Chris H.
Google
Another search of highly touted restaurants in the historic Lisbon area lead us to Pharmacia. Nestled on a quite curve, over looking the river (through some trees unfortunately, but still visible) you will find this well themed, perfectly located spot.
A faux grass courtyard welcomes you as you walk through the iron gates to greet the service staff who will lead you to your table.
Note: It said a reservation was a must, which we had but, we did see multiple walk in’s get seated immediately, possibly as it was a Sunday, but just a foot note
We did dine outside so I only got to glance at the insides historic decor briefly, but it looked welcoming and warm. The cocktail menu is all pharmaceutical themed and comes is uniques glassware which was a nice touch, I enjoyed a smoky cranberry, blueberry hypotic and it was great! (4.5/5)
Now the food:
The Olives -5/5- cheap and delicious, EVOO and garlic served in a mini mason jar. A nice way to start
The Hummus-4/5- a cilantro and cumin flavour, and a hearty portion for the amount of crostinis you get (ask for a double order of them when ordering)
The Duck Croquettes- 10/10 - perfectly seasoned deep fried deliciousness!! The orange jam added the perfect hint of sweet to go with the salty. Highly recommend!
The Oysters -2.95€ each-4.5/5 - a taste of the ocean, served with just lemon wedges (no mignonette unfortunately) but they were fresh, huge and paired with well me alternating between olives and oysters!
The Roasted Codfish Loin -10/10
Once my wife finish licking her plate, the exact words were “This may be the best plate I’ve ever had” and seeing as she married to a chef that hurt a bit, but I did taste her meal and it melted in the mouth like absolute butter. The mash were creamy, the torched garlic butter meringue on top was savoured till the last possible bite. A perfectly balanced dish
The Braised Pork Cheeks -3.75/5
I will say the cheeks themselves were delicious, tender, and fell apart when hit by the fork. Stated to be, and did performed as the star of the show! The accompaniments being the sweet potato mash (3.5/5) the dehydrated powdered ham (5/5) and crispy Portuguese cabbage (3/5) lacked cohesiveness and acid to bring it all together.
Would I recommend it… Yes, would I order it for a second time. No.
So over all I would give a solid 4.25/5 if I was allowed to do percentage points. The service staff were there but not overly attentive to us. Took a bit to flag down for an add on of crostinis, and get our bill and we never really got a 2 bite check, so that’s the reason for the 4 for service.
Would I recommend yes, would I return… probably.