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Hours
Tue
12:30 - 15:0019:00 - 22:00
Wed
12:30 - 15:0019:00 - 22:00
Thu
12:30 - 15:0019:00 - 22:00
Fri
12:30 - 15:0019:00 - 22:00
Sat
12:30 - 15:0019:00 - 22:00
MICHELIN
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Ratings and reviews
Travellers' Choice 2023
MICHELIN
View more on MICHELIN GuideRATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Details
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PRICE RANGE
£50.00 – £155.00
CUISINES
Contemporary, Portuguese
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
meals, features
MICHELIN Guide's Point of View
Belcanto boasts a superb location in the Bairro Alto (Chiado) district popular with tourists, on a corner close to a former convent damaged by the larg...
Read more on MICHELIN GuideTwo MICHELIN Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour!
Does this restaurant have a full bar?
Details
About
Jose Avillez looks at haute cuisine as a form of expression. At the Belcanto he shares his inspirations, emotions and concerns through his culinary representations and illusions. Each dish tells a story and sets out to stir the emotions of those willing to try it."
PRICE RANGE
£50.00 – £155.00
CUISINES
Contemporary, Portuguese
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Gift Cards Available
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4.5
2,205 reviews
Excellent
1,687
Very good
294
Average
133
Poor
63
Terrible
28
Carlashel
Bury St. Edmunds15 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
We really enjoyed our visit from the moment we entered the service was exceptional.
Very professional but not stuffy with great attention to the detail
We came for my husbands birthday which was celebrated with his own small cake- nice touch
We had the evolution tasting menu and accompanying wines and yes it is expensive but for me totally worth it.The food was out of this world and so creative - served with great explanation and friendly humour
The wines were divine too and unique- we would never have experienced them
The decor is elegant and tasteful and all members of staff were outstanding
I would not hesitate to recommend and would love to revisit.
One of my favourite experiences ever. If you have the money do it !!!
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WorldTraveler639
Montreal282 contributions
Sept 2020 • none
Let me start by saying the food is 10/10 delicious, innovative and presented in such unique ways! The only things we *didn't* like was the service.
We had an early dinner reservation and the place was empty when we arrived. Even so, they wanted to sit us right next to the service station (where the waiters are constantly grabbing utensils, menus, wine, etc.) When I asked if we could have 1 of the other 3 empty tables right next to it (all identical), the maitre d' rolled his eyes and gave us some attitude before eventually giving us a different table.
There were also a few instances where we felt like the staff (not their fault - I'm sure they are told to do so by management) were being sneaky about different hidden fees.
For example, we ordered just 1 bottle of water since we were having alcoholic drinks with the meal, but when we got the bill, we were charged for 2 bottles. Turns out that the waiter had opened a 2nd bottle without asking/telling us and it stood 3/4 full in the service area.
We also didn't order bread - it is a separate item on the menu and costs extra. With so many courses, we didn't think we needed it. Next thing you know, bread shows up at our table. We specifically didn't order it, so why just assume?
When you have a Michelin star and your guests are already paying high prices to dine, trying to sneak in 10 euros extra here and there really takes away from the experience and makes the whole thing feel 'cheap'.
Written 6 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul DuBois
London1077 contributions
Jan 2020 • couples
Fantastic Michelin experience!
Had a wonderful evening experiencing the Classic Tasting Menu of this José Avillez restaurant. The staff are very personable and they make the entire experience enjoyable.
All courses are explained and timed to allow you to enjoy each course at a leisurely pace. Plenty of surprises throughout the meal which helps to keep you interested and engaged on this digestive ‘journey’ of the ‘best bits’ of Belcanto’s history.
The real treat of the meal is the Golden Goose Egg, the Suckling Pig and the final dessert of Mandarin (Tangerina).
The full tasting menu along with wine tasting will cost €500.00 for two people. Well worth it for a special evening but you can also dine à la carte if preferred.
Written 26 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WMSME
Portland234 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
So Belcanto is famous and we are nobodies, and just about everyone else has loved dining here, so that we really disliked it should probably not influence anyone else. We have had several tasting menus at this price point (Per Se, Charlie Trotter and others), including 100 Maneiros in Lisbon this trip, which we enjoyed. But we honestly disliked all thirteen courses we were served, and almost left halfway through the meal. We dine out more than once a week, and travel internationally a fair amount, and it has been several years since we had as negative a reaction to food we were served.
The problem? Everything seemed either smoky, raw or both. We have no problem with sushi, but the raw shrimp in one dish was uncomfortable, and the raw horse mackerel in another simply did not taste good to us. Even the "cooked" fish (another shrimp, sea bass) seemed underdone and was chewy. (As a matter of fact, nothing tasted good to us, I'm afraid). We were asked when we ordered if we minded rare squab, and, trusting in the chef, said it was ok, but when we had it in front of us, we could not eat more than a bit or two.
