More Like This:Pizza in Portugal • Lisbon Restaurants
Forno D'Oro Pizzeria in LisbonOn a summer weekend in Lisbon we walked from our hotel to a really great pizza place about one mile away - Forno d'oreo. haha okay no, it's not called that, but autocorrect made it the Oreo Oven instead of Gold Oven and I'm leaving it because just imagine the possibilities of a place called Oreo Oven.... Okay. Back to Pizza.
It was a bold move to show up to a popular Lisbon restaurant like Forno d'Oro on a Saturday night without a reservation. We acknowledged right away that we had no reservation, hoping to curry favor, and wondered if they might acquiesce to letting us have a table. It didn't seem super promising, but I guess the fact that this post exists is a spoiler, isn't it? :p
The guy let us know that we could have a table if we would be done by 21:15 (9:15pm) when they presumably had a reservation. It was about 19:45 (7:45pm). So we had an hour and a half - that seemed reasonable!
Travel Tip Related to Time (Not a Time Travel Tip, that's different): Get used to the 24h clock here. Medical people - you'll be fine, you're already used to it. Everyone else, you'll probably be doing small math in your head to work out the times. hehe
Inside Forno d'oro
As you would expect, there is a literal glistening, golden oven. Our table was quite near to it. Don't you love getting to see the pizzas being slid off the peel into the oven and pulled out a few minutes later?
Dinner and a show! Be sure not to miss the industrial sized mixer in the corner - can you imagine how much glorious pizza dough that makes at one time?!
The golden oven branding is thorough, even adorning the napkin rings!
Forno d'oro Seasonal Pizza Menu
It's great to see a Pizze Stagionali (Seasonal Pizza in Italian) menu because it means the pizzeria is taking advantage of local ingredients that are currently in season like Portugal's incredible figs.
How much are speciality Pizza's in Lisbon?
The seasonal Pizzas at Forno d'Oro are 16.95 euro - June 2024 pricing. That's about $18.40 for a premium pizza at a top restaurant. Forno d'oro Menu
If you're looking at a more classic pizza like a Margherita, it will run you 11.95 euro or about $13.
For those not interested in Pizza there are appetizers you may like as well as a selection of pastas. Forno D'oro Beverage MenuWines by the glass and bottle are available at Forno d'Oro, as well as craft beers. The bevvies
Beer is always a perfect match for pizza so we ordered one Benediktner Dunkel from Germany (2.95)
And one Portuguese craft beer called Letra D. I have a hard time passing up a red ale. It was a splash out at 5.50, but I had no idea what a fancy experience I was in for..
The waiter opened the bottle, poured a little splash into the glass and had me taste it as if it was some sort of expensive wine. I hate the attention and feel incredibly awkward so I give it the fastest sip and thumbs up ever so we could move on. And move on we did... to this single bottle of beer chilling in a table-side ice bucket like it was champagne or something. Que fancy. This had me cracking up the whole time. I was also like.. does he come back to top off my glass or do I do it? lol. Yeah, he didn't come back for that. I did it. :p Letra Brewery in Portugal
Side Note: Cerveja Letra is a microbrewery from Vila Verde in northern Portugal. They also have locations in Braga and Porto. If you're in the area, stop by one of their taprooms. High recommendation.
Margherita DOP
As you know, we almost always get a margherita pizza at a new pizzeria as a baseline. You can obviously tell from the pic below that it was not a bad decision. ;)
A simple pizza with tomato, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. What more can you ask for?
A drizzle of olive oil you say? It's on the table for you :)
Take a peek at the bottom of the crust. We're looking for texture and some nice coloring from the Gold Oven.
Fichi, Prosciutto e gorgonzola pizza
We have developed another condition where when we see a pizza with fig, prosciutto, and gorgonzola on a menu, we almost cannot pass it up. We have had an incredible fig pizza in Lisbon before and it's just such a journey you go on that you want to keep coming back to experience again and again.
I mean just look at this! Quite generous with the prosciutto ham, wouldn't you agree? Can you see the slices of sweet figs under the prosciutto blanket?
And of course, a peek underneath!
This is a delicious seasonal pizza. You get the texture and chew of the prosciutto as well as its saltiness, added to the sweet figs, and the savory flavor of gorgonzola cheese - it's soo yummy! The only thing we missed was a touch of heat! (hot honey drizzle anyone!?)
