PORTUGUESE PERKS

Douglas Blyde imbibes the best beverages served at Lisboeta

Nuno Mendes describes his Charlotte Street restaurant as ‘A love letter to Lisbon, the city I grew up in.’ Previously head chef of Chiltern Firehouse, Mendes once launched a sadly ill-fated wine bar in Spitalfields. Though these days, with assistance from enthusiastic drinks’ consultant Diyerman Castaño Burbano, Mendes is offering an even better selection of Portuguese drinks. For starters, there’s an exclusive collaboration with Douro winemaking legend Dirk Niepoort, which includes a white port with a label depicting its maker (his eldest son, Daniel), his dog, Pisca, and Mendes himself, and is served brilliantly with tonic and a dash of aromatic fig leaf liqueur. Another heavy-hitter is the Lisboeta Negroni, featuring fruity Ginjinha (or morello liqueur), a repurposed vermouth by Discarded and chocolate bitters which are a delicious nod to how Ginjinha is served in Portugal — as an absolute treat in chocolate cups. The most exciting drinks, however, have a nautical backstory. Mendes is serving ‘emerso’ wines from producer Herdade do Cebolal, which have been aged for 20 months, 20m deep within the Atlantic. The 2020 red Castelão, gently poured from a very barnacle-encrusted bottle, had no trace of salinity within its bright, soft personality and matches excellently with the gently smoked Goan-spiced Vindalho empada. Simply brilhante! (lisboeta.co.uk)