My wife and I showed up at what must have been the last seating for the main dinner show, at 8pm on…read morea Sunday, just fifteen minutes before the fado started. The beautiful room, with its layers of history, was packed - mainly tour groups at large tables - and it almost felt like we had a VIP table to ourselves along the back wall, with good sightlines to the performance area.
The menu is prix fixe, with a handful of options for each of the starters, mains and desserts. I opted for the chef's salad, Minho-style cod, and the wine-poached pears, while my wife ordered the caldo Verde, pork tenderloin and the chocolate mousse.
Our late arrival meant we were eating a bit later than most of the room, but the performances are staggered with breaks in between, as new vocalists and sometimes a new instrumentalist come in.
The chef's salad was relatively standard (greens, tomatoes, red onion), with quinoa, pumpkin seeds and chunks of a feta-like cheese. All the veg was good and fresh, and it was nice and light start to my meal.
The Minho-style cod did not disappoint, with this regional preparation of cod having a lovely, light crust on top of the flakey cod. Sauteed onions, tomatoes and olives had a light paprika flavour, while a beurre blanc diverted slightly from tradition to add that simple, buttery goodness that the sauce is known for. Lightly crisp coins of fried potato completed the traditional dish.
I was really impressed with how good the wine-poached pears were despite the relative simplicity of the dish. The pears were wonderfully tender without being mushy, and the deep flavour of the wine made them irresistible. With a little whipped cream and scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream, it was a delightful end to our meal.
The fado performances were all beautiful, with four different vocalists coming in for a few songs each, before a rousing finale in which they all took part. The skill and passion of the singers and the instrumentalists was apparent. This was all the more so apparent, when we stayed for another drink after all the tour groups had left, and there were just 10 customers left, and two of the singers and the band continued for an intimate late show.
It all made for a very special evening, especially that almost-private show, and it didn't hurt that the port was flowing generously.
Our server was a lovely woman, and in spite of the crowds of tourists, she was very friendly and attentive.
Cafe Luso may be pretty tourist-y, but the staff, food and overall experience keep it from becoming a caricature of itself; rather, it's a shining example of the heart and soul of Portugal, Lisbon, and its people.