I suppose everyone else understands this food, and we simply don't. Or people are uncomfortable, as we were, in not enjoying a meal at the fantastic price point this restaurant gets. We were expecting new riffs on Portuguese food traditions, but we could not connect our dining experience here with we had elsewhere which was not "nouvelle."
The restaurant is reasonably attractive, if a bit stark; it is not especially appealing visually. Our table was quiet and a good size for a two-top. Our server was a delightful young man, who did his best and was dismayed by our lack of enthusiasm but soldiered on. We had two sommeliers, neither of whose name we got. One was excellent, the other fine. Most of the wines were very good and well chosen; only the single red was disappointing.
But we have been depressed about this experience since we had it a few days ago. I'm glad other people like it more than we did, I guess. But for us it simply did not work.
Written 10 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mariana G
Alges393 contributions
Feb 2020 • couples
The Belcanto is a quiet and nice place for special occasions. We asked for the classic tasting menu. I can recognize all the expertise and creativity of the chef but i think the final price is too high. From all dishes we had my preferred was without any doubt the Leitao (small pig).
Written 26 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Novaira P
Chicago4 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
My husband and I went here for my birthday dinner and while we were a bit skeptical, we walked out completely satisfied! We made reservations for 7:30pm online a week prior and walked in to an empty restaurant. However, it seems that in Lisbon (like other parts of Europe), the average dinner time is much later, because by 9pm, the restaurant was packed.
We spent a little over 3 hours at Belcanto and time just flew by. The service was exceptional, with our waiter, Joao, paying extra attention to our dietary restrictions. Several dishes had pork or pork based ingredients (which we don't eat) and Joao and the rest of the staff really worked diligently to guarantee we wouldn't lose out on the experience due to our restrictions. If you're someone who is happy to experiment with different flavors and enjoys presentation of a gastronomic experience, then Belcanto is a must-go place on your list when in Lisbon. I will say we were fairly full after our meal, even though we had made plans to grab pizza after! (Obviously, we didn't go afterwards). This was definitely a birthday meal to remember!
Written 8 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
soulmate2108
Colchester82 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
We booked originally for the Thursday but my husband was not well, the maître d' was very helpful and re-booked us in for another evening – no hassle and done with a very friendly manner.
When we returned we decided to have the Evolution menu and so pleased we did, this menu is full of different tastes and the presentation is fabulous, it was a wonderful meal topped off with great service for Ross, he explained each course with a little humour too. The whole experience is one we both will not forget, food, service and atmosphere were top class, thank you !
Written 10 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zoubidetta
Paris302 contributions
Jul 2021 • couples
Simply put, Belcanto is a solid 2 stars. Food is inventive, surprising, precise and it just works. Clockwork mechanism perfection. Offers a great foray into Portuguese cuisine. Prices are more than reasonable reasonable compared to similar level offering out of Portugal, though I understand it’s hardly affordable to locals as a meal for 2 might cost as a much as the minimum wage here. Nonu, the sommelier, was as knowledgeable as pleasant to converse with and the pairing was perfect. We will warmly recommend this place. It is, to be honest, a welcome change from restaurants of the same categories in France, that tend to be similar to each other.
We really liked the carrot and milk appetizer and the lobster Caesar salad above all.
Written 16 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GARETH W
Greater London251 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
We visited in early March, when Portugal introduced emergency measures relating to Covid – 19. Many restaurants had closed. We had booked to visit Belcanto, for dinner, two and half months prior to our visit. One needs to make a reservation early, to guarantee a table for your desired day.
We received a call to confirm our visit about three days before our arrival.
We were greeted warmly by name, and shown to our seats. We chose the classic menu. At the beginning, during and after our meal, there were many special treats served. We loved our meal, standout praise for the sea bass and the reimagined suckling pig. The restaurant has a good design, and the staff are very helpful, friendly and very professional. There is a high technical ability here, with some dishes being not as they would first appear. Good food with some unexpected marriages of ingredients. We would recommend for the innovative take on Portuguese cuisine, well worth the price.
On a further note, we would like to wish all the staff our best wishes with the current Covid -19 emergency measures. Thank you for your good service, we hope you and your families keep safe.
Written 28 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luc Wolfarth
Salt Lake City686 contributions
Dec 2020 • couples
We took the Carrousel Tasting Menu (185EUR p.p.), the highest experience of Belcanto. This internationally recognized restaurant offered us a great experience.
At the beginning I felt a bit insecure about what it would be. Despite booking a week upfront we only got a table for lunch at 13:30 yesterday. They sat us at a rather large round table somewhere in the middle of the way. When asking to be relocated the staff did take attention to it and moved us to a smaller squared table in the room, very cozy.
The service was great, not overwhelming. The waiter felt our vibe and connected very well with us. Thanks João!
In general the staff made us feel comfortable, particularly when ordering the wine (85EUR), not trying to oversell anything. On the contrary they were very sober.
