Raise the steakes

You might have never heard about this dish – it is a Lisbon original, after all. Bitoque is a small fried steak served with an egg on top and fries on the side. It is a lifesaver of sorts for many Lisboners – especially those having lunch with kids or wit

Rui dos Pregos ALCÂNTARA & BELÉM

A harbinger of the tenderized steak trend, Rui dos Pregos opened for business in Cacém in 2000 and has since become a nine-restaurant empire around the Greater Lisbon area. The Rui in the moniker is Rui Moreira, and he’s the man with the mallet – he had the idea of pounding the steaks until they turned into a long, thin strip of beef. The recipe also includes a garlic butter sauce and a quick searing on the grill. On the menu they call it “prego no prato com ovo”.

→ Passeio Doca de Santo Amaro (Alcântara). +351 967 723 483. Mon-Sun 10am-midnight. | Rua da Junqueira 508/510 (Belém). +351 213 621 237. Wen-Mon midday-11.30pm.

A Floresta do Salitre AVENIDA

Bitoque is a middle-class dish, but it has rich relatives. The one on the menu at A Floresta do Salitre is something of a wealthy cousin that kept little from the bitoque apart from its name: a juicy fried rump steak, crowned with dollar chips and the indispensable egg on top. A fine specimen and a pride to the family. → Rua do Salitre, 42 D. +351 213 547 605. MonFri midday-3pm & 7pm-10pm.

O Churrasco BAIXA

Can the ugly duckling in Portuguese cuisine ever be a swan? Try Churrasco, a grill specialist in the Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, maker of some of Lisbon’s best roast chicken. They don’t have bitoque on the menu, but ask for it and they will get you one: in a clay pot, under the egg and the fries, you will find a very soft rump steak.à Rua das Portas de Santo Antão, 83. +351 213 423 059. Mon-Sun midday– 4.30pm & 6.30–11.30pm.

O Bitoque CAMPO DE OURIQUE

The owners of this small family restaurant in Campo de Ourique have to be very confident about their steak or they wouldn’t have named their establishment “Bitoque”. They are right to feel that way. Their steak is a fine piece of beef with dollar chips and creamy spinach on the side – an unusual but welcome addition to Lisbon’s bitoque culture.

→ Rua Ferreira Borges, 59. +351 213 965 636. Sun-Sex 8am-9.30pm.

O Tachinho CAMPO DE OURIQUE

The restaurant’s name is in the diminutive form (“the little pot”), but their bitoque is superlative. A big, tall steak covered with a strip of ham. Chips are round and crunchy and the egg shines like a star from a nearby constellation. Pickles are also included and they make for a nice contrast in flavour.à Rua do 4 de Infantaria, 6 D/E. +351 213 952 015. Mon-Sat midday11.30pm.

O Cardoso da Estrela GRAÇA

The best price/quality/square meter ratio in Lisbon. Cardoso is a small friendly restaurant where everybody knows your name – yes, a diner version of Cheers.

Mr. Cardoso himself waits on tables, and he will treat you as a regular from the first moment you step into his establishment. As for the bitoque, it is served on a skillet, covered with fries and the mandatory egg. → Rua da Graça, 22. +351 218 865 230. Mon-Fri midday-3pm & 6.30-9.30pm, Sat midday-3pm.