A Cut Above..... My wife and I were walking around the Baixa and Chiado neighborhoods one day in early December and needed a place for lunch. There are a ton of choices in that area, but we settled on Cafe Nicola across the street from the Christmas market in Praco do Rossio. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: - It appeared a bit less desperate than the nearby restaurants. Everyone else - and there must have been 25 around the Plaza - had someone attempting to get you inside. Cafe Nicola also gave the appearance of a pit stop for hungry riders on a tour bus, but it was lower key and, not surprisingly, had a bigger crowd on the outdoor patio. That attracted us. - The inside part of Cafe Nicola is very large and handsome. We walked through on our way to the bathrooms which were clean and spacious. - Food was good. I had seafood paella while my wife had a fish dish. Nothing special, but a decent meal. - Service was friendly. Our guy covered a lot of tables, but managed to keep his eye on us. - Prices were very reasonable. Maybe visitors from the US get spoiled in Europe? Con: - Smoking. Unlike the US, when you eat outside in Portugal, Spain and other parts of Europe it's tough to escape. Cafe Nicola might not be something special, but we'd give it an edge over many neighboring restaurants due to its relaxed atmosphere and lack of carnival barkers. read more

This place was just OK. It was very glossy and fancy. I liked the area in the front of the restaurant better than once you got back into the dining area. We just had a charcuterie board and a couple of cocktails. You can tell it's a touristy restaurant by the laminated menus - I get it, but am not a super fan of those. We had a lot of fun people watching. Table next to us of all men, trying to outdo each other with their over the top fish orders. Pleasant enough restaurant, just not an amazing standout. read more

Great service. Great atmosphere. Highly recommend. Very reasonable price. Paella was delicious. read more

Café Nicola - Great Paella and Sangria - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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This is an old Lisbon restaurant that has history going back 1787, with old charm deco inside. The Lisboa cocktail drink (9 Euro) was nice. We had Octopus Rice (19.90 Euro) and Groupa Rice with Prawns (23 Euro). Both were very nice with strong flavor. This restaurant is worth a visit, and full of history. The service by our servant Fernando was excellent too. read more

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Food was cold. Beggars will harass you if you eat outside and the waiters will do nothing to help you. If you do decide to eat here, EAT INSIDE! read more

Café Nicola - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Sloppy service. In my opinion, they count on their inclusion in guidebooks, etc to get foot traffic and take that for granted. I had much better experiences at other spots off the beaten path. read more

We popped in here for their Fado night on a Friday. Fado is an exclusively Portuguese music style that originated in the 1820s, and I can't say I knew much about it before getting to Lisbon. Please take a moment to learn about this cultural institution! https://portugal.com/portuguese-music/fado-seoul-portuguese-music. We were coming off a not-so-great dinner and checking out the grand plaza that Cafe Nicola is in. We saw they had a Fado night and on a whim decided to drop in and see the music, get a few drinks, and enjoy the rest of our evening! So this review is based on wine, dessert, music, and experience. If you're looking for info on food, please check out the other reviews. All in all it was a good experience! We were there for nearly 2.5 hours watching music. The wine was great and we were given a great recommendation. Service was solid all night. Dessert was delicious - I had a house-made chocolate mousse and my girlfriend had a banana ice-cream dessert. And finally, we had a digestif of Amarguinha, an almond-based liqueur made in the Algarve region in the south. There were only a couple red flags: -First off, they told us at the door that there is a minimum check of €30. We thought it was €30 total which we could easily spend with so we bounded to the Fado room downstairs, but then it was clarified that that price is per person. Of course we were free to leave and of course if I spoke Portuguese I could have clarified, but they did their best to explain in English. -Second, between acts the musicians were selling CDs. Normally I'd be all for supporting artists and musicians, but the problem is their CDs were €20 each, cash only. It's the age of digital music and digital payments, so both of these were challenging, not to mention that you have to spend €30 per person just to get to see the show. €20 on top was a bit steep, and I think we'd have been glad to buy something in the €5-10 range. Otherwise, it was a fun experience. Fado is available in many other places too, so definitely look around if you want a cheaper experience. But we certainly got great bang for the buck - excellent wine, dessert, and digestif! read more

Café Nicola - Live traditional Fado music! - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

Good spot to eat and people watch at the square. Salmon and veal were very good as was raspberry torte. Waiter was excellent. Perhaps a bit on the pricey side but you are paying for the outdoor location too. read more

Café Nicola - Outdoor table and square. - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

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A place where the waiter suggests you tip him 10 euros on a 74 euro dinner? Then there is this funny 4% "mark up" on the credit card bill? What's going on here? Food was good but we left with a bad taste in our mouths. I usually share photos of food, but this place has prominent signage that photography and recording are prohibited. (Edit to add: after discussing with the hubby, we believe this is FRAUD. When the customer selects ICC [instant currency conversion] the 4% mark up is shared with the merchant by their credit card processor, so the merchant has a motivation for their clients to select ICC. We specifically asked to pay the charge in euros, and the waiter LIED to our face and ran the charge as ICC. When we pointed out the mark up and the conversion on the receipt, he claimed that was "for information only," but that's untrue- checking our account, the change came through as dollars in the amount shown, which includes the mark up. If charged in euros as requested, our credit card provider would have done a conversion at the market rate without any fee or make up.) read more

