REVIEWS OF HOTEL EXECUTIVE CLUB LOUNGES, KIDS CLUBS AND MORE.
After a full day exploring Lisbon and a proper soak in the hotel's wonderful Sense Spa, we sat down for dinner at Porter Bistro, the restaurant on the ground floor of the Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel. We'd heard good things before we arrived, but it still managed to exceed our expectations, and it turned into one of the highlights of the whole trip.
Before we get onto the food, it's worth mentioning just how much character this restaurant has. Porter Bistro takes its name from an 18th century English beer that was once brewed right there in Largo do Corpo Santo, the very square the hotel now overlooks, so there's a genuine slice of local history behind the name. The restaurant has open doors leading directly onto the street, which gives it a wonderfully relaxed, come-as-you-are atmosphere, welcoming both hotel guests and locals wandering in off the pavement. It's open from early morning right through to late evening, so whether you fancy breakfast, a long lunch or dinner after a day of sightseeing, there's always a table waiting.
The kitchen's approach is all about taking quality Portuguese ingredients and turning them into simple, elegant dishes rather than overcomplicating things, and that came through clearly in our meal, from the freshness of the vegetables to the quality of the beef.
Walking in, the restaurant had a lovely relaxed but polished feel, nothing stuffy or overly formal, which as a family with two children we always appreciate. The staff were warm and welcoming from the moment we sat down, and made sure the children were just as looked after as the adults, bringing over the bread basket almost as soon as we'd settled in.
We all went in slightly different directions for starters, which felt fitting for a menu with something for everyone. I went for the vegan bread with beetroot hummus and guacamole, and it was a brilliant way to start the meal: the hummus had a lovely earthy sweetness from the beetroot, and paired beautifully with the smooth guacamole and warm bread.
My wife chose the fresh vegetable cream soup, which arrived beautifully smooth and comforting, packed with flavour and clearly made with fresh, seasonal vegetables rather than anything out of a tin. It was the sort of soup that instantly makes you feel looked after.
The children, meanwhile, were perfectly happy with a simple bread basket and olive oil, and it disappeared from the table faster than anything else we ordered all evening.
For my main, I had the marinated tofu burger with vegan cheese, pico de gallo, avocado mash, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles, served with a side of chips. Honestly, it was one of the best vegan burgers I've had in a long time. The tofu had clearly been marinated properly, giving it a depth of flavour that a lot of plant-based dishes miss, and the pico de gallo and avocado mash added a lovely freshness against the richness of the vegan cheese.
The children went for plain beef burgers with chips, which is always the true test of a kitchen when you're travelling with fussy young eaters, and they cleared their plates without a single complaint, which speaks for itself.
My wife opted for the spaghetti bolognese with beef, and it was rich, hearty and properly comforting, with a sauce that had clearly been given time to develop its flavour rather than being rushed. A simple dish done really well.
To finish, we mixed things up again. I went for a plate of mixed fresh fruits, grapes, pineapple and kiwi, a lovely light way to end the meal after such a satisfying main course.
Our son had the crème brûlée, and by the sound of that satisfying crack of the caramelised sugar on top, it went down extremely well. There's something about a proper crème brûlée that always feels like a treat, and this one didn't disappoint.
My wife and daughter both had a delicious Portuguese-style bread roll served with ice cream, a lovely local twist on a classic dessert pairing. They'd each ordered the same thing without realising, and ended up laughing about it when both plates arrived side by side, though there was no sharing involved this time, each of them tucked into their own.
Dinner at Porter Bistrô turned out to be one of the standout meals of our entire Lisbon trip. The food was consistently excellent across every single dish we tried, whether it was my vegan tofu burger, the children's simple beef burgers, or my wife's comforting bolognese, and there was clearly real care and skill going into the kitchen's cooking. Add to that the relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, the lovely bit of local history behind the restaurant's name, and staff who made our children feel just as welcome as the grown-ups, and you have a restaurant that's well worth booking even if you're not staying at the hotel.
If you're visiting Lisbon and staying at, or even just passing, the Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel, do not miss dinner at Porter Bistrô.
We are a family of 4 - mother, father and two children. Our aim is to travel the world and review all travel opportunities to help other families.
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