LAB by Sergi Arola

What an amazing experience of food, tastes, and storytelling. I have the pleasure of dining in some truly wonderful establishments, but not since my dining experiences at El Bulli and Alinea has food taken me on a journey of discovery and awe like LAB by Sergi Arola. From the moment one arrives outside the restaurant, to the first step in as one is greeted, and then as one is wished a good evening as one leaves - one feels part of the family, as though everyone truly cares about every little detail that goes to making the dining experience both memorable and cherished. Beyond a doubt, the food was delicious and the preparation meticulous. If you are in Portugal, LAB by Sergi Arola is a not-to-miss experience. If you have no plans to go to Portugal, make plans to visit.

2 Michelin star level food disguised and priced as a 1 star. This restaurant is 10 out of 10. From the absolutely perfect service from the staff who had the difficult to achieve combination of good banter and thoughtful service, to the outstanding food. I've eaten in dozens of these fine dining restaurants and this is in my top 3, third only to Core and The Connaught. Absolutely exceptional and a must visit, we will 100% be back. Thanks to all the staff and kitchen for making the night so special, extra special thanks to Vladimir for creating such an incredible menu. My only advice would be to explain the initial experience a little more so diners know what to expect, the small bites prepared by Francisco were delicious, but not knowing to expect this was a little confusing. After the tour of Portugal, the proper sit down meal begins.

We booked here for our anniversary, it was an exceptional experience that exceeded all our expectations. From the moment we arrived, the elegant and contemporary decor set the stage for an exceptional evening. The staff was incredibly welcoming and attentive, ensuring we felt pampered throughout our visit. The tasting menu was a culinary journey that showcased chefs’ mastery and creativity. Each course was meticulously crafted, presenting a harmonious blend of flavors and textures that delighted the palate. The presentation of every dish was a work of art, making the dining experience as visually stunning as it was delicious. One of the highlights was the innovative use of local ingredients, which brought a unique and fresh perspective to the cuisine. The balance of traditional techniques with modern twists made each course exciting and memorable. LAB by Sergi Arola is a true gem in the world of fine dining. The combination of exceptional food, outstanding service, and a refined atmosphere makes it a must-visit destination for anyone seeking a remarkable dining experience. We highly recommend this restaurant and look forward to returning.

An excellent restaurant with a very interesting concept of introducing the main and more iconic Portuguese culinary phenomena. The staff is very open and friendly, which of course corresponds to the level of a Michelin star restaurant. Located in a unique location within the Sintra National Reserve. In the evening is a very beautiful view of the golf courses. Certainly this place is worthy of celebrating an important event for you here, whether it is a birthday or a wedding anniversary. High recommendation and thanks to the entire team for the excellent food, amazing service and overall good time spent here See you at your second restaurant

Excellent food, elegant atmosphere. We especially enjoyed of the phase one where we were introduced to the local Portugese food. They really use their imagination in LAB. Perfect evening!

Dinner at LAB by Sergi Arola felt like a masterclass in how elevated starters truly can be. The “snacks” courses are a playful series of delicate bites, managed to feel luxurious without taking itself too seriously—each one precise, balanced, and just a little surprising.

The food, service, and ambience at Michelin Star LAB restaurant were all fantastic. The services provided by the professional management and staff are the main reasons that we keep coming back. The old world elegance is a rare thing, and we value their focus to make sure that everything about the dining experience is excellent. I highly recomend LAB restaurant.

Fantastic experience. It is not just the food quality. The experience, presentation and service are much better than other Michelin 2 or 3 stars restaurants we had before. We are glad that my wife and I have our celebration in here. Thanks for the chef and all staffs involved - we truly believe they shall deserve a higher Michelin star. The variety of items served are more than what they stated in the menu (maybe they shall mention that in their website/menu) - e.g. lots of Portuguese and Spanish tapas served in advance We would like to come back again in future and highly recommend LAB by Sergi Arola to people who would like to celebrate with their special one.