With two solid pizzas devoured we still had some time left on the clock before we had to vacate our table so we opted for coffee and dessert!
Espresso & Tiramisu
Forno d'Oro in Lisbon serves a lovely Italian Espresso by Illy (1.40). You can order Illy Italian Coffee in the US anytime, by the way, if you'd like to try it.
They serve a beautiful tiramisu as well. We just shared the one (5.50) and it was a perfect finishing touch to this outstanding meal in Lisbon!
In a traditional show of hospitality a complimentary shot of liquor was offered at the end of the meal, grappa or limoncello.
This gave us a moment to look around the restaurant and reflect on what we had experienced.
Forno d'Oro, glistening in the corner, churning out fresh and delicious pizzas to a restaurant full of patrons - there were couples on dates, young families with children, larger groups celebrating the high moments of life, and solo diners enjoying every delicious bite. Pizza really brings people together. ❤ With that, we left our table at 21:06, phew, 9 minutes to spare.
I wonder who sat at this table and ate at the Golden Oreo next?
Until Next time Forno d'Oro! Because there definitely will be a next time ;)
More from this weekend in lisbon:
Coming soon..
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PIZZA IN NAPLES - DAY 2 SUN PRINCESS MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE WITH GREEK ISLES, ITALY & TURKEY7/15/2024
On the second day of our Sun Princess cruise, we woke up in Naples with a one word mission: Pizza! It's almost literally illegal to visit Naples and not have pizza, right? ;)
But first, let's take in the views from the balcony! It was a bit overcast when we visited Naples Cruise Port, but don't be deceived - it was still plenty hot even though it was early June.
Would you like to see a view of Napoli from the docked cruise ship? Quick bites to eat on sun princess
With those glimpses of Naples taken in, we were excited to get out on foot to explore the city and, of course, eat pizza!
But first, we needed to fuel up with some quick bites on the ship. Here's what we snagged for a very late breakfast/early lunch on Sun Princess. International Cafe - Pastel de nata
On our way to the buffet, which is called The Eatery on Sun Princess, we were walking past the International Cafe and it seemed a requirement to try a Pastel de Nata.
A Pastel de Nata is a delicious and famous Portuguese pastry - a custard tart which we are well familiar with ;) How good could a pastel de nata be on a cruise ship? In our opinion, what makes a pastel de nata a success comes down to having a crisp and flakey crust and the custard being just the right texture, not too eggy. As you can see we take very seriously checking the crust - and this looks very promising ;)
We felt like this was a respectable representation of an iconic Portuguese pastry for the uninitiated! The only thing missing was a sprinkle of canela (the portuguese word for cinnamon) on top!
By the way, it's easy to make these Portuguese Pastries! See how here: Inspired By Travel: Making Pastéis de Nata Portuguese Custard Tarts INTERNATIONAL CAFE - Spinach Quiche
I find it difficult to pass up a quiche. I'm not sure why?
Maybe because they are delicious. Maybe because it reminds me of stopping for breaks at Panera on a Saturday morning with my family growing up and occasionally splashing out for one of their quiches? or maybe it was a soufflé? Honestly I can't remember, but those were so good - do they still have them? Check out the side view of this quiche though. I mean doesn't that look delicious?! What impressed me most about this quiche on a cruise ship is that it was warmed up!!! I was 100% not expecting this at all, but absolutely delighted when the girl pulled it from the case and put it in the warmer. Should you serve quiche warmed, room temperature, or cold? Honestly, I'll eat a quiche any way, but imo quiche served warm is next level and my only regret is that I didn't have any follow up quiches throughout the rest of this med cruise. :( The Eatery on Sun Princess Lunch - Tom Kha gai + poke bowl
A visit to the eatery usually consists of walking the entire buffet to survey the options, but since we were eager to explore Napoli in a day, I grabbed the first things that jumped out at me - Tom Kha Gai Thai Soup and a Poke Bowl.
