We wanted to go to a restaurant that locals in Lisbon frequent and a tour guide suggested Tico Tico. They clearly don't cater to tourists - there was one waiter who spoke a little English. Given we were looking for local, that's something I understood. It did make communicating difficult.
We each ordered something to drink - a local beer and a local white wine. (I'm not of the brands sure brands/labels.) I ordered a tuna steak and my wife ordered a veal steak with champignons (mushroom sauce). The tuna was served with a steamed green vegetable - it looked like spinach but I think it was some other kind of green. The vegetable had a slightly bitter taste and was steamed, but oddly kind of dry. The tuna steak was a nice sized with a great flavor, but was a bit too salty. I later learned that tuna isn't local to Portugal. The veal was served with plenty of mushrooms. I had a taste and it was delicious.
When we arrived, we were early and the place had a number of tables open. During the time we were there, it filled up.
So, definitely a local establishment that doesn't cater to tourists. We felt as if we were the oddities that people working there were watching, but that was probably not the case - only a feeling. Overall, it was a good experience. read more