Zuari image

Zuari

Restaurant • Goan restaurant

đź‘Ťđź‘Ť We were vacationing in Portugal in June. We endeavor to try the local cuisine usually. In this case we made an exception and decided to try coastal Indian cuisines. Portuguese influences run deep on the western coast of India and particularly so down from Goa to the state of Kerala. We chose Zuari b... People often mention Goan, family, curry, restaurant, good, samosas, Indian, meal, chicken, recommend,


Address

R. de SĂŁo JoĂŁo da Mata 41, 1200-846 Lisboa, Portugal

Website

zuari.webnode.pt

Contact

+351 21 397 7149

Price rating

$ $$$

Rating on Google Maps

4.70 (412 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Sunday: 12 to 2:30 PM
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 12 to 2:30 PM, 7 to 9:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 12 to 2:30 PM, 7 to 9:30 PM
  • Thursday: 12 to 2:30 PM, 7 to 9:30 PM
  • Friday: 12 to 2:30 PM, 7 to 9:30 PM
  • Saturday: 12 to 2:30 PM, 7 to 9:30 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: Goan (24) family (22) curry (22) restaurant (20) good (17) samosas (11) Indian (10) meal (10) chicken (10) recommend (9)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Raman E. 1 year ago on Google • 16 reviews
    We were vacationing in Portugal in June. We endeavor to try the local cuisine usually. In this case we made an exception and decided to try coastal Indian cuisines. Portuguese influences run deep on the western coast of India and particularly so down from Goa to the state of Kerala. We chose Zuari based on reviews. We were looking for specific coastal flavors and were pleased with the results. We ordered the vindalho, xacuti de galinha, and caril de camarĂŁo. The entrees were spiced to perfection. We relished the combination of balanced spices with the gentle coconut flavor that was prepared by the chef. The restaurant is operated by the Rodrigues family and Mrs. Rodrigues prepared an exceptional meal for us. We finished the meal with a plate of bebinca, which is a typical Goan dessert and that was the best possible way to end this meal. The entrees were fair portions, and the bill does not break the bank. I recommend this restaurant for its authenticity and encourage you to try the not so common flavors found in your typical Indian restaurant. Indian cuisine goes way beyond the samosas, lassis and naans in very creative and flavorful ways. Zuari is an example. Mr. Rodrigues procures spices from the source and the family prepares its spice combinations and the food attests to the provenance and the delicate assembly of the flavors.
    7 people found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Charisse D. 2 years ago on Google
    Friendly, family run place with authentic Goan food. Tried the prawn curry rice and it tasted like my grandma’s (which is high praise!)
    4 people found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 woglinda 11 months ago on Google • 143 reviews
    Excellent fare from Goa. The owner, Orlando, Rodrigues, has been in Lisbon for 45 years and brought his native cuisine with him. Everything we had was fantastic. Don’t be fooled by the pictures on the menu which don’t look all that appetizing. If you are uncertain about what to eat, Orlando will give you suggestions. A bit like Indian cuisine, but Goan food certainly has a flavor profile of its own. Be aware that they do not take credit cards.

  • 5/5 Joaquim F. 1 month ago on Google • 99 reviews New
    Little space to eat

  • 5/5 pavan m. 11 months ago on Google • 15 reviews
    Authentic Goan cuisine…we ordered shrimp curry two types… both were good with wheat flat bread n rice…shrimp was very fresh n taste was very good…the owner is a very humble man n interacts very well…mother cooks yummy food … daughter manages it very well…
    2 people found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Sara A. 2 years ago on Google
    Such authentic Indian food. Cozy small restaurant... Run by family. The food was so good. We tried shrimps curry... Chicken with coriander and another meat plate which were so tasty. The desert was the highlight of the dinner. Must try bebinca. And they had pear ice cream which was so yum! Affordable prices for a generous portion of food.
    2 people found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Manfred P. 1 year ago on Google
    As a Goan I can vouch that the food is excellent! A very warm welcome and a delicious meal. Definitely should be one to visit when in Lisbon.
    2 people found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Luis G. 1 month ago on Google • 58 reviews New
    All is well. Gastronomic experience with high flavors.