If you know Thai food, specifically the soup Tom Kha Gai, you will probably be surprised at the look of this soup. What is Tom Kha Gai? ต้มข่าไก่ Tom Kha Gai is a chicken soup with a coconut milk based broth and loads of flavor. The color is very off on this bowl and I really can't say there was any coconut milk in this soup which is bizarre. While I don't feel it does the traditional Thai soup justice, I did find the soup overall to be quite flavorful and I did enjoy it. After all, when you have a bundle of enoki mushrooms in your bowl, it's hard not to enjoy, amiright? The Poke Bowl on Sun Princess was an absolute star! these poke bowls were available every single day and I wish I had gotten more. What is in a poke bowl? At the minimum this poke bowl had fresh, raw salmon, cucumber, beets, radishes, seaweed, and red cabbage along with sticky rice and a sprinkling of mixed sesame seeds. This Poke Bowl is a beautiful dish - colorful, light, refreshing, and a satisfying mix of textures and flavors - making it one of the best things I ate in The Eatery Buffet on Sun Princess. If you're looking for fresh, healthy meal ideas for hot summer days - try a Poke Bowl! :) INTERNATIONAL CAFE - Chocolate Drizzled Merengue
Since we had to go past the international cafe again to get back to our room, it seemed like a good idea to grab this meringue cookie because it's basically just air right? :p
What are meringues made of? Why are meringues so delicious? Good question. Meringues are primarily made of egg whites and sugar and that's why they are so delicious. My favorite meringues have that light crunchy exterior texture and are a bit chewy in the center, how about you? Okay enough of the cruise ship food. Let's get to the main event - Pizza in Naples! Pizza & Passione Pizze - Italy Restaurant ReviewAfter getting off the ship we met some lovely friends at the carts who recommended we be sure to try fried pizza, aka pizza fritta which is classic Neapolitan street food so we determined to follow through. ;) We walked to a restaurant called Pizza & Passione which was probably about a 1 mile walk from the cruise ship. We took our time taking in the scenes as it was our first time in Naples (more pics below) and once we arrived we nearly were turned away as they were about to close. :-/
Americans, take note: It is extremely common in Europe for restaurants to close for several hours between lunch and dinner. I know that some restaurants do this in the US, but overall I think Americans are used to being able to get food at any hour of the day easily whereas in other parts of the world you really do have to manage your time to ensure you get in by 3pm or else you'll be waiting until 7pm often times!
Also be aware that the information on a restaurant's google listing is not always accurate. It may imply a restaurant is open all day and night and not actually list the space of time between lunch and dinner where they close. If you are not flexible with where and when you eat, be sure to call ahead to confirm hours and avoid disappointments. Let's carry on and take a peak inside the kitchen: I can't imagine how hot it must have been inside given the temperature outside. Hard at work cranking out pizzas for the seated guests. Here's a peak at Pizza & Passione's seating: When it comes to beverages on a hot day like this, a cold Peroni is the only way to go while you wait for your pizza. How much is Peroni Beer in Italy? At this restaurant, a larger glass bottle of Peroni Beer (66cl) was 3.50 euro and was a perfect size to share! 33cl bottles are currently 2 euros each. Ripieni Fritti - o' battilocchio Fried Pizza at Pizza & Passione
What is Pizza Fritta?
Pizza Fritta, shown below, is a type of fried pizza originating in Naples, Italy. A round pizza dough is filled with sauce, cheese, etc, then folded in half and deep fried. It looks like a giant empanada!
What is in Pizza Frita?
We ordered O'Battilocchio (should we have been insulted?) and the ingredients were pomodoro, provola, and pepe which translates to tomato provolone, and pepper. I could really taste the more intense, slightly smoky flavor of the provolone in the fried pizza compared to the Margherita pizza we also tried. Here's a cross section, if you want to see what the inside of pizza fritta looks like and get an idea of the thickness and texture of the dough. This reminded us of something you might get at the fair in Pennsylvania in the summer time. :) Pro Tip: Anything deep fried is always best eaten immediately before it has the chance to lose its crisp and get soggy. Don't waste a moment when your Pizza Fritta arrives! How much is Fried Pizza in Naples? At Pizza & Passione the pizza fritta we ordered was 7 euros in June 2024. margherita PIZZA AT PIZZA & PASSIONEWhenever we try a new pizza place we almost always get a Margherita because we want a baseline for the establishment. We want to see how good a simple and classic Margherita pizza is. What is on a Margherita Pizza? A margherita is a simple, fresh, delicious pizza consisting of olio, pomodoro, and mozzarella and basilico - that is to say tomato sauce, mozzarella, and finished with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil.
How much is pizza in Italy?
