Time-Out Market in Lisbon is located in the Mercado de Ribeira (the "Marketplace on the stream"). It proclaims itself the "first market in the world where everything has been chosen, tasted and tested (with four or five stars...) by an independent panel of city experts: Time-Out's own journalists and critics. More than 40 spaces with the leading representatives in all the food categories that help make Lisbon what it is - and tastes - altogether under one roof." The mini restaurants are located in a cavernous room, stationed in stalls around the four sides. In the middle are tables and chairs for hundreds, if not more than 1,000 people. You order and pay at the restaurant, then pick up the food when finished and find a spot at a table. That can be the hard part, finding a spot to eat. It is popular and crowded.
We went one late afternoon and probably would have come back again, another day, but the crowds are annoying. Best to come off-hours. But the variety is amazing and the food we had was great.
Manteigaria Silva had a sandwich on a great roll with prosciutto, mozzarella and lettuce. A great choice. We saw others order at the same restaurant and get large platters of different kinds of cured pork.
Next we went to Cozinha da Felicidade and got sweet potato stew with octopus. The octopus was very mild and moist. It did not have the great flavor that some other octopus we had in Portugal, but it was still very nice and went well in the stew.
From Miguel Casto E Silva we got black pork cheeks. Black pork is a name for pork from porto preto pigs, that are never cross-bred, which roam freely and eat the acorns of holms oaks and the seeds of cork oaks to fatten up in the Alentejo region of Portugal. The pig cheeks were very nice.
Henrique sa Pessoa was the source of an artichoke and sheep cheese salad which was a nice change from all of the meat we were eating.
Finally, on the way out, we stopped at Gelato Davvero and I got a strawberry and hazelnut gelato mix.
This is a great place to find many of the Portuguese delicacies all under one rood.
I loved this place--would've loved to have tried each food stall. It's a great concept for a food hall and was certainly the best one I've ever been to.
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