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Restaurant Portugal – I didn't get a recommendation for Restaurant Portugal, nor was it a hot online tip. Instead, it was a relatively inexpensive Groupon offer that my companion, after some browsing, enthusiastically discovered and booked. The offer was: a Portuguese 3-course meal with a fish pot or platter for two at Restaurant Portugal starting at €24.90! I've attached a photo of the "deal" options, and you can read how it was advertised.

Okay, so we drove there, having of course made a reservation by phone beforehand – just as the instructions said – parked right around the corner from the restaurant, and went in – past two young guys loitering outside – I'd guess Portuguese or Turkish, with cigarettes and music in their ears. Parking is relatively easy here and usually only takes a short search. If you're using public transport, just get off at Munich East Station and walk up Friedenstraße – that's where the restaurant is located. You'll find a photo of the exterior at the end of the article, so you'll have a rough idea of what it looks like inside. 😉 If you're there and think, "Wait, why does it say 'traditional German cuisine' on the stickers on the window?!" – don't be confused, it's just because the new owners took over from the previous owners over four months ago (!) and haven't gotten around to removing the sticker yet. 🙂

Upon entering the Portugal restaurant, we quickly noticed: lots of light wood, a large dining room with very little ambiance or a rather uncomfortable atmosphere, wooden ceiling panels, lamps similar to those in school buildings in the hallways, wood paneling on the walls, curtains – almost certainly left by the previous owner, as they have a rather Bavarian pattern, a large picture of Portugal in the back of the dining room, the tables arranged similarly to a "pub with a bowling alley in the basement" 🙂 with red plastic roses, and overall rather uncomfortable and not very conducive to well-being – at least that's my opinion.

The dishes of the Restaurant Portugal

Well, we asked for the menus, but immediately wondered what we were supposed to do with them, since we already had the Groupon voucher, which specified a set menu. This menu consisted of the following: 1st course: Appetizer platter for two, 2nd course: Choice of fish stew or fish platter, and 3rd course: Portuguese dessert of the day. This was already mentioned in the voucher. When ordering drinks, we asked the very friendly Portuguese waitress why we had been given the menus. She said they were only for drinks; the set menu was – as we suspected – fixed. The appetizer platter – you can see it in the cover photo of this article – was, along with the dessert, actually the best part of the entire menu. The salad plate served with the appetizer for each of us was also fine – quite simple, but well-dressed and delicious. The first course of the menu consisted of various small snacks, a mix of meat, fish, and vegetarian bites. We asked if we could have a completely vegetarian plate or one with just fish and vegetables, but these seemed to have already been prepared – so that wasn't possible. Oh well. Several other couples were sitting around us who received the same menu without a menu, so we assumed the Groupon voucher was being used quite a few times that evening. 🙂 The appetizers were okay, but nothing special: regular feta cheese, dark olives, thinly sliced ham, four breaded pastries, and a shrimp.

After we had finished our plates relatively quickly, we were asked whether we would prefer the fish stew or the fish platter. Everyone could decide freely, and we both chose the fish platter, which, after it was served, was more like a small portion of fish than a platter.For comparison: Nefeli – fish platterThere were three small pieces of fish on each of the plates, sprinkled with a little parsley, garnished with a slice of lemon and a small prawn. Nothing else – so it wasn't exactly visually appealing either. The fish tasted fine. Very tender and delicious, and – after the appetizer plate and the accompanying bread – quite sufficient. Nevertheless (since these plates, along with the appetizer and the dessert that followed, would have cost 50 euros) it wasn't really appropriate. Presentation does matter, and the ambiance somehow reinforced my feeling that I wouldn't feel comfortable there or be able to relax and enjoy my meal. There wasn't anything directly wrong with it, but it wasn't anything special, nothing that would make me want to come back with a friend or other companion. The empty plates were cleared quickly after the main course. Before dessert was served, we were asked again whether we preferred a tartlet filled with vanilla cream or the chocolate mousse. We opted for both, and both tasted fine. I spooned out the chocolate cream – although I'm not a fan of creamy desserts – and we also devoured the tart.

We also opted for a house wine, which was advertised on the menu – in hindsight, a bad decision, and we both left our glasses almost untouched after paying. We had already paid for the voucher online, and for the wines, the large bottle of Adelholzener mineral water, and the cappuccino my companion ordered (served in a Segafredo cup – but it's definitely not a Segafredo cappuccino and undrinkable), we still had to pay €16. In total, including the tip, the evening cost us a hefty – and unreasonable – €41. We left immediately after paying, not wanting to stay any longer than necessary.

The most positive aspect was the friendly and consistently attentive service. The ambiance was definitely a drawback, and even if a restaurant is new, I think they could remove the traces of the previous owner and create a more inviting atmosphere. People who feel comfortable tend to stay longer and perhaps order more. Anyway, we paid by card and left the restaurant. As mentioned, I can't say the food was bad. Perhaps I would have remembered it differently had I chosen from the menu initially presented to me. Those who don't like fish can choose from the numerous fish specialties listed on the menu, as well as meat dishes – typically Portuguese – or soups, pizzas, salads, and standard meat dishes. The restaurant – which is often stereotypically a negative sign – also has a very wide selection of dishes. It's best to take a look at the menu. here Take a look for yourselves and decide if you might like to stop by and get a more positive impression than we had. Have fun!.

The Portuguese restaurant is open from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to midnight. Hot meals are served from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.

I'll be back: No. I'd rather try something new instead of Restaurant Portugal. Apart from the friendly service, there was unfortunately very little that impressed me there.

Place visited: Restaurant Portugal
Address: Friedenstraße 28, 81671 Munich
Website

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