We arrived a few minutes before the kitchen was to close and we were still seated. Extremely efficient and attentive waiter. The email was delicious! We ordered one plate of amêijoas à bulhão pato (clams), one of camarão (shrimp) and then one of lombo de porco (pork loin). We had a bottle of white wine to accompany it. The dessert was the only thing that we didn't truly enjoy (bolo de brigadeiro). It was still relatively inexpensive compared to the USA. It would have been 90 euros for the three of us. But we tipped well because of our waiter been so responsive and helpful. Plus the view of the plaza decorated for Christmas was priceless! read more

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My husband wanted to stop and try this place just because it was in the center of all the action. The square was right there and there was a musician playing music which really added to the experience. Sitting outside and people watching was something he wanted to do, so we did just that, at 7:30 pm Lisbon time. We got seated and it took forever to get our drinks, our server was practically waiting tables by himself. The menu is pretty extensive and there are photos for some of the foods so you know what you're getting. HOWEVER, the pictures are not accurate by any means! I ordered the ameijoa a espanhola (clams) and my husband ordered the bacalhau a lisbonese (cod) and while these dishes were really good, they were pricey and the portions were small. It also took awhile for us to get our bill so we sat around for another hour or so before the waiter gave us our check. Ah well, we were on vacation and it didn't matter since we were just going to go back to our hotel anyway. read more

Café Nicola - My kids enjoying the clams - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

We walked by this place, checked out the menu, and decided to give it a go. A lot of people were drinking but not eating around 12pm on a Friday. When we received the menus it was only breakfast so we were a bit disappointed but we thought maybe people just eat later so we did not ask for the regular menu. After we ordered, we noticed other customers received the regular menu and it seemed kind of haphazard as to what menus the customers received. We tried the ham and cheese omelette and bacon and eggs with toast. Nothing fancy here, but I noticed Portuguese bacon contains the rib/bone piece. It does not look particularly appetizing to have the circles of rib bone in there but I noticed it at other restaurants as well. I was not sure if you were supposed to eat that part or cut it out. The cafe has outdoor seating for catching some sun and people watching. read more

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This place sucks. The service is awful...terrible. We ordered and our appetizer came and no meal. After 1 hour I was finally able to get the waiter and turns out he never placed our order. One hour of waiting and never ate. If you are American-DO NOT GO HERE! read more

This is the best place in Lisbon to listen to Fado while they serve you a great dinner. It's also where Manuel Bocage used to hang out entertaining Lisboetas with his poetry and jokes. I am Portuguese read more

Just finishing up my meal and asked for the check. I'm going elsewhere for dessert. Octopus was delicious, but octopus IS delicious. Vegetables on my plate were super soft and bland and tasteless. Wines were so-so. Waiter pushing me to have bread, croquettes, cheese for extra charge. I'd even think of two stars because of the high expectation from Steeves' book. Haven't even got the bill yet. There must be better places in Lisbon. Look around! read more

Classy dining experience. This is a favorite spot in Lisbon to which I will always return! Lively atmosphere next to the plaza of Dom Pedro, among many shops and restaurants. Built in 1929, with an Art Deco feel, housing several large original paintings inside. Ambitious menu, with pictures of all the items. Welcoming staff of professional and attentive waiters. Rui Miguel, who saw to all of our needs. Nice place to come for coffee and pastries or a full meal. read more

the food was good. service was terrible. didn't have enough water for the table and the waiter ripped us off. He told us he did not add the tip to the check when he really did so our table ended up paying $50 extra. Not a business I would recommend but if you do go, make sure to double check the recipe. read more

We went for the historical importance. The food was OK, but be warned - they charge you for bread and butter. They didn't ask us, but just put bread and butter on the table. When it came time to pay, we were surprised that we got charged 1 euro for each piece of bread, and 1.90 euro for each packet of butter we used. Wow... read more

Café Nicola - 1 euro for each piece of bread, and 1.90 euro for each packet of butter. - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

We went there for breakfast thinking it would be a hard meal to batch up! The coffee was cold and the omelet was not great either. The waiter had a major attitude from the moment we walked in. He even kept his own tip from the change. Maybe he thought we wouldn't notice. There are so many other great places, why go there? The ham and cheese croissants from Fabrica de Nata are SUPERB! read more

Imagine grilled octopus tentacles the size of a baby's arm. Swimming in garlic infused olive oil. Washed down with a beer or five. While people watching in the busiest squares in Lisbon (or be watched, depending on your table manners). Cafe Nicola is definite 'must visit' for visiting foodies. Period. read more