LAB is a truly spectacular experience, both as a restaurant and as an homage to Portugal. My wife and I went here on our family trip to Portugal and felt it was a capstone to our trip. Starting with ambiance, the journey is truly unique. You walk upstairs and are greeted with champagne, the are whisked behind a hidden door to a room with a huge map of Portugal etched on the table. Your journey begins with a taste tour of canapés that span the country. From there, you follow an elevator down to the main restaurant where you enjoy the tasting menu. The whole process feels elevated, whimsical, and unique. Moving to service, like many Michelin-rated restaurants, the experience is coordinated, choreographed, and calculated. Everybody was kind and attentive, and meals were served by waitstaff who clearly understood the menu. One special moment occurred where my wife's tasting menu had more desserts than mine. Instead, I asked for a custom dessert cocktail and they sent the bartender to curate one for me. One other notable item about service was that they let my wife and I order different tasting menus, a request not all restaurants oblige. Drink wise, the wine and cocktails were great. The wine was unique and local and paired nicely with each of the dishes. I had a slight preference for my wife's wines a few times, but generally I liked the pairing. My custom dessert cocktail was excellent and opulent. Food was tremendous overall. Some of my wife and my favorites were the canapés, the butter sampling with the bread, and the desserts. The only item that did not exceed expectations was the fish dish, but even that was just "good." Price wise, I will say the LAB is pricey (~$300pp) with pairings, but still far under pricing for similar restaurants in other locations. All in, I feel like LAB does a great job of allowing its patrons to taste the very best of Portugal and pays great homage to the land that surrounds it. The experience is unforgettable and I highly recommend it. Ambiance: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Drinks: 4/5 Food: 4.5/5 Price: 4.5/5 Consistency: N/A

This is for Arola, the sister restaurant. It was delicious and shares the chef with the Michelin star restaurant; Lab. Food was an experience. Service was knowledgeable and warm. Ambiance was fun and classy.

The best meal experience we have ever had. This isn't just amazing food. It's a dinner event with a host of top notch staff. I don't want to spoil the surprises but do yourself a favor if you are staying at Penha Longa resort, book this place and be prepared to have one of your best food experiences in your life.

Michelin star restaurant...Michelin star service!!! Talk about being blown away by the ambiance of this restaurant, but also by it's beyond excellent service, and amazingly tantalizing menu. After being seated at a beautifully set table, we were offered the "drink of the evening" specially created by a craftsman of a mixologist. We politely accepted and were pleasantly surprised! Dinner consisted of four dishes. Kimchee soy chicken wings, caesar salad, cheese balls, and shrimp. All the items were a lovely, mouth watering delight. Deconstructed in some manner and a fun fusion of spices...The menu offered both hot and cold options and you could choose wine pairings with your choices as well. It all depends on how hungry you are...or how adventurous! Our server was amazing, taking the time to explain every item we were interested in and was extremely patient with us as we chose our gastronomic experience. As for the staff in general...they went out of their way to make us feel welcome, comfortable and even ensured we had information to take back to our room on the local events, surf beaches, and fun things to do while in Lisbon. Five stars isn't enough for this place...but it is all Yelp will allow me. Definitely a place to go back to...again and again. Service: beyond excellent Cleanliness:extremely clean Seating: good for small intimate groups or larger groups (reservations are preferred) Dress code: Evening attire, business casual at a minimum (remember it's a Michelin star restaurant)

Absolutely brilliant. Sublime. Artistry. I don't know what else to say. This is a spectacular experience end to end. The chef and his staff are spectacular. The various courses and wine pairings and stories that come with the food make this a great place.

