is a priority), I would recommend limiting your exploration to the Pena Palace.
Once we arrived back in Lisbon, we headed back to the Chiado area in search of the restaurant O Trevo. We had read that O Trevo, another diner-like lunch spot, had one of the best Bifana in town. The Bifana is everywhere here -- a fast-food, easy to eat sandwich that consists of a very flavorful, thinly pounded sauteed pork cutlet on a soft Portuguese roll with straight up yellow mustard. That's it. And at O Trevo it was as good as it gets. Accompanied by a tasty plate of fried potatoes and a coke, this was just about the best simple cheap lunch you can have. And how much was the sandwich, you ask? About $2.25, cheaper than a slice of NYC pizza. Can't beat it!
Dinner took us once again to the outskirts of Lisbon, to the area of Belém (pronounced berlang), about a 15 minutes cab ride from the center of town (you can also take the tram or the metro). Belém is right on the water, with a laid back vibe, and is a nice place to explore for an hour or so. It was the area of Lisbon where many of the famous world explorers first set sail, and is also the spot where Christopher Columbus landed upon his return from discovering the New World. Some impressive sites include the Tower of Belém, the Monastery of Jeronimos and the Monument to the Discoveries.
Belém is also home to the famous Pasteis de Belém bakery, where they have been making what are supposedly the best Pastel de Nata pastries in Lisbon since 1837. Served warm, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, this version was far and away the best we have had in Portugal, with a thick eggy custard and chewy, flaky pastry. A great pre dinner snack!
Dinner at Enoteca de Belem was one of the best meals we've had on the trip. This is a small, elegant restaurant tucked away in a tiny alleyway off the main drag, with seating for only about 14 people. The menu is clean and modern, with simple but sophisticated dishes with an Italian flair. We enjoyed a tangy Sea Bass Ceviche with fresh avocado, tomatoes and basil, to start. My main dish was an excellent homemade squid ink Linguini with a spicy tomato broth and 5 of those incredible Portuguese shrimp. Man, I'm going to miss those shrimp. Matt's dish was even better, sliced seared tuna steak with pak choy, caramelized red onions and a sweet and sour vinegar sauce. Just really well executed, expertly prepared food. The only disappointment was dessert, a gluey, nearly unsweetened rice pudding topped with a tasty wild berry compote. Next time we will skip dessert and go back around the corner to Pasteis de Belém for more pastries. Enoteca de Belém is in fact an Enoteca, and the wines are exceptional. The waiter was very helpful and recommended an awesome red to go with dinner, and a wonderful glass of vintage Port to finish it off.