Portugal: Carvoaria

Sadly, AF had to leave a day early to get back to work.  (I took Monday off.  T was on her graduation trip.)  Once she left, T and me were struck by the unwelcome realization that our vacation was coming to an end.  Suddenly a bit weary, we decided we didn't have the energy to travel too far for dinner.  

Thanks to our trusty TripAdvisor app, we found Carvoaria just a few blocks from where we were staying:

Portuguese steakhouse?  Wooo, baby!

We didn't have a reservation, which almost became a problem, but luckily we got there so early that they let us sit down at a reserved table with just a warning to eat fast:

You can't go to a steakhouse without ordering steak, right?  Right.

We turned down all the appetizers on the tray proffered to us and got straight to business.  Namely the Mirandesa steak (13.80 €):

Mirandesa is apparently a particular breed of cattle from Northern Portugal.  (Thank you, English menu for that little tidbit.)  Not sure what makes it unique, but it sure tasted good.  So tender and garlic-y and yummy.

Just look at it:

Guh.  I'm drooling.

T wanted to try rabbit, so we did:

Not my first time eating rabbit and I'm still not all the impressed.  Kind of dry and a bit too lean for my tastes.

T was skeptical when I demanded we get creamed spinach:

But I quickly converted her.  God, I love that stuff.

Surprisingly affordable, kick ass steak, what's not to love?  Hie yourself to Carvoaria!

T and I scarfed down everything and peaced out of there before the party that reserved the table we borrowed showed their faces.  On our way back to our flat, we came across the strangest thing.

A moving hard rock concert.  As in a hardcore, screeching rock band performing from the back of a pickup truck.  It drove slowly through the narrow Portuguese streets and was followed by an equally slowly moving mob of people in an almost zombie-like fashion.  Frankly, I got a little scared.

Gotta love how people in Lisbon don't mind loud music blaring through the streets late at night.  I doubt such a thing would fly in the States without the police getting called in.  Hooray, Lisbon!


Carvoaria
Rua Maria Andrade 6
1170 Lisbon, Portugal
+351 21 814 7555