Goetz B.
Yelp
Maria da Mouraria is perhaps a little bit difficult to find, but definitely worth a visit if you are looking for an authentic dinner with live Fado music. And don't forget to order a Portuguese wine to go with the food - ask the waiter, I was more than happy with his recommendation, the brilliant Albarinho Quinta de Golães.
When I was visiting Lisbon, I asked my Airbnb host for recommendations near his apartment. On the first day, my friend and I ended up at one of those places, Maria da Mouraria. The restaurants looks modern, and a little bit arty with its simple, yet carefully chosen interior design. It seemed that most guests who were around that evening were friends or family of the people running the place.
I immediately liked the restaurant Maria da Mouraria, but if you are vegetarian, you will probably only have a pretty limited choice. And something to keep in mind is that they do not accept cards, so you have to pay in cash.
not big on vegetarian food, if that is a concern.
We started with some bread and tasty cheese, that was already provided on the table. Soon, the waiter asked what we would like to drink, and recommended an excellent Albarinho white wine, Quinta de Golães, from the North of Portugal. The wine was very good with nice mineral notes and a hint of sweetness. They only sell wine by the bottle, but if you get a wine like this, you are happy that you have an entire bottle - even my friend, who is not the biggest wine fan, really enjoyed drinking this Alvarinho.
For my main I went with a local classic, Lisbon beef steak. As recommended, I ordered it medium, but the thin slice arrived more well-done than medium. However, this was not an issue for me, because it still was very delicious. The steak came with beautiful crispy fries and in a nice, herby, a tiny bit spicy sauce.
My friend ordered some fush dish and was also very happy with her choice.
After the mains, we selected chocolate cake and chocolate mousse as desserts. The chocolate mousse was strong in chocolate flavour and an absolute pleasure to eat.
Around 21:30, two men with guitars and a singer arrived to play some Fado, traditional Portuguese music. I thought it they played well and it felt authentic. It was interesting to listen to different sets with three different singers. Afterwards, I read that apparently the first ever Fado singer is said to have lived at this place. And now they rebuilt the house and it's a lovely little restaurant.
Maria da Mouraria is a great restaurant in Lisbon, hidden away in a small street. The food is delicious and they have excellent wines. In addition, you might be lucky and they have live Fado music on. You could argue that it is perhaps a bit pricey, but overall I think you get a nice, authentic dinner experience with friendly service. At the end, it was totally worth it.