Sign up with email

or

Already a member? Log in.

Trouble logging in?

Not a member? Sign up!

Most tascas’ walls are covered with tiles, framed family or hometown pictures and soccer teams’ scarves. But inside A Provinciana, located between the neighborhoods of Restauradores and Rossio, the main decorative objects are dozens of original handmade wall clocks.

Some work, some don’t, but all have great meaning for Américo, the owner of this establishment that has been around for 70-plus years. “I built them. All of them. Every Sunday, our day off, I sit at my house building these clocks with what I have: old tiles, bits of wood, pieces of barrel,” he says, glancing proud at his creations.

Like many tascas in Lisbon, A Provinciana was founded by Galician immigrants during the 1930s. It still preserves some of its original elements, most notably the enormous wine barrels behind the counter. It’s one of the rare places in the city where it’s still possible to order a glass of wine directly from the barrel — even though the wine is now kept there not for aging or fermenting purposes, but just for serving.

Américo – who acquired this place in 1988 – is a lively host. Especially when it comes to clock-talking. He always ask customers if they can count how many clocks there are on the wall. By the way, that’s a trick question. We won’t reveal the answer to avoid spoiling the fun.

“They come here with the magazine in hands, point to the chanfana pictures, and I have to explain them that we only serve it on Tuesdays.”

Both Américo and his wife, Judite, come from the Centre region of Portugal. She talks less but cooks more. And cooks well. Her chanfana (goat stew), served every Tuesday, is famous. Not only among faithful Portuguese clients but also some unexpected Japanese ones – every once in a while, visitors from Japan will show up carrying a magazine where it was featured, several years ago. “They come here with the magazine in hands, point to the chanfana pictures, and I have to explain them that we only serve it on Tuesdays. It’s not easy,” he recalls.

Even if it’s not chanfana day, customers will find other typical Portuguese recipes, like feijoada (bean and meat stew, served on Wednesdays), cozido à portuguesa (A Portuguese boiled dinner, served on Thursdays) or caldeirada de bacalhau (codfish stew, served on Saturdays). It’s quite impressive to observe Judite work in her tiny kitchen, making all these classic dishes – and many others – flawlessly.

It’s very hard to get even a cramped table spot during the lunch rush hour – yes, tables are shared, elbows touch, and the faithful clientele is as heterogeneous as possible: from construction workers to bank managers. But is it worth waiting? Absolutely. Not only because of the clocks and the food, but also because A Provinciana is surrounded by tourist traps, especially in the neighboring street Rua das Portas de Santo Antão. Thus, it’s a safe spot among mined land. A deception-proof shelter in a restaurant warzone. In other words, the place to be.

  • Tasca TablesFebruary 1, 2018 Tasca Tables (0)
    To describe something that is better than good, Portuguese speakers sometimes use the […] Posted in Lisbon
  • Tasca TablesOctober 18, 2017 Tasca Tables (0)
    Lisbon is changing every day. That change is noticeable all around the city in different […] Posted in Lisbon
  • Indo-Caribbean QueensMay 6, 2019 Indo-Caribbean Queens (0)
    Where the A train dead-ends at Lefferts Boulevard, Liberty Avenue stretches on into the […] Posted in Queens Migrant Kitchens, Queens
Tiago Pais

Published on April 11, 2018

Related stories

February 1, 2018

Tasca Tables: The Spectacular Imperial de Campo de Ourique

Lisbon | By Tiago Pais
LisbonTo describe something that is better than good, Portuguese speakers sometimes use the word espectáculo (show, spectacle) as an adjective. João Gomes, the owner of Imperial de Campo de Ourique, does it every five minutes. He practically trademarked the phrase “É um espectáculo” (It’s a show/spectacle), to the point that he has it embroidered on…
Visit traditional Lisbon restaurants on our walks!
October 18, 2017

Tasca Tables: A Ideal, Saved by its Good Food and Bad Location

Lisbon | By Tiago Pais
LisbonLisbon is changing every day. That change is noticeable all around the city in different ways. On any given day, a new Hollywood celebrity might be joining the ranks of current residents Madonna, Michael Fassbender and Monica Bellucci. This famous person will likely buy an enormous loft in a neighborhood where long-established shops are giving…
little guyana queens
May 6, 2019

Indo-Caribbean Queens: A Curious Eater’s Guide to “Little Guyana”

Queens | By Ike Allen
QueensWhere the A train dead-ends at Lefferts Boulevard, Liberty Avenue stretches on into the heart of the enclave known as Little Guyana, part of the larger Richmond Hill neighborhood. Once a year, for the Hindu holiday of Diwali, a bedazzled motorcade turns the street into an eruption of colors, music and lights that is a…
Select your currency
USD United States (US) dollar
EUR Euro