Michelin star meal

The main activity for today is lunch at Belcanto, a 2 Michelin star restaurant!

I let myself have a later morning, since Lisbon is not an early town. After breakfast I decided to walk to Praca do Commercio, since I heard it had a lot of shopping nearby. The Praca itself I'd seen from the boat cruise but the size is even more impressive on land. There is a giant column topped by a statue of King Jose. There's also the requisite giant letters spelling out the city name that we say everywhere now.

A giant arch leads to the shopping areas which are a combination of int'l chains, kitchsy tourist merch, restaurants, and artisan shops. I stopped in a few and made a mental note about some for later. I found a sardine shop near Praca Rossio where I was a couple of days ago, took a pic for Edie, sat and people watched a bit in a couple of different places before it was time to head to Belcanto. Before I'd even left for Portugal, they had sent me an email asking about allergies, food preferences and a couple of servers discussed with me again in person. They provided a little purse 'stool' and my single person table was right in front not hidden in the back.

At lunch, they offer a la carte (set price for choosing your 3 or 4 course options) or tasting menu. I felt like the tasting menu was a good deal. They started me off with water and I chose a glass of rose. There are also wine pairing and non-alcoholic pairings. 

Every course begins with a painted card with notes on the back. (There is also a welcome card showing the restaurant front door.) The food is then served with detailed information on ingredients and suggestions for eating when called for. Every dish was sublime and so varied. The bread included fresh sourdough, a crusty corn bread, 2 different butters and the most divine olive oil I've ever tasted.

Table was cleared and cleaned each time, water refilled regularly, new utensils as appropriate. There was an amuse bouche to start 

and a total of 6 courses following plus the bread course, then 2 desserts including a savory ham ice cream sandwich 

and a petit four serving to end. 

with tea or coffee (I got green tea). 

Truly a remarkable meal! They then provided in a wax sealed envelope the painting cards and a surprise (I haven't opened it yet) to take home. In my opinion, it was totally worth the price compared to what I would expect in a similar place in the US. 

After that meal, I needed a bit of a stroll so I headed to the Fado Museum in Alfama. It's a small place but with an audio guide and gives a little insight and history of this iconic Portuguese music style. After the museum, I uber'd back to the hotel where I'll be digesting for the rest of the evening.