We did a day trip to Sintra and had LAB planned for that night. LAB is located in the Penha Longa resort (a Ritz Carlton property), which is only accessible by car and is about 15 minutes from the Sintra town center / train station. We chose it because the chef trained under Ferrari Adria, and it had been a while since we had some good molecular gastronomy. When you walk in, it's very modern looking, and you get a view of the kitchen split between LAB and their other restaurant. The dining room for LAB has a pretty view overlooking the golf course. The full "locura de locura" tasting is €134. Due to some dietary restrictions, we couldn't do the full 4-hour 17-course tasting, but we did the 2nd menu, which was still quite a bit of food. The wine pairing for our dinner was only €65, with all Portuguese wines. Tapas: - Orange sorbet with red vermouth foam, and the signature Adria green olive - Spanish tortilla with onion cream, egg yolk, crispy onion - Green olive sponge with olives 1. Locuras: tapas representing different areas of Spain - Soufflé of potato with octopus water foam and olive oil emulsion, sliced octopus - super intense flavor - loved it - Tomato bread with green pepper and meat - Squid ink cornet with squid and red onion cream, fried tentacles - this tasted surprisingly like pork - Patatas brava: confit and fried into a cylinder, filled with tomato cream and aioli - Hake fried in tempura with white vermouth mayo and parsley 2. Bread service a. Bolo du caco (broken stone): Portuguese sweet potato bread - great texture b. Folar: from the north behind the mountains, made with eggs and butter - like a savory brioche c. Accompaniments: - Olive oil emulsion - Butter - Pink salt - Salt with herbs 3. "Caprese salad:" a rose was placed on the table, and "petals" were picked out for the dish caprese salad: tomato jam with mozzarella foam, balsamic, dehydrated tomato petals 4. White beetroot ravioli: topped with asparagus, with tuna skin underneath. It's finished with a green foam of asparagus, and a red sauce of borscht soup made with tuna 5. Signature veal sweetbreads: on the menu since they opened, and they change out the garnishes seasonally. You smell the smokiness as they take the meat off the charcoal grill. It's sweetbreads coated with mustard seeds and spices. On the side are a tomato "ravioli", Bordelaise jus, and Hollandaise 6. "Potatoes with a lot of importance": Hake, topped with a fried potato purée on top - garlic parsley, onion, saffron. Smells like an intense bouillabaisse 7. Black angus loin "a jardineira:" perfectly medium rare beef, very tender, with green peas, carrot purée, soufflé potato on top, pea powder 8. Blackberries with blackberry mousse, fake blackberries (blackberry cream and cocoa powder), lemon mousse, elderflower panna cotta and elderflower sorbet 9. "Travel sardine:" dessert plated like the paintings in the room, representing passions of the chef - music and travel, and sardine represents gastronomy (first tapa he served). The "sardine" is made with white chocolate with raspberry panna cotta, served with licorice ice cream 10. To finish: set up like the tapas to start Classic pastries - Apple pie: intense apple - Salted caramel vanilla fritter: served warm, freshly fried - Chocolate and hazelnut cone - Pina colada: with a cool pineapple center - Tiramisu - Pistachio macaron - Strawberry pate de fruit Because it's on a golf course, they finished us with a tray of two white chocolate golf balls (like fortune cookies) sitting on a bed of green coconut grass - very cute and clever! I would have been very happy eating an entire meal of those tiny bites from the tapas and desserts. For me, those were definitely the highlights, and I would be happy to come back for more of those. The main dishes were all creative and solid, but I think I get palate fatigue after a few bites. This meal was a nice reminder of our time in Spain, and it featured some really unique Portuguese wines. In addition, the setting was a really nice change from the craziness of Lisbon and Sintra's city centers.

Very good and calm restaurant close to the golf course. This and Midori are the two Michelin restaurants at the hotel and they are both very good.

Portugal has several Michelin rated restaurants and we visited two before we came to Lab. This sort of culinary experience is supposed to provide unforgettable moments with each and every bite. Unfortunately there were a few forgettable moments...started out rough but got better as the journey continued. Not a terrible meal by any stretch but needs some fine tuning. Also, the wine pairings definitely need to be fine tuned. They focused on Portuguese wines which I can appreciate but they were not the best by any means. Not sure it's worth the price. Giving three stars based on other Michelin experiences, quality of each bite and the wine pairings. Beautiful presentation though.

