New Year’s Day calls for something special. Not loud, not rushed — just excellent. This year, we chose Cervejaria Liberdade, and it delivered exactly that: a calm, confident, beautifully executed dining experience that reminds you why truly great restaurants still matter.
From the moment we sat down, everything felt deliberate. The dining room breathes understated luxury — the kind you expect from a restaurant housed inside a five-star hotel. Nothing shouts for attention, yet every detail quietly earns it.
Starters: Seafood at Its Best
We began exactly as one should in Lisbon: with seafood.
Fresh oysters arrived ice-cold and pristine. Clams bathed in fragrant olive oil, garlic, and herbs — simple, honest, deeply satisfying. Perfectly cooked prawns, glistening and tender, full of flavor without excess. Even the croquettes were elevated: crisp on the outside, rich and comforting inside.
A detail that made a real difference: without fuss, they brought gluten-free bread to enjoy with the butter and starters. Not an afterthought — proper bread, served with the same care as everything else.
Main Courses: Classic, Executed Perfectly
The mains confirmed that this kitchen understands tradition as well as technique.
We shared:
Duck with oven-baked rice — deeply flavorful, comforting, and beautifully balanced. Fillets of John Dory (peixe galo), delicately cooked and impeccably fresh. The house steak, Bife à Cervejaria Liberdade, a classic done exactly as it should be. Steak tartare, clean, confident, and perfectly seasoned.
To accompany the steak tartare, they prepared gluten-free toast — crisp, warm, and genuinely excellent. The kind of detail that shows true professionalism: adapting without compromising quality.
Desserts & The Perfect Ending
Dessert didn’t try to steal the show — it simply closed the experience gracefully.
Three coffees arrived accompanied by four mini pastéis de nata, followed by a generous, beautifully made leite-creme, rich, comforting, and perfectly executed. A simple dessert, done exceptionally well.
Service & Atmosphere
The service deserves real praise. Attentive without hovering. Knowledgeable without arrogance. Warm, precise, and clearly operating at a different level. You feel taken care of, not managed.
Final Verdict
Was it expensive? Yes.
€300 for four people is not casual dining.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Every euro translated into quality — ingredients, execution, service, and thoughtful attention to every guest at the table. This is the kind of meal you remember weeks later, not because it tried to impress, but because it simply did everything right.
A flawless way to start the year: good food, great company, and the quiet luxury of a meal done properly.
Far & Roaming 
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