Restaurante O Frade

I went to O Frade twice! it was so good that we made a reservation for Christmas dinner while having lunch the first time there. This restaurant was ao highly recommended on The Fork that I made the exception to my early lunch to score a 2pm seating that first lunch. Both times we sat at the counter - the best vantage point where you could view the peep but more importantly, decide if you were going to order that dish yourself. Both times, the servers were attentive, made conversation and explained the dishes. I'd strongly recommend a reservation for you do not want to be turned away. We had different dishes on both occasions and we loved them all. The dessert was good as well. Would recommend and would definitely eat there again if I were back in the country.

We recently visited this Michelin-recommended restaurant and had an overall pleasant experience. I ordered the oxtail, which was well prepared — tender, rich, and comforting. The meat was nicely cooked and the flavors were satisfying without being too heavy. My boyfriend chose the squid rice, which unfortunately felt quite average. It wasn’t bad, but it lacked the depth and character we were hoping for, especially for a seafood dish in Portugal. In terms of pricing, there are a few additional charges to keep in mind. Water is €2 per person, bread is €6, and a glass of white wine is €9. While this is not unusual for this type of restaurant, it does add up quickly. Overall, the food was solid but not particularly memorable. A nice experience, but perhaps not one that left a strong impression on us.

I made a reservation in advance because this is a Michelin-recommended restaurant. The venue was well-organized and clean overall. The recommended duck rice was decent. Adding orange peel gave it a nice fresh, cleansing touch that cut through the greasiness, but the duck still had a slight gamey odor. The beans with octopus was a bit too salty, likely because of the ham cubes inside. The oxtail, however, was excellent—sweet and savory, and it offered two different enjoyable experiences whether eaten plain or with the sauce. My biggest disappointment was the service. Basic requests such as water refills were completely overlooked, even after waiting and checking multiple times. For a Michelin-recommended restaurant, the service was really below expectation.

This review is mostly about the service and atmosphere at this restaurant. It has limited seating. Most of the seats inside are around the counter. You get very little elbow room and absolutely no privacy. Although nobody rushed us, it didn't feel like a relaxing place to eat. We were fortunate to be seated right away because there were only two of us. We ordered the specialty pie (the filling was great but the crust could be a bit more flaky), octopus and bean stew (flavorful but VERY FEW pieces of octopus), and a dish with pork and clams (mostly excellent but the fries were not that good--over fried). Everything was on the pricey side. It was the first time during our 5 day trip in Portugal that we were cahrged 2.5 Euros for a glass of TAP water (i later did some research online and learned that it would be ILLEGAL for restaurants to charge for tap water in Portugal). The mini bottle of sparkling water we ordered costed another 5.5 Euros! It would coat a lot less at other restaurants. It's a Michelin star restaurant and the servers acted the part (not a compliment). It was the first time during our Lisbon trip that a waiter/waitress *suggested* 10% tip on the bill. We were going to tip anyway but this felt awkward.

O Frade was a great experience overall. As a big steak tartare lover, I’m giving it 5 stars, it was excellent, and the rest of the food was also very good. One note: be careful with the seasoning, because the duck rice was far too spicy for my taste. The outdoor atmosphere is cosy and pleasant, but there are only a few tables, so a reservation is definitely recommended. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Would happily come back.

Really good restaurant with regional Portuguese fare. The food is delicious. We got the duck rice and the oxtail. The duck rice was very good! The portion was generous and the flavor was great. It was very unique, not like any dish I've tried before. The oxtail was my favorite though - it is one of the best oxtail dishes I've had. Perfectly seasoned and I loved the sides. Some other notes: the place is fairly small inside, you'll probably end up sitting at the counter or outside. The outside seating area is not too bad but it doesn't have the same ambience. I ate outside but I would recommend trying to get a seat indoors if you can. My main point of criticism for this place is it does feel a little touristy. They include a 10% tip in the bill which is fine, but my understanding is this something that really only tourist restaurants would do. Like most Portuguese restaurants they have a "couvert" dish (which you can decline) but theirs is overly expensive at 5.50 euros for some bread and a little bit of butter and olive oil. That was more expensive than some entire meals I had Portugal. In general it is a little pricey for what you get and you are certainly paying the "tourist tax" when you eat here. But what can I say, the food is good - they've earned it.

It's really delicious. This is a must-visit restaurant when you come to Lisbon. Because of my pronunciation, they cancelled my order even though it was misordered with beer, and the male employee is very nice!!

Absolutely blown away by the entrees. I couldn’t pick my favorite one because they were all equally delicious!! I will dream about that oxtail forever.