We made a reservation at Mini Bar Teatro after having an excellent lunch at one of its sister restaurants. Mini Bar offers a la carte small plates, but we opted to put ourselves in the chef’s hands with the “epic menu,” which includes 12 mini courses that are all a surprise. It’s so fun to eat this way but usually really expensive. Fortunately for us, Portugal is really affordable.
The dishes were all delicious, and it was clear the staff had a lot of fun presenting them with some flair and mystery. It was really dark in the restaurant so the following photos are not the best. Here’s the full menu:
1st course: Margarita apples. These apples were themselves a cocktail, having been soaked in (or injected with?) tequila and lime.
2nd course: El Bulli’s famous exploding olives. These are basically liquified olive and brine.
3rd course: Shrimp ceviche. We are suckers for ceviche, as you know.
4th course: Tempura avocados. Lisbon is the first place we’ve been on this trip that regularly uses avocados and we’ve missed them so much.
5th course: Beef croquettes. Simple but yummy.
6th course: Foie gras with fig jam, basil, and parmesan. Sounds weird but totally works.
7th course: Smoked mackerel, apples, and celery. This arrived inside a glass dome full of smoke.
8th course: Tartare cones, a la French Laundry. One is beef and the other is tuna. These might have been our favorites.
9th course: Cod croquettes with a spicy, tangy sauce (ingredients still a mystery).
10th course: Hamburger and tots, but perfectly done.
11th course: Chocolate mouse cones with fleur de sel.
12th course: Lime ice cream and yuzu foam inside a green apple candy shell, served on lemon curd. We love all those things!
