Close to Jardim do Príncipe Real, the singular, beautiful park built in the 18th century above one of many underground cisterns of Lisbon’s public water system, is a cozy, rustic Portuguese eatery defying – while also benefiting from – the trends of its surroundings.
Tascardoso is a typical tasca often frequented by tourists in the increasingly chic Principe Real neighbourhood, which tops one of the city’s seven hills and commands that soft Lisbon light until the last moment of the day. While fad food and French-owned business ventures abound, the restaurant’s popularity has risen with the booming interest in the area: it is especially difficult to get a table at Tascardoso for dinner. For lunch, however, it is the locals who crowd into its two rooms for cheap yet high-quality specials.
Tascardoso was opened by Senhor Cardoso, who moved here from northern Portugal some 50 years ago. Both sections of his restaurant have a homey atmosphere. The entrance from Rua do Seculo is decorated by a beautiful wisteria on the door and classic Portuguese motifs inside, including traditional shawls from the north; the other entrance is on Rua Dom Pedro V, the old road accessing the medieval city, which nowadays is populated by fashion boutiques and trendy eateries.
The menu is pretty typical for Lisbon; fish dishes such as scabbard with boiled vegetables, sea bass or grilled sea bream are always available and fresh. But there are a few meat dishes that are a step ahead of those common ones found at tascas elsewhere in the city. The grilled veal rib steak is excellent, the tenderness revealing the high quality of the product. Bochechas de porco – stewed black pork cheeks – are also worth tasting. The meat is prepared in red wine, chili, garlic and onion, stewed first then baked later. It is a preparation usually found in more highbrow restaurants.
Among the unusual fare is also the stewed rabbit, a pure and rare delight as it is not always on the daily menu. We recommend asking them when they next plan to serve it and booking a table in advance for that day.
Carlos, one of the regular waiters, is a pro at organizing the high turnover of clients (Tascadorso fills up quickly). Working here for several decades, he maintains the restaurant’s steadfastness despite its booming popularity. “What has changed is the surroundings. Rua Dom Pedro V was very different 10 years ago. There was a tramline whose normal route had been suspended in the past and recovered recently, but it is now exclusively for tourists.”
His view on this issue is a common concern in the city: the waiting time for this iconic mode of transport that many residents depend on is a major cause for friction. The pressure on public transport is increasing due to the higher number of passengers combined with the new renewed trams (the green ones) that travel around the city center only for tourists, instead of being integrated into the network. Despite the double bind of tourism here, which fills the city’s restaurants while making day-to-day life more difficult, Tascardoso’s consistently high standards still make it a gem for anyone passing by Principe Real.
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