  • 3/5 David B. 1 month ago on Google • 47 reviews New
    Shame here - the small restaraunt in local style is not particularly welcoming and whilst the service was good the food did not live up to basics. Frozen samosas whilst for sure would have been great fresh and not over cooked - they suffered from both. The vindaloo was vinegary and replaced without complaint with more pleasant chicken curry - all very mild. Whole thing felt a bit lazy to be honest and maybe it’s a bad night, but not much to tempt anyone back.

  • 5/5 amol n. 1 year ago on Google
    In all of my years of eating at restaurants around the world, I’ve never felt compelled to leave a review. I’m writing this one so that folks know what a true gem Zuari is. My family is from Goa and I’ve long been searching for food that would transport me back to my childhood, eating authentic Goan food lovingly prepared my grandmother and aunts, who have long ago passed. Zuari gave me that gift, particularly with the fish curry, which I’ve never found quite like this at any Indian restaurant, anywhere at any price point. Particularly given how imminently reasonable the prices are, I’d venture to say that it’d be impossible to find a more authentic Indian meal - specifically Goan - anywhere outside of a loved one’s kitchen.
    1 person found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Mike B. 5 years ago on Google
    Zuari was lovely. Delicious flavours, wonderful service, and a very local feel from a family-run restaurant. Two of us ate 3 courses with beers for €30 - a bargain!
    1 person found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Karishma D. 1 year ago on Google
    Excellent food and the desserts are a great touch. Highly recommend. The pricing was also affordable for me..it's good to go with a big group so you can order as many dishes as possible and get to taste a lot! Lovely family run restaurant. 👍♥️
    1 person found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Shanaya D. 5 months ago on Google
    The food was very good it took me back to my childhood in GOA . I came with my family of 6 and we ate prawns coconut curry which all of my family had liked, it had a very good taste .There was also lots of other varieties such as pork, chicken , mutton and pickle. It was also very well presented. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to my fellow goans. If I ever came back to lisbon I will definitely come back here again.
    1 person found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Marie S. 1 year ago on Google
    The best Goan food outside of Goa! Visited this amazing and super cosy family run restaurant whilst in Lisbon and the food is as authentic as it gets. The fish curry and rice and the prawn curry reminded me of my grandmother’s cooking. If you’re looking for an authentic and traditional goan meal then this restaurant is the best!
    1 person found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Parysa O. 1 year ago on Google
    Make it a point to go to this restaurant—incredible Goan food. We had the fish curry, samosas, and pickled carrot—all had delightful flavors. On top of that, this is a family-run place and you can taste the love put into these dishes. Can’t wait to come back and try more from the menu!
    1 person found this review helpful đź‘Ť

  • 5/5 Duarte L. 3 weeks ago on Google • 40 reviews New
    Best Vindalho in the world

  • 3/5 Karan W. 3 months ago on Google • 16 reviews New
    The food was average if you’d ask me. I’ve had good Goan food before and this was not all that great. I ordered the pork vindaloo and after waiting for more than 30 min, it tasted pretty lame, it wasn’t as spicy as it should be and was low on salt too. I also got samosas and kachoris which were definitely frozen and fried when we ordered. The rice wasn’t basmati and seemed not fresh. There are no vegetarian options on the menu, but we were informed of chickpea curry being available - that was absolutely bad. There were no rotis available to order nor were there couple of other items on the menu which was small to begin with. The decor could definitely use some work, the ambience is sad. The nice thing about the place are the people who run it who give a family vibe but I really hope the food gets better !

  • 5/5 Ines B. 3 months ago on Google • 14 reviews New
    We loved our dinner there. It was cozy and homey. It felt like you were eating at a family members home. We had the chicken korma and the vindalho and they were lovely, the chicken korma was so comforting and full of flavour. I wish this restaurant was where i live so i could have it whenever i have a cold. 💖 The chamuças were also really nice. And we had the mango and the cinnamon & ginger icecreams which was such a good ending to the meal. We will def come back when we are back in Lisbon.

