Barbela, Lisbon’s new fish and shellfish restaurant led by Leandro Carreira — the Portuguese, London-based chef behind The Sea, the Sea, among other projects — sprinkles a bit of welcome novelty and character into the city’s dining scene.
Good technique and flavour are paired with some unexpected presentations, resulting in food that feels inventive without being overworked.
Take the super-light koji aerated mousse with shrimp sauce and citrus (pic 5), the creamy grey mullet with crunchy, delightful pickled potato noodles and coriander oil (pic 1), or the squid roe and finger lime with nori meringue and chutoro (pic 2) to open your palate right at the start, or the aged Azores mackerel and Azeitão cheese whey broth with white miso and citrus fruits.
There’s room for experimentation and originality, but also for simply enjoying a cuisine that simply lets superlative products shine such as the tuna in the ‘Two Stages of Tuna’ dish.
At the end, a Mezcalita (Mezcal, lemon, Triple Sec) to pair a dessert of chocolate, nori, citrus and pumpkin seeds.
Definitely there’s more to fish when it’s off the leash. Less