A few years ago, when we were still in pre-move investigation mode, we arrived at the airport in Lisboa and stepped up to the Immigration Control desk to pass into the country.
The official looked through my passport and said, “Hmm. You’ve been here before.”
“Yes, I have,” I agreed.
“And you came back.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
He looked directly at me and asked, “Why?”
I was a little taken aback, but I answered, “Well, we love it here – there’s great food, wine, the music, the culture …”
“Hmm.” He went back to looking at the paperwork. “How long are you going to be here?”
“We’re here for three weeks this time – we’re going to be mostly in Lisboa, but we’re taking a day trip to Évora.”
“Oh, Évora!” he said, his face lightening. “If you go there, there is one restaurant you must eat at, the Taberna Típica.”
The officer in the next desk over suddenly piped in, “Yes, but you have to get reservations – they book a week ahead, and it’s very small.”
The officer on the other side added, “They don’t give you a menu, you just eat what they serve you – it’s very traditional Portuguese food, it’s the best place in Évora.”
Pretty soon, every single Immigration officer had joined in the discussion with some tidbit of information to share. Basically, we weren’t allowed to enter the country until I made reservations right there at the desk.
Now, with a build-up like that, I had to do a little bit of research into what we were getting ourselves into.
The name, Taberna Típica Quarta-Feira, translates out to “Wednesday’s Typical Tavern,” which doesn’t give you much, but reviewers were unanimous in their praise. Evidently, the restaurant has been around for decades after taking over the location from another place that had been there decades more.
The next day, I got a follow-up message from the owner, João, confirming the reservation and giving me a couple of details about the location (the middle of the old walled city) and mentioning the fact that they don’t take credit cards, it’s cash only.
Because there wasn’t a menu to look at online to use to estimate costs, I emailed João back to ask for a rough estimate of prices for dinner for two with a bottle of wine. He responded right away with the needed information, but for some reason we kept the conversation going for a couple more messages.
Finally, the big night arrived. We walked over to the restaurant from our hotel – since the cobblestone streets are too narrow for cars, it was that or rent a Vespa. It’s honestly not much to look at from the outside, just a doorway. We enter, and are immediately greeted with a big, “Phil!” from the guy behind the counter. “João!” I respond, as he rushes to the door and gives me a huge hug.
That pretty much set the tone for the evening right there. We have never felt so immediately welcomed in a place in our lives. The interior is small – just eight tables – and very cozy with Portuguese bric-a-brac and pictures.
Dinner starts with an assortment of petiscos (Portuguese tapas) such as cured meat, cheese, marinated mushrooms, and a chilled fruit soup. Then there’s a huge and extraordinarily fresh salad, and then the main course of braised pork. They use the neck, and the meat has been cooked in a rich and delicious sauce until it’s falling off the bones.
Accompanying the main course is a bowl of rice, a plate of roasted potatoes (two starches is normal), and a pureed spinach that’s mixed with cheese and breadcrumbs and formed into a loaf.
We finish up with an assortment of FOUR different desserts. Per João, “This is a sorbet to clean the palate, this is a mousse, this is some fruit, and this is the best cake in the world.”
“What kind of cake is it?” I ask.
“The best!” You get the feeling he uses this joke a lot, but he’s having such a great time … By the way, it was pretty damned good. The whole meal was pretty damned good, the only place where we could complain was that the quantities were enormous. Even though we were stuffed to the gills we left a lot of food on the table, and felt a little guilty about it.
João had some time to spend talking, and he gave us some details about the restaurant and the food. His father was the one who started the current incarnation, and he still comes in to manage lunch every day. They buy from local producers as much as possible, and try and stick to very traditional styles and recipes.
Typically, all first-time diners get the same meal, although João will change things up if people have allergies or dietary restrictions. “So, if everyone gets pork neck the first time,” I inquired, “How many times do I have to come back until I get rabbit?”
“You let me know the next time you come, and you will have rabbit,” promised João.
Fast-forward three years.
We now live in Portugal, we’ve made the change from Porto to Lisboa, Portugal is 85% completely vaccinated and life is starting to get back to normal. We’re finally starting to feel like we can get out and about again, and since one of our major goals in moving to Europe was to travel and explore, we decide it’s time for a return trip to Évora. We plan a two-night trip, and one of the must-dos is a return to Taberna Típica.
I send a message to João via Facebook to book a table, and mentioned that although it had been a while, he had promised me rabbit. The response comes back – “My friend, table reserved at 19h30m. And we will have the rabbit… João”
And at last, our long-awaited return to the restaurant. They’ve fixed up the inside a little bit, but it’s still a very warm and cozy space, and still only eight tables. There’s a young man and a young lady waiting tables, and a couple of people in the kitchen, but I don’t see João anywhere.
The young fellow comes up to get our names, and when he hears mine his eyes light up. “Oh, Phil! My father told me you would be here – we have your rabbit! Please, sit, sit!” It turns out this is Manuel, João´s son. He works part-time regularly while attending the University of Évora.
Unfortunately, João isn’t here tonight – evidently, he had to have surgery for something. Manuel assures us that he’s fine and will be back in the restaurant within a couple of weeks. “He was very disappointed that he was going to miss you, but he made me promise to take care of you.”
I probably don’t even need to say that dinner was fantastic, and it included a delicious rabbit casserole which Kristie really enjoyed, too. Most of the food was more or less the same as last time with some small changes.
Change number one was that Manuel convinced his dad to make smaller portions, so the amount of food on the table wasn’t quite as overwhelming as the first go-round. It’s still a lot of food, and no-one is going away hungry, but it doesn’t feel so wasteful when you leave a little uneaten.
Change number two is that “the best cake in the world” is no longer available. This cake was a type of cheesecake, and according to Manuel the local people who made the cheese went out of business and there is no exact equivalent to replace it with. They’ve tried making the recipe with other cheeses, but it’s come out wrong every time, so they switched to a different kind of cheesecake dessert instead.
The biggest change – when Manuel brought the bill, he also brought a charge card machine. That’s right – they’re no longer cash only! This actually came about during the COVID lockdowns when they had to switch to delivery and take-away to stay open – there was no way they could do that kind of business on an all-cash basis, so they bit the bullet and moved into the 21st Century.
However, my high point of the evening was while we were having dessert and Manuel comes to the table with his cell phone. “My father wants to talk to you,” he tells me. That’s right – even though he’s home convalescing, João wanted to make sure everything was okay.
“You liked the rabbit? Good! What are you having next time? Tell Manuel, and we’ll make sure we have it for you. We’ll see you soon, my friend.”
I have to tell you; I was very touched by this. I even got a little misty-eyed, although that might have been assisted by the wine … anyways, this is the kind of welcoming and embracing experience you can have in Portugal. As I have said previously, the best thing in this country is the people, and this was a prime example of why we love it here.
And in case you’re curious: I asked Miguel what he recommended, and he suggested our next dinner will be a veal stew pie. It’s not on the regular menu, but it’s his favorite dish, and it sounds delicious.