A tiny restaurant in Bairro Alto that is also one of the better places in Lisbon to hear real fado. The space holds perhaps 30 people; the menu is short and traditional (bacalhau, grilled fish, petiscos); and on Monday and Wednesday evenings amateur fadistas perform in the back room while diners eat. Reservations are essential — booking weeks in advance is normal.
This is fado as it was always practiced in the Alfama and Bairro Alto: informal, emotional, rising from the neighbourhood rather than staged for an audience. At Rua do Diário de Notícias 39. Cash only; no credit cards.