  • 5/5 Dan B. 1 month ago on Google • 10 reviews New
    By far the best food I’ve had in Portugal. Zuari is amazing and also unique. All the dishes are properly Goan (you won’t find butter chicken on the menu) and the owner is so sweet. We’ll definitely be coming back here.

  • 5/5 Matthew M. 2 months ago on Google • 9 reviews New
    Perhaps the best food I've ever eaten

  • 5/5 Tom P. 4 months ago on Google • 6 reviews
    This is in-house, family cooking. Everything is absolutely delicious, fresh, so flavorful. You can feel the love in Sheila’s food. If you want the spice, she will bring it, with amazing flavor to back it up. I recommend the shark fish and the red curry shrimp…and the coriander chutney is the best I’ve ever had.

  • 5/5 Fletima D. 2 months ago on Google • 5 reviews New
    Authentic Goan food! Being a Goan, I can confirm the flavors are undiluted, they took me back to Goa :-) the owners were lovely, had a nice chat with them which made my dinner an even better experience. Highly recommend trying it out, it's not your average Indian restaurant as Goan food is a beautiful combination of Portuguese, Indian spices both hot and flavorful!

  • 3/5 Rajeev J. 4 months ago on Google • 3 reviews
    This place is dichotomy of sorts .. the good part is that the food is very good though there are very limited main options with no veg entrees - we’d the prawn curry and chicken curries .. both were very tasty; for breads they only have chapati which appeared to be reheated, samosas are frozen market ones which they fry. I guess the owners wife cooks so definitely it feels home cooked. Seemed like they’re popular for carry out orders. The kicker was they take cash only … fortunately the owner was accommodating and took USD. Felt that the owners are very simple good hearted souls who are happy w limited menu and avoiding any extras like online reservations, ordering, credit cards, etc…

  • 5/5 Liz N. 1 year ago on Google
    This is a small, family owned and run restaurant that has been a Lisbon favourite for over 30 years. You could walk past it and not even notice it, as the entrance is so small. I only noticed it as the apartment we were staying in was next door and when I read the menu I realised it was Goan and having travelled to Goa and fallen in love with the food, I did some googling and realised we might be right next door to a little gem. Reader, if this restaurant was a man I would have married it! The service is friendly, charming and welcoming. Not in your face, but warm and genuine. We did have the samosas, which were very good. Thin, crispy pastry without a hint of grease. Generous filling. All the pickles were delightful and homemade. We then had the following dishes and were blown away by every one of them. Pork Vindaloo - Melt in the mouth meat, a complex sauce that has many layers of flavour, all mellowed and combined by the long and slow cooking time. There is sour from the vinegar, spice is definitely there, but it is not that raw hot flavour you get from Vindaloo dishes in the UK. Your mouth will not burn, you will not sweat, but you will swoon. Fish Curry - 2 generous sized pieces of fish on the bone and cooked to perfection. Moist, flavourful and the sauce is something that will stay in my memory for a long time. Mutton Curry - to die for. So soft. Beautiful flavour profile. Again, it takes hours to cook this. The sauces all had a distinct and different flavour profile. Nothing red or yellow and no fat floating on the top. All the dishes come with basmati rice, but 1 portion for 3 mains is more than enough for 2 people if you are sharing, as what you really do not want to miss are the most delicious chapatis you will ever eat. So thin, so tasty, so perfectly round. The chef, and she totally deserves the title, is the matriarch of the family and we were lucky enough to have a chat with her at the end of our meal. Such a lovely person. At the moment this is a cash only place, but there is an ATM at Subway about 30 seconds walk down the road on the same side as Zuari.

  • 5/5 I S. 10 months ago on Google
    Food served and made by love. Its a small part of what makes their restaurant just so welcoming. Highly recommended for the mouth watering goan dishes.. !!!!

