Taberna Sal Grosso, Lisbon

I will die on the hill that is Portuguese food.

A very foodie friend of mine, someone whose opinions I usually treat with respect, told me recently that she didn’t think Portuguese food was worth travelling for. Normally I would defer to her judgement. But on this occasion she is utterly wrong.

Portuguese food is one of my great culinary loves. It sits comfortably alongside my affection for Taiwanese cuisine, a preference no doubt strengthened by having a Taiwanese partner. But whereas Taiwanese cooking is known for its complexity, Portuguese food wins me over with something else entirely in its simplicity. That’s not to say Portuguese food isn’t complex, but it is the simple ingredients particularly shine through.

Taberna Sal Grosso in Lisbon is the perfect example of everything I admire about Portuguese cooking. It proves that food does not need to be complicated to be extraordinary.

The restaurant itself is tiny. Reservations are essential, unless you are happy to hover hopefully outside and accept your likely disappointment.

The meal begins with something crispy. In this case delicate little fried squid. Nothing fussy, nothing unnecessary, just perfectly cooked.

Next came a tomato and onion salad. The tomatoes were deeply sweet and sun-ripened, the onions sharp enough to cut through the richness of the other dishes, everything lightly glossed with olive oil. 

If you travel to Portugal, there is one thing you must eat: octopus. This is non-negotiable. The edges here are gently charred and the whole thing is drenched in garlic and olive oil. It arrives alongside sweet potato mash, which gives the smoky dish balance. Then came the oxtail, slow-cooked for hours in a rich sauce.

Taberna Sal Grosso captures everything that makes Portuguese food so compelling. Quite honestly, it is worth travelling to Lisbon for this meal alone.