♥ by Eva
Veggie restaurants and options are not so easy to find in Portugal (even though it’s getting better). So when we met our friend Christine for lunch in Lisbon, and she asked us what we’d like to have – she’s been living there for some years and knows the city well – I asked for exactly that. Because what better place than Lisbon to try a veggie venue. She’d heard good things about the Jardim dos Sentidos, but she’d never tried it so we gave it a go.
The place was packed when we arrived, no surprise seeing that there was an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet including salads and organic herbal tea for 8,95€. It’s very cosily and at the same time elegantly furnished. The light is warm and welcoming. Wooden furniture, vaulted brick ceiling, nooks and crannies everywhere. Half of the restaurant is made up by a winter garden, and then there’s also an actual garden to chillax in, with a yurt and two massage rooms.
The staff found a quiet table in a corner for us and also provided a baby chair. We took off our jackets and headed straight for the buffet. It looked amazing. The salad buffet included several leafy options, bulgur, couscous, and four different dressings, including one with avocado and one with mango (which was delicious!). I couldn’t tell exactly what the tea was, but it was belly-warming and aromatic. The salads left me quite impressed, but that was nothing against the main course. There were at least three different curries, a kind of tomato bean stew, a veggie version of the fried bacalão balls, two different types of lasagna (veggies & four cheese), two different types of rice, a tofu potato stir-fry, Indian lentil bread, rolls made with different herbs and flours, and a soup of the day. And it was all sooo tasty. I had full two plates, and full to bursting point, I thought about getting a third. I also considered moving into that restaurant, because I want to have that every day 😀 Seriously, it’s vegetarian Heaven. Or vegan Heaven since most of the dishes were actually vegan.
We didn’t try the desserts since we were planning to have coffee and pasteis de nata at the Manteigueria anyway. But I’m sure they’re just as good.
When I was paying at the counter, I was so thankful for the experience that I was actually stammering, and I must have said ‘thank you’ at least five times!
If you’re planning to have lunch or dinner in Lisbon, go there, you won’t regret it. And when you are devouring the delicious dishes, think about us and send us some good foodie thoughts 🙂
P.S.: Please note that the pictures in this post were not taken by me (I was too busy catching up with my friend and too hungry to take pictures first ^^). I hope the owner forgives me for using them for a great cause – spreading the veggie word!
The Faraway Folks 