One of the most expensive meals I have ever had in Portugal and one of the worst in regards food quality I would not recommend Set in the golf resort Penha Longe with large grounds and historic buildings I have no idea what restaurant other reviewers ate at as they seemed to have had a completely different experience High point was service and wine included in the pairing which is not saying much given the poor overall experience Not a fan of the midcentury inspired decor but I liked the small intimate dining space .. hidden secretly between two opaque sliding doors in back of the restaurant like an exclusive club ... service seemed a bit young and unseasoned for this level though trying very hard to please so appreciated ... multiple inquiries throughout from staff in terms of how satisfied we were but no reaction when we clearly were not to rectify the situation -just a nervous smile ... First impression they think way too highly of themselves -you only got 1 Michelin star chill out too much talking and show from the moment you come in... I thought I was part of a documentary they give you a tour of there so avant- garde open air kitchen which is the first thing to greet you when walking in, long talk about the chefs concept ,the two restaurants by chef blah blah blah all this before we are even seated ... At 400 euros for two with wine included at a Michelin level 1 star dining it needs to up its overall game a lot... obviously if food was sublime no complaints about pricing would be lodged as at that price point it is on par or a little cheaper than many other Michelin options especially stateside We did midlevel tasting menu with wine pairing nothing inventive wow or even good in a several course menu also this was not eleven courses as some folks wrote unless you count a amuse as a course which I don't I am so glad I was not able to do their 22 course menu because of my gluten/dairy restrictions -what a waste of money time and my tastebuds that would have been We were surprised and annoyed that wine pairing only started after 2 courses listed on the menu -the tapas courses were served and this was not clarified in the menu or in person when ordering Why not just increase the pairing price so you can have a complete experience ? when we told them this was odd -their answer was main menu had not started so that's why no wine but you can pay extra for wine with the tapas then please don't list the tapas on your written menu and don't say you are giving me a wine pairing ! food was not good -many options overly salted and sauced I have never seen so much sauce in my life and all basically tasting and looking the same -bland execution very off duck course fatty skin not crisp with fat not cooked off duck served with roast pear stuffed with liver mousse that was not edible mullet fish served but not portuguese off the boat fresh not cooked enough signature veal dish protein tasty but elements on dish not balanced gross congealed hollandaise in middle with hot meat demiglass clashed with cold tomatoe ravioli some interesting flourishes which might border on gimmicky for some (myself included) dried tomatoe sheets hidden in a real rose picked out with tweezers to add to your dish final dish of the night white chocalate golf balls (restaurant is in a luxury golf resort)with chinese fortune cookie saying inside tapas dishes served in puzzle like arrangement of silver dishes if these were the final touches to a spectacular meal they would be weird but forgivable in this setting they felt like over compensating poorly for a disappointing food experience and just highlighted the many meal deficiencies One thing they did very well -I greatly appreciated the excellent accommodation for my gluten and dairy intolerance Every alternative dish served was a complete new combo not just leaving off important components gluten free bread was better than the regular I had wanted to check out Midori the other Japanese Michelin 1 star at this Penha Resort but I am scared after this experience left such a poor aftertaste LAB's chef needs to experiment on getting his joint in shape Focus on getting food and service right and not so much the theatrics of a restaurant Chef Sergio apparently is never there and tends to his other worldwide restaurants so perhaps that is part of the problem

The LAB is a small (only 22 seats) fine dining experimental restaurant, that is run by the chef of the Arola restaurant (at the same location). Michelin-starred chef Sergi Arola has set up a highly-innovative, tapas inspired gastronomic expierence that is mind blowing! They offer two different tasting menus and an extensive wine selection. The menues cost around EU 100,-- which is a a fair price for the offer. Highly recommended, best food I had in Portugal so far.

Albeit a Michelin 1 star restaurant, the courses did not match our expectations. The service was great, as the staff was attentive. We chose the 4 course prix fine option (1 starter, 1 fish, 1 meat, and dessert). The starter was good, but not exceptional. Moreover, the fish (tuna) and meat (black angus) were far better than the starter, but still not as good as other courses we have experienced at Michelin star restaurants. The wine pairings were good, but not stellar. I would return for the price, as there are other restaurants in the greater Lisbon area that have better tasting courses and are far cheaper.