From the heart of Lisbon to the centre of Cascais. More than a year after preparations began, Café de São Bento finally opens in the town this Wednesday, April 9th, on the famous Rua Amarela. The menu — which features the house's signature steak as its main attraction — is "strictly identical" to the one at the original location, assures the owner of the restaurant group, Miguel Garcia, who purchased Café de São Bento in 2022 with plans for expansion.
Cascais has always been one of the locations considered. In fact, while searching for spaces, Miguel Garcia discovered what would eventually become Bougain. Following his growing connection to the town, he was later invited to explore the restaurant by the Bay that would become the Italian Corleone. Now, the time has come for Café de São Bento — and the plans for expansion remain, with another restaurant in Lisbon and one in Porto already confirmed as goals by the owner.
The traditional Café de São Bento steak, which has had the exact same recipe since its founding in 1982, remains the hallmark and soul of the restaurant — in fact, it was even named by Time Out as "the best steak in Lisbon". Perhaps it’s now "the best steak in Cascais". Made with sirloin, it costs €30 (200 grams) or €35 (250 grams). If you prefer rib-eye, it’s €27 (200 grams). Alternatively, they also serve grilled steaks or the Portuguese-style steak, with garlic, bay leaves, and cured ham. All comes with homemade fries.
The dish is inspired by the historic steaks from the Marrare cafés, four establishments opened in 19th-century Lisbon by the Italian Antonio Marrare, whose atmosphere also influenced the creation and concept of Café de São Bento when it opened in the 1980s.
The menu also includes gratin cod with cream (€23) as a fish option, and the Mediterranean tart (€20), made with stewed vegetables, Mediterranean herbs, and tofu in puff pastry, tomato brunoise and olives, arugula, and lemon vinaigrette, as a vegetarian option.
To start the meal, there are appetizers such as duck foie gras with apple, pear, tomato chutney, and toasted bread (€14.50); the already classic garlic prawns (€14.50); beef tartare made from minced sirloin, served with toast (€15); veal carpaccio with Parmesan, pink pepper, arugula, green olive tapenade, and balsamic vinegar reduction (€14); or Iberian ham (€18), among other options.
To finish, standout desserts include apple tarte tatin, served warm with vanilla ice cream (€9); crème brûlée (€8); homemade cheesecake with red berries (€9); or "the best chocolate cake in the world" (€9).
The executive lunch menu, available from Monday to Friday, remains, priced at 27€, which includes a main dish and either a starter or dessert — as well as water, coffee, or tea. You may also want to accompany it with a glass of Café de São Bento wine, a red produced in collaboration with Herdade Papa Leite, created to celebrate the opening in Cascais and the 43rd anniversary of the brand. Only 600 bottles of this 2021 reserve, made from two grape varieties, were produced. Soon, says Miguel Garcia, "each restaurant will have its own wine."
"To preserve the essence of the new Café de São Bento, the new team underwent training at the Lisbon restaurant for over a month. Some of the more experienced staff members made the journey in reverse, helping set up the Café de São Bento in Cascais with their knowledge and expertise. The chef, Manuel Fernandes, has been the same for 39 years — his older brother was one of the founding partners.
The atmosphere is also very similar. In transforming a former music shop (which had once been a restaurant) into Café de São Bento, only one change stands out: velvet curtains were not installed to avoid the space feeling 'too heavy'. Instead, curtains that allow natural light to enter were chosen — especially since one of the façades features an outdoor terrace with 16 seats.
"Velvet is present on the sofas, leather on the armchairs, brass on some of the lamps and decorative items scattered throughout the space. The wood is mahogany, just like in Lisbon. The marble counter is green Guatemala; even the playlist — predominantly focused on jazz, soul, and American crooners — is exactly the same. You still have to ring the doorbell to enter, maintaining the privacy of an elegant place where people are encouraged to ,"their time," and where there are many regular customers.
"We didn’t reinvent the wheel, it was invented a long time ago," explains Miguel Garcia. "We don’t want to create franchise-style copies, these are authentic copies, with a focus on hospitality and the art of welcoming. The recipe is the same, but with a different team. Café de São Bento has been serving the same families in Lisbon for generations, and now we want to do the same in Cascais. This is a long-term project. We are always the same, open every day."
While in Lisbon, Café de São Bento serves steaks until 2 a.m., in Cascais, for now, they close at midnight. Miguel Garcia believes the town's nightlife is not as late, partly due to the lack of bars or entertainment venues nearby, but he leaves the door open to extend the hours if there is demand.
The new Café de São Bento features an open kitchen, where dishes are finished that originate from the group's central kitchen, and a counter with four seats. The interior dining area accommodates 36 people — with the tables close together, as always, but the building is designed so that there is no echo. ,"It’s a timeless restaurant, we’re here to stay and to build bonds with our customers."
Since taking control of the restaurant in 2022, with an almost identical menu, Café de São Bento has managed to double its revenue. Miguel Garcia adds that his group will open more restaurants this year and that, as for the Café de São Bento brand, we can expect more "news soon. What won’t change, of course, are the steaks."
Rua Alexandre Herculano, 71, Cascais. Mon-Fri 12.30-15.00, 19.00-00.00; Sat-Sun 12.30-00.00. 964 871 833