What a lovely little outdoor sidewalk café in the heart of the travel to the Tejo river. This place has a variety of menu items to choose from and always a nice cold beer. The atmosphere is right out of a story book, as you sit and watch the people pass by while street performers are hard at work all around you. Prices are typical for a good touristy meal in the center of entertainment. Staff is friendly and always trying to please. read more

Pricey classy & very delicious food! Outside seating is great for people watching since it has a great view of the square. Inside is best for avoiding the cigarette smoke. They serve a good salad which is a rarity in a city with lots of great seafood & steaks. The salad is pricey though. Very close to the metro, in fact very close to 2 metro lines. I'm definitely bookmarking this place for my next visit. PS. Try to avoid seating way in the back corner. read more

Good food. Wonderful server named Evo. Alfresco dining with a great view. 2 musicians set up right in front of us. Delicious fresh fish & scrumptious desserts. Obrigata! read more

Café Nicola - One of the many mouthwatering caloric treats - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

an art deco café (ca 1800s) favored by Lisboetas in Rossio. terrace on the famous black/white wave cobbled praça is star perch for sun, people watching and a copo of house blends from beans grown in ex-colonies Brazil, São Tomé and Príncipe. the Bife à Nicola (steak) with rich coffee sauce is another bloody good reason to visit. read more

Café Nicola - Rossio is Portuguese for commons - Portuguese Near Me - Lisbon, 11

While the food here is decent, but not great, and is a little overpriced, the location is why I've rated as very good. You can sit outside with a direct view of the Rossio square and enjoy people watching for hours. The service was also excellent - we had a very attentive server who spoke excellent English. read more

We were so full from dinner but never too full for a little dessert and cafe. They have Fado music but we didn't stick around since we had an early flight. The service was on point and we couldn't have asked for more. We sat outside which was wonderful for people watching and it was conveniently located across from Rossio Square and had a great view of the Column of Pedro IV. read more

And the other reviewers nailed it: you're paying for a seat on and a view of the square. The food is nothing special and the prices are jacked up. Just know that going in to it and you won't need to experience sticker-shock. read more

Went for dinner and left not eating there. Wine was good. Food was subpar and atmosphere was bad. I can see why a lot of people go here to drink and not eat. Good for people watching outside. However, I would not recommend this place. And beware of the waiters putting things on your table you didn't order. They will charge you for it! read more

Food is below average, breakfast was served mild /cold, we waited a long time to receive our food, the waiters were more concerned with cleaning tables than serving us. The waitress had an attitude when we asked to pay separately. read more

We had dinner here on our first night in Lisbon. We chose it simply because we were hungry and liked the look of the place. We weren't disappointed. We shared a delicious selection of cold meats as a starter, then had a superb seafood paella as a main course. We relied on the waiter's recommendation for wine, and he did us proud. The service was excellent: good-humoured, helpful and attentive. The place is a little bit touristy and the garish colour photos in the menu detracted somewhat from what could otherwise have been quite an elegant experience, but overall it was very enjoyable. My only slight criticism is that the paella was served in a gigantic skillet, and quantity-wise was enough for about 5 people. I wouldn't have objected to that if there had been 5 of us, but as there were only 2 we bravely consumed about three people's worth but had to admit defeat when it came to the remaining 2. I only mention this because it wasn't cheap, and I would have preferred to have had half the quantity at half the price. Otherwise though - excellent all round and strongly recommended. read more

This is a lovely little café in a great area but tourists beware. Before the meal they come by and place selection of appetizers that you assume comes with your meal. They're not very good and they're cold. Then they charge you seven euro for it. After arguing with my waiter aboutnot liking it and not ordering it, refusies to take it off the bill, and. Calls it a Lisbon custom.I called the manager who took it off the bill.i'm not the first person to complain about this and I really wouldn't have minded if the appetizers were any good but they were not. I took one bite of each and left the rest. The meal itself was acceptable but nothing to write home about i would eat elsewhere read more

Plate of the day was good (bacalhau motinho) and location was great for people watching, on the Rossio square. Everything was fine until the bill arrived and was charged for two appetizers that were not ordered and added about 15 Euro to the meal. Should have checked previous reviews on this! read more

Go to another restaurant called The House Of Cod Fish! Don't go to this one! To be honest, the food is not good here. And the space is very tiny. Also there are many hidden fees. You will be surprised to see the bill with many extra charges. They put bread and cheese in front of you, without asking if you need it, and charge you without giving you any information about it. When you are a tourist, they also tend to cheat you by giving you a more expensive dish. The waiters are friendly, just because they want to cover the scams they are going to put you through. Even though, you are upset about the hidden fees, the waiters will still ask you for tips at the end of the meal. So be careful when you think about going inside this restaurants. I would just suggest everyone to go to the House of Cod Fish, it has the similar food, but much better taste and better service! More importantly House of Cod Fish is honest and they don't force you to give tips! read more