Lisboa Grill

Walk through an inconspicuous takeaway and enter a Lisbon taverna with frescoed walls, low ceilings and a real family vibe. Portuguese pop songs play on the TV, and a fake fireplace even flickers on the wall as an endearingly domestic touch.

Although a little pricey, king prawns ‘Lisboa style’ were impressive: they were butterflied open, which meant the sweetly spiced tomato sauce permeated the flesh and got under the shell, so each crustacean joyfully demanded sticky fingers and some inelegant sucking. Lisboa Grill is famous for its meats, serving them with thin, Portuguese-style chips, or rice that has a black pepper kick. Mild isn’t really an option; piri-piri chicken comes medium, hot or very hot (although a herby sauce is a good spice cop-out).

Drink Sabres beer to take the edge off, or try a decanter of their heavier Alentejo red with steak. Heinz ketchup and mayo on the table are a reminder that, in addition to the takeaway, there’s a café to the side. The latter was closed at the time of our visit, but usually offers most of the dishes from the restaurant, as well as pastries, cakes and generous slices of custard flan.