Dine at Old Lisbon for an authentic Portuguese experience in South Miami. 

Old Lisbon is a well-established restaurant right in the heart of South Miami, and has been serving authentic Portuguese fare since the 1990’s. Most Miami restaurants experience a business slowdown during our hot summer months, when everyone tries to get out of Dodge, and that’s especially the case on the weekend after school lets out. So we were very surprised when we came in, every single table was full, and there was even a wait outside. Luckily, we’d made reservations ahead of time. 

Inside Old Lisbon is a cozy restaurant filled with white tablecloths with a classy vibe. People were dressed in a range from casual wear to a bit more sophisticated date night type of attire. Several tables had well-behaved children seated. From the moment we sat down, our service was great, and we immediately received our drinks and freshly warmed bread. That really hit the spot, as we were quite hungry, as it was well past Friday night’s happy hour. 

I absolutely loved the food when in Portugal, although my least favorite would have to be their traditional salted cod, so I was a bit hesitant to try some of the famous cod dishes on the menu. Our server at Old Lisbon explained that all of the salt was washed off of the cod, and usually, I’m more adventurous, but I guess I wasn’t on this occasion. We started off with the flaming Portuguese sausage, which truly arrived blazing and fiery in a cute heatproof piggy dish! Excellent. My husband was a huge fan, raving multiple times about how great the sausage was.  

Although octopus was also available as an appetizer, my husband ordered the full entree version, which of course, came grilled and was served with vegetables and steamed potatoes, which he switched out for fried potatoes. The octopus was a large portion with two tentacles, served with a garlicky olive oil sauce. I tried some, and it definitely got my seal of approval. The vegetables that came with the octopus were perfectly cooked broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. 

I ordered the grilled salmon filet and received a nice hearty portion topped with shrimp. Both fish were lightly seasoned and very fresh.  I, too, substituted fried for the steamed potatoes, and they came very lightly fried. My vegetable mix of sautéed broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower were all perfectly cooked. I wish I knew the chef’s secret for how to do that. 

My husband ordered a Portuguese beer he’d never tried before called Coral, which he said was good; however, I did notice him switching to Corona for the next one. 

We took a small assortment of leftovers home in a doggie bag, so we obviously did not have room for any dessert, but I do regret not even checking out the options, at least out of curiosity.  However, after seeing a promotional poster there for a saxophonist (my favorite instrument), Ruben Herrera, every Monday and Thursday, I intend to come back to Old Lisbon! And that will surely give me a great excuse to check out some Portuguese dessert next time around.