The Sushi Trail

Sometimes a simple smell or taste can make you travel to far away lands. A combination of colours, of architecture or aesthetics may make you feel like you have just walked through a door an into a whole new world. Encountering new flavours and scents, new cultures and ways of life may be just at your doorstep. Whilst in Lisbon, experiment some of the best Japanese food you may find. Portugal has a coast rich in fish, and its cooking culture has influenced some of the Japanese dishes, such as those made with tempura. Lisbon is an ideal city to try some wonders from the orient. The moment you open the door to a sushi restaurant in Lisbon, you are welcomed into a new world, with the softness and kindness so characteristic of Japan. The atmosphere is soothing and friendly, inviting you to sit and enjoy the thousands of flavours the Japanese cuisine so proudly maintains and nurtures. Sushi menus change depending on the season. These Japanese delights are prepared with the greatest possible freshness, so the rolls will vary depending on the fruits and fish available. Occasionally, Japanese restaurants have low tables and cushions on the floor, or even a private room for you to enjoy the delicacies of this Oriental country in a zen ambience. The teas, herbs, sakes, and even, Japanese beers accompany sushi wonderfully, but a Portuguese white or red wine is equally a great choice. With first quality ingredients and a fantastic service, a Sushi restaurant is always a marvellous dinning experience. Here is the sushi trail in Lisbon: Campolide: Aya: Aya is one of the first Japanese restaurants in Portugal. The sushi is outstanding in its flavour and appearance. The dishes are inventive and creative, without ever forgetting the real reason why people go to have sushi, the taste and texture of the raw fish. In a modern environment, with black tables and large windows shadowed by bamboo trees, you are sure to enjoy some of the best sushi in the city. Address 351 Rua de Campolide, L-1.56, in the Twin-towers Gallery (M: Jardim Zoológico) Telephone +351 217 271 155 Time 12h30 - 15h, 19h30 - 23h Average price 50€ Smoking Area Yes Picoas Bonsai Restaurant The name of this restaurant indicates its speciality, but it obtains it from the beautiful Bonsai tree with over 100 years; the main piece in this informal, cosmopolitan and modern restaurant. The sushi, sashimi, yakimono or tempura are prepared on the spot by the artistic hands of Filipe Rodrigues, the sushiman. Come and try these creative and fresh dishes at Bonsai, a restaurant within one of the most modern design hotels in Lisbon, the Fontana Park Hotel. Address  Rua Engenheiro Vieira da Silva 2, 1050-105 Lisboa (M: Picoas) Telephone +351 210 410 650 Time Tue - Sat: 19h30 - 23h30 Average Price 25€ (no beverage included) Smoking Area  --- Suntory Everything here is done the Suntory way, whether it is sushi, sashimi, or any other dish. Trying them this way is something you will definitely not regret. As the plates arrive at the table, the sushi and sashimi are irresistible. The exotic environment of the modern decoration of Suntory only becomes more intense as you give the first bite. Large green plants give a huge sense of freshness and exoticism to this restaurant with two great rooms to choose from, connected by a small wooden bridge. Address Rua Tomás Ribeiro 65, Loja H03 (M: Picoas) Telephone +351 213 149 219 Time 12h15 - 15h30, 19h30 - 24h00, closed Mondays. Average price 25€ Smoking Area Yes Príncipe Real Origami sushi bar The sushi-man, André Oliveira, truly knows how to work the art of origami and produce sushi pieces that surprise you in their taste, colours and arrangements. The Crazy roll, the Hot roll or the Bostomaki melt in your mouth into all shapes and sizes mixing all the flavours of the salmon, or the prawns, the chives or even Tabasco. Try Origami, in the heart of Principe Real. Address Rua de O Século, 127 (Bus: 1, 92, 202, 758, 773, 790. M: Baixa/Chiado, Rato) Telephone +351 214648917 Time 12h00 - 15h, 19h00 - 02h, closed Sundays. Average price 30€ Smoking Area Yes Baixa/Chiado Noori It doesn’t serve sushi, you hardly even have a place to sit to have lunch, but Noori cannot go unmentioned when one is talking about sea-food marvels. This restaurant serves temakis. The crunchy algae leaf is folded into a cone-shape and filled with the most mouth-watering rice and fresh fish you will ever find in a small trendy take-away restaurant. The reason to go to Noori is the food and you need no other reason once you try the Hot Roll temakis, the simple salmon temaki, the new egg temaki, the tuna temaki, the california roll... it’s irresistible! Address Armazéns do Chiado, piso 1, Rua do Crucifixo, nº 87 (M:Baixa/Chiado) Telephone +351 917 003 247 Time Every day - 11h - 22h Average price 7,50€ Smoking Area No Santa Apolónia Bica do Sapato: How often does a restaurant guide mention Bica do Sapato? Maybe too often, but the reason for this is the delicious and incredible choices Bica do Sapato has to offer. Apart from its privileged location with the river Tagus breeze, whilst you enjoy a light lunch, or the friendly and animated ambience lived at night, Bica do Sapato pleases every taste. And how could a restaurant like this not have some of the best sushi in town? Fresh and fun, the dishes prepared at this sushi-bar are mouth-watering. This part of the restaurant is just one more good reason to go to Bica do Sapato. Address Avenida Infante Dom Henrique Armazém B, Cais da Pedra à Bica do Sapato (M: Santa Apolónia, Bus: 12) Telephone +351 218810320 Time 12h30 - 14h30, 20h00 - 23h Average price 35€ Smoking Area Yes Alcântara Koi Lisboa: Koi means love, and you fall in love with sushi with every piece you try at Koi. It is with love for art, love for welcoming people, and with love for the Japanese gastronomy that João Filgueiras opened this restaurant. Plus, it’s situated in one of the most loveable places in Lisbon, in Alcântara Rio, with the waters of the tagus River nearby. Address Rua Fradesso da Silveira 4 - lj B Alcântara Rio Telephone +351 213640391 Time Mon - Fri: 12h00 - 15h, 20h00 - 24h, Sat: 20h - 24h Average price 40€ Smoking Area Yes Estoril Sushi na linha: Changing scenery from the Lisbon Tagus river coast, to the Atlantic Ocean, the Praia da Bafureira offers one of the most magnificent beach-front restaurants. Sushi na Linha has a modern and clean decoration, based on white, bamboo green and black. There is a wide variety of dishes, from sushi, sashimi and tempuras, to the delicious hot dishes. Sushi na Linha is an obligatory stop for any sushi lover that enjoys the sea, the beach, the best fresh fish on “the line” between Lisbon and Cascais, and a hip and minimalist decoration. Address Avenida Marginal Praia da Bafureira (20 km from Lisbon) Telephone +351 912353646 Time 12h30 - 15h30, 19h30 - 23h30, closed Mondays. Average price 30€ Smoking Area No Visiting Lisbon? Click here to find the best hotels at the best rates.