Belcanto is an enchant ;-)
It is a surprise from beginning to end, each course was incredibly tasty.
If you want to celebrate a very special moment or simply enjoy life with style... Belcanto is the place to be.
Written 31 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
#rooftopfoodie
Zurich5015 contributions
Aug 2020 • friends
Dining at Belcanto and enjoying the chef’s table surprise menu was the most compact Michelin starred meal. The build-up of the heavily seafood and fish based menu was perfect and came to a perfect culmination with the giant red shrimp and crunchy suckling pig sandwich main dishes.
The wine pairing which included exclusively Portuguese wines really highlighted the dishes starting already with the extra dry porto and tonic welcome cocktail. The meal was certainly more than sumptuous but as it featured mainly seafood and fish dishes, it didn’t feel too heavy at the end. The fig, tomato and goat milk main dessert was a surprising but great closing of the dinner, very light and not too sweet, unlike the majority of Portuguese desserts.
And the small details made the big difference, including the hand that served the first appetizer and the shirt’s end to clean your mouth with. Unforgettable little touches from possibly the best chef in Portugal. And a seat at the chef’s table to enjoy the buzz of the kitchen is an extra cherry on top of this wonderful experience.
Written 3 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam S
Long Beach816 contributions
Nov 2021 • couples
One of the world's best restaurants, on the list of the top 50 restaurants in the world, this place lives up to the hype and price. We went for lunch. Reservations are a must and we made ours a month in advance from the US.
They take your credit card and if you don't cancel the day before and don't show up, they charge you a 100 Euros pp.
We opted to order from the menu instead of from the tasting menu. However they served us many of the day's dishes from the tasting menu (complimentary) which was a nice touch. The wine selection is excellent and the food is truly outstanding. My favorite were the small appetizers.
See the pictures and you will get the idea.
The service was also outstanding as expected.
Written 5 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hsu1234
Greater London163 contributions
Mar 2020 • none
Came here with great expectations after watching them in Celebrity Masterchef. From the moment we arrived the service was not what you expect from a two Michelin star restaurant. The food was so so, even when I comment and questioned about a dish, nothing came back from it. We did bring up all our concerns and they did tried to make up all their mistakes but it’s too late. For a restaurant of this standard, a customer should not need to ask for anything, they should anticipate all our needs, from the water in our glasses, extra bread .... so on so on which we had to. Was really disappointed.
Written 12 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason L
3 contributions
Oct 2022 • family
We were told that the chefs table menu of £250 euro per person will be a special unique menu entirely different from ala carte dishes and it’s specially curated ingredients only serving limited to 8-10 pax daily. Hence we order one chefs menu table plus ala carte starters and 2 mains to share amongst 4 adults. The server assured us that the chef table menu will be unique and a surprise selection of 13 special moments - dishes.
Lo and behold, every single aka carte dishes served to us, 5 mins later a smaller portion of chefs table menu was served again! And it repeated for everything! Every dishes in chef menu is just a smaller portion of the ala carte.
Please don’t fall for the trap!
We raised it up to the team and guess what they reply us? We highlighted that the Caesar salad served to chef tables menu is exactly the same as our ala carte menu, their reply was “sir, the ala carte Caesar salad comes with crispy chicken skin, the chefs table menu portion does not comes with it, hence its slightly different right?”
Our only regret is that we are unable to rate zero star for this restaurant. It came highly recommended as highlighted in Google search, imagine our horror getting such service and blatant lies of telling us the chef table menu is unique and entirely different from the ala carte dishes.
And we hope Michelin do something about this, we have dined in a lot of Michelin star restaurants in many countries, but this got to be the one that doesn’t deserve even a mention by Michelin let alone 2 stars
Written 18 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LionelWhite
Singapore31 contributions
Feb 2022 • couples
There are only two 2-Michelin star restaurants in Lisbon: Alma and Belcanto. Having eaten at the former followed by the latter on consecutive nights, I can safely say, based on my experiences, that Alma disappointed but Belcanto truly dazzled. Having eaten at Belcanto once before several years ago, I was looking forward to dining there again seeing that the first time was truly exquisite. This time, it was just as pleasant and pleasurable. The new location and decor is tasteful and elegant. The service was attentive without being intrusive; the wait staff had a light sense of humour and engaged in friendly banter which made for a convivial soirée. The food was truly delicious without veering towards unnecessary styling or visual histrionics. The ingredients tasted very fresh, the presentation was lovely, the pacing and portions were just right, and the flavours were very refreshing. (For the record, my husband and I had the a la carte menu.) A special shout-out to the sommelier who served us that night (3 Feb) - Jose, I believe his name was; he was very accommodating and recommended us a lovely bottle of Orange wine which paired well with our plates. I’d highly recommend Belcanto to anyone who wants a good gastro experience while in Lisbon. M and I will be back next time we head here to Lisbon.
Written 4 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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