This margherita pizza cost 6 euros in Naples, Italy in June 2024. How good is Pizza in Italy? Listen. It's so so good, but you just need to go experience it first hand if it's within your ability. :) Why is Pizza in Italy so much better than the US? Italians are using high quality ingredients, often locally sourced, which will always yield the most delicious results. That being said, there are many incredible pizzerias in the US doing the same. Still, Naples is considered the birthplace of pizza. Eating pizza in the very place pizza was invented is a special experience for any foodie. ❤ Pizza & passione Naples Italy Menu 2024returning to the ship in Naples
As it was time to board the ship, we made our way back to the Naples Cruise Port Terminal Building
After entering the building you will go up stairs or the escalators and staff directs you from there.
You will walk the length of a building filled with souvenir shops - so if you missed grabbing your massed produced magnets and aprons with lemons or a little bottle of limoncello or some "leather" goods that the sales man made himself........ not skeptical at all ..... this is your chance to snag a momento on your way out of Naples. At the end of the building you will go back down stairs and outside to your ship!
one day in NAPLES CRUISE PORT - italy travel blogs
You probably want to see more of the streets of ol' Napoli, so head over to this post next:
Dinner on the pool deck
We waved farewell to the passengers on the Aida Stella cruise ship and then said arrivederci to Naples, contented by the day and eager to return - sooner than you may think ;)
As there were no dining reservations available for the main dining room (we could have waited in a walk-in line), we decided to have dinner on the pool deck where Movies Under the Stars are shown every night.
Unfortunately, no sooner did we sit down at a perfect spot than a group of people sat right behind us including a woman who proceeded to loudly recap the entire movie to her friends while we (and others) were obviously trying to watch said movie for ourselves.... *eyeroll* What can I say? That's the general public for you. haha :p
The shwarma was delicious and highly recommended. The salad station has several suggested salad configurations or you can DIY. I went for the Chicken Cobb Salad and it was good, but I found the bacon to be unusually dry/hard to chew so I left all those bits behind. It did have plenty of chicken and blue cheese. This salad can easily be its own meal, not just a side.
Dessert at the international cafe
One last stop at the international cafe yielded the following little desserts:
A lovely slice of tiramisu, as shown below. Perfectly portioned and generously topped with cocoa powder, I found the flavors to be mild yet tasty and better than expected tbh! Historically I've not always been a big fan of cakes on cruises as they always seem to be a bit on the dry side. However, this nice chocolate cake held up to scrutiny pretty well thanks in part to the thin layers of cake and the fact that they were topped in fluffy mousse and smooth, shiny ganache. :)
On that sweet note we close the second day of this Mediterranean Cruise on Sun Princess' Inaugural Season!
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original post 7/15/22
To start off with some irony, after you have sold all of your precious and well chosen belongings in order to move abroad, one of the first things you will likely need to do upon arrival to your new country is... buy some of those things again.
Yes. It's kind of annoying. Yes. It sort of feels like a waste of time and money. It's just a reality and part of the process for the vast majority of expats and immigrants. So now that we have that out of the way..
It's even more helpful when that same place has a restaurant on site so you can refuel after the exhaustion that will more likely ensue. Let's check out Ikea's restaurant at Mar Shopping in Loulé Portugal!
As you can see, the restaurant seating area is stylish and truly massive and it also extends outside.
Some of the soft drinks available at the self serve beverage area at Ikea restaurant in Loulé Algarve Portugal.
Prices at Ikea's restaurant remain quite affordable from vegetable soup for 0,50€ and full meals for €3-9. Beer and wine are also available as are a variety of desserts, and side salads, fruits etc.
Pernil de Porco (Smoked Pork Knuckle)
Almost every Portuguese person in front of us in line ordered the Pernil de Porco and a wise friend told us before we left to always do what the locals do ;)
I've had a lot of pork in my life and must admit this ranks at the top of the list. Incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful. Even though we were eating outside, sweltering under the blazing sun in an effort to stay a distance from the crowd... it was worth it. We chose broccoli and mashed potatoes as sides for the meal which was the most expensive at €9 but fed both of us!
Cheesecake
Not even a cheesecake person, but the berry cheesecake at Ikea was super yummy.
How To Get A Free Pastel de Nata At Ikea:
At the end of the restaurant line you can buy a pastel de nata and a cafe for 0,50€.
Or you can buy a cafe for ...0,50€. So why not snag both for the same price?! You're welcome.
As you finish the meal with a cafe and a nata, take a moment to enjoy where you at. Look at the view from the terrace of the Ikea restaurant in Loulé Portugal. A beautiful location, hard to capture in a hasty pano.
