Lisbon reminds me a lot of San Francisco and one reason is the great restaurant and bar scene you’ll have in both cities. Lisbon has lots of little neighborhood bars and restaurants with loyal, local followers that offer unique food and drink options, great ambiance and friendly service. Jobim is one of those places, making it one of my new favorites in Lisbon for drinks and light food!
Jobim is a wine bar in the Principe Real neighborhood. It invites you with open windows, with chairs on either side, as well as table and bar seating inside. We loved the seating at the window, being able to observe life outside and enjoy the good weather.
Jobim doesn’t have a wine list and instead is offers a changing selection of wine, all offered at the same price by the glass or the bottle. Just describe the kind of wine you are looking for and the competent bartender will select one to match your style. They did a great job each time we visited and we enjoyed trying out different wines. The prices are very reasonable for the very good quality on offer, so you can’t go wrong. They also have a full bar, including some Brazilian favorites.
Even better than the wine is the selection of food. On three visits we ate our way through the menu – and every dish offered a unique combination of taste and texture, making for an interesting experience.
Our favorite was the tuna tartar, served on top of melon with a nice sauce and some seeds for a great, refreshing taste.
The salad with fruit and shrimp was also a fresh and fun combination.
The veal carpaccio was delicious, served with cheese and salad. The dressing added a tasty twist to the dish.
The cold cuts of local salami and ham was of very good quality and went well with the wine.
As you can probably tell, we made a meal out of the sharing plates and no meal would be complete (for me, at least) without some chocolate. SOMEBODY felt the same way and I wasn’t quick enough to take a photo before the first bite was taken…
I don’t remember a single restaurant or bar that I went to three times when visiting a foreign city – take that as high claim for a fun bar. Start your night out in Lisbon’s Principe Real or Bairro Alto neighborhoods at Jobim and you won’t regret it. I’m sure I’ll be back soon enough!