Portugal Guide: ALMA Henrique Sá Pessoa

ALMA Henrique Sá Pessoa

Address | R. Anchieta 15, 1200-224 Lisboa, Portugal

Portugal is an incredible country to indulge in culinary delights and truly every meal we had was remarkable. Among our experiences on this trip, we wanted to indulge in an especially memorable dining experience. About 6 weeks in advance we booked a table at ALMA by Executive Chef Henrique Sa Pessoa. This double Michelin starred restaurant has earned world wide acclaim for their innovative menu and outstanding service.

A bonus to dining at ALMA was that it very much pleased my wife that the building once served as a warehouse for the Bertrand bookshop, opened in 1732 and famed for its recognition as the world’s oldest bookshop. We visited the actual bookshop later that evening.

The interior of ALMA is contemporary and elegant, with fine wood panels and chic minimalist place settings that come before you with each dish. Diners can chose to order à la carte or between the two tasting menus. We selected the tasting menus. Two of us ordered the ALMA (which is the word for soul in Portuguese), and two selected the Costa a Costa (coast to coast). ALMA featured the Chef’s seasonal signature dishes with a mix of meats and seafood. As indicated by the name, the Costa a Costa is entirely pescatarian which again was the perfect match for my wife’s dietary choice.

The wine pairings for each menu differed and we found that the Sommelier had perfectly paired each dish and really enhanced the overall experience. As you can see from the photos, each dish requires an elevated technical skill in terms of presentation. What you can accurately guess is that the ingredients are perfectly fresh and well prepared. The cuisine is described as Portuguese with an International twist—there was heavy Asian influence which my mother, being from Japan, very much enjoyed— and I found that the use of local ingredients really celebrated the taste of Portugal.

Our server suggested that we share from the ALMA and Costa a Costa menus as we pleased, which of course we did (it’s par for the course for my wife to insist on sharing her dishes with me!). Having had both menus, I would recommend the Costa a Costa because the seafood in Portugal is wonderful and what Chef Henrique Sá Pessoa does with the ingredients is outstanding. Chef played on sweet and sour components in a lot of the dishes and it was delightful.

We spent almost 4 hours in our meal and we each really devoured the whole experience. The servers were expert and the attention to every small detail was over the top luxury. If you get the chance to enjoy an acclaimed tasting menu, ALMA Lisboa is one at the top of the list.