More Algarve Restaurant Reviews:
original post 11/14/21
Last week we decided to try a new-to-us restaurant - Lemoona House. Currently opened 11am-9pm everyday except Tuesday, you can order take out or dine to enjoy "homestyle mediterranean" at Lemoona House. You can also have delivery via door dash ($30 off) or Uber Eats ($15 0ff). Hopefully grubhub will be an option sometime too. Thanks to our favorite credit card, we have free dash pass membership and an annual credit on door dash orders, yay! So we went the Door Dash route. Here's what we tried:
Greek Pizza - $9.75
Feta and mozzarella cheese, sumac marinated onions, gyro or chicken (we chose gyro), fresh tomato and tzaziki on the side.
The Greek Pizza was basically room temp by the time we got it (delivery woes), but was a promising thin crusted pizza.
Dolma - $3.99
Tender grapevine leaves stuffed with rice, onions, herbs, and Turkish spices. Rolled tightly and gently cooked with olive oil and lemon juice. (5 per order)
The dolmas were a good value and tasted good, but I actually prefer the herbs in these ones from a recent misfits or imperfect box, can't remember which at the moment.
Profitorole - $1.99
Cream puffs drenched in a dark chocolate sauce and sprinkled with sweet coconut flakes
These were exactly what I expected them to be and a really affordable price for a sharable, light dessert!
Baklawa - $1.50
Baklawa (aka baklava). Unfortunately these did not show up in our order, which was a bummer. And FYI, you only have 24 hours to report any issue with a door dash order, so don't procrastinate! :)
Lemoona Mix Platter - $15.99
Gyro meat, kibbeh, kofta kebab, chicken shawarma with rice, hummus, taziki sauce and Mediterranean salad, served with pita.
We opted for the Lemoona Mix Platter so we could try a variety from the restaurant at one time. The Gyro meat is excellent in flavor and may just be the way to go! I don't think there was any kibbeh on the platter, the chicken was a bit on the dry side and the mediterranean salad was very simple with a light dressing that was good, but nothing to write home about. Pita and taziki were good and the hummus was excellent.
Door Dash Discount - $30 CreditEarn up to 60,000 bonus points + Free Dash Pass Membership - Sapphire Card - Learn More HereRepeat Eat?
I'd repeat eat at Lemoona House. This delivery order was definitely not perfect, but I feel pretty confident that an in-person experience would be significantly better. As far as their to-go orders are concerned, I'd love to see a switch away from styrofoam containers...
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Lemoona House Restaurant:
701 Philadelphia Street Indiana, PA 15701
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original post 7/14/22
Filed Under: Vilamoura Restaurant Reviews • Algarve Restaurant Reviews • Portugal • Restaurant Review
Mourapão will always hold a special place in our hearts as it's the first place we ate after arriving in Portugal on the D7 visa. After those hectic final weeks waiting for the visa to arrive, selling belongings, hoping nothing important was forgotten, visiting with family, traveling and moving internationally for the first time (& during a pandemic!), handling canceled flights etc.... to finally arrive in Vilamoura was surreal. Nothing felt more simultaneously comforting and rewarding than the prospect of a pizza and a pastel de nata at the same time. Enter Mourapão.
Located in Vilamoura near the Marina, Mourapão is a short walk from the secret apartment.
With indoor and outdoor seating available as well as an extensive menu, mourapão can cater to just about any guest. Bonus, it's open until at least 10pm! Here's what we have tried: Tigelada
Tigelada is a traditional Portuguese dessert made with eggs, milk, and sugar. Typically baked in a wood fired oven inside a Portuguese ceramic bowl, this sweet dessert is all about the texture as shown in the photo above.
Pastel de Nata
Pastel de Nata is easily the most popular pastry you must try in Portugal with its flakey crust, pudding like custard filling and optional cinnamon topping. Remember when we made Pasteis de nata at home?
Margherita Pizza
For an optimal experience, be sure to dine in at Mourapao and enjoy classic pizza made with fresh ingredients.
(Although you can get take out or pizza delivery in Vilamoura through apps like Glovo fyi) Take a look at that pizza slice - the cheese pull, the browning, the sheen... If this pizza is for you, you will know it. ;) Discover more Pizza in Portugal here Best Places To Stay in Vilamoura, Algarve Portugal
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