  • 5/5 abu musa a. 1 year ago on Google
    If you are looking for an unique experience with a different kind of Indian food in Lisbon, Zuari is the place to be. Amazing Goan food, warm and cozy place and a lovely service.

  • 5/5 Yadhu S. 1 year ago on Google
    By far the best Goan food I've had. Recommend the prawn curry with basmati rice along with mango drink.

  • 5/5 Comfort Z. 1 year ago on Google
    Delicious food - samosas, chutney, balchao, chicken curry! Great service and everything tasted so fresh and homemade. Highly recommend.

  • 5/5 Kenji T. 1 year ago on Google
    Food was fantastic, had the fish curry and pork rib curry with rice. Finish every single drop of the curry, took the photo too late, already ate them!

  • 5/5 shigeki k. 1 year ago on Google
    The authentic true Goan vindaloo at last! Mom & pop’s restaurant that is very reasonably priced. Our family had a great time.

  • 5/5 Ruzenka V. 1 year ago on Google
    Delicious authentic Goan cuisine. The food tasted similar to how my grandmother and mom cooks. Would definitely recommend 10/10

  • 5/5 Rachel P. 1 year ago on Google
    Sweet family run restaurant serving home style goan food. The samosas are delicious and the sorpotel was just perfect , thank you Sheela and family, will be back soon.

  • 5/5 Amy L. 7 months ago on Google
    Absolutely delicious and authentic goan food, family run business who were super lovely and welcoming! The dishes were full of flavor, highly recommend the sorpatel, chicken xacuti and prawn curry, the samosas are also sooo good.

  • 5/5 Melanie D. 8 months ago on Google
    Goan here visiting Lisboa. Had the prawn balchĂŁo and chicken curry and it absolutely took me back home. Will definitely be returning to this humble place and sending my friends and family!

  • 5/5 Rhoda K. 8 months ago on Google
    Amazing samosas! We’ve sampled them all over the world and these are the best. Must tries include the homemade pork vindaloo, a real Goan specialty. The house mango chutney is also not to be missed. A lovely family run place that warms the heart and the stomach!

  • 3/5 Thomas K. 8 months ago on Google
    It’s a establishment that has been there and I don’t want to take away from that! Kudos to the owner for sure. The reality though is that the place is dated and most importantly the food is not great - we didn’t have a ton of food because what we tasted didn’t work for us. Samosas lacked flavour and punch and the slow cooked beef dish was overly salty. Other dishes may be good, we didn’t try.

  • 5/5 Suneeth S. 5 months ago on Google
    This was the first Goan restaurant we tried in Europe and we were quite excited based on it's history we had read online. Tried the Prawn Balchao and Sorpotel and it felt as close to the real deal as you could possibly expect. Definitely recommended if you ever enjoyed Goan cuisine.

  • 5/5 Myriam M. 1 year ago on Google
    Really delicious meal here, we loved the vindaloo and the shark curry. Such friendly service and great value. Vegetarians may not find very much on the menu however.

  • 5/5 Sanjay B. 1 year ago on Google
    Excellent home cooked goan food with fantastic friendly service. Kachori and samosas were amazing. The pork vindaloo was flavorful and the zuari fish curry was the highlight. Did I say great service .. thank you Orlando.

  • 5/5 Youtube A. 2 months ago on Google • 1 review New
    The food was very good it took me back to my childhood in GOA . I came with my family of 6 and we ate prawns coconut curry which all of my family had liked, it had a very good taste .There was also lots of other varieties such as pork, chicken , mutton and pickle. It was also very well presented. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to my fellow goans. If I ever came back to lisbon I will definitely come back here again.

  • 5/5 Neil M. 1 month ago on Google • 1 review New
    Delicious Goan meal in Lisbon. Wonderful owner/chef who has been there 46 yrs. Highly recommended.


Call +351 21 397 7149 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Cash only
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Spirits
    • ✓️ Small plates
  • Accessibility
    • âś— Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • âś— Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • âś— Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway

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