Bar Snob

Came here later in the evening due to Mike K’s review and was not disappointed by the food. It was somewhat hard to find as the doors were closed, and I had to ring the doorbell to be let in. Allowing you to smoke freely, the inside is small and dimly lit but has a somewhat comforting atmosphere to it. I ordered the Iberic Carrillera (black pig cheeks — € 12.5) as well as a small bottle of white wine (€ 6.50), and it was divine. The waiter also brought me some bread and butter before the entrée which I did not ask for and thought was a courtesy.
Now, for the missing star. After my meal, I waited ~30 min for the waiter to bring me the check (which he never did), so I went up to the counter to pay. He, hopefully, mistakenly gave me someone else’s, and when I told him it wasn’t mine, he gave me another. However, this one was still not quite right as there were 3 items instead of the two that I ordered (wine and entrée). Given I don’t speak much Portuguese, I tried to ask what the third item was and could only think of the bread, so I pointed at it and said «pão?» To which he just nodded and took my card. Not sure if it is actually customary to order food for the guest, but it definitely put a damper on my previous pleasant evening.

100% a local spot. No tourist in sight when I went in. In fact, everyone stared at me, the token asian guy, as I walked up to the bartender. I quickly noticed he did not speak English. The front room with its limited tables were all full so he put me in the back room, by myself, to eat by myself. No worries, I came here for the food, not to socialize, so I kept telling myself.
So I saw two things on the menu in portugese that I recognized. I ordered both of them and the guy gave a glance at me with a peace sign and said «two?». With a big happy grin I nodded, yes, two.
It turns out the words I thought I recognized was completely wrong LOL. Out comes two whole entrée meals and I gulp and take a deep breath… fack! I start to work at it and eventually eat everything on both plates. I wish I remembered the names of what I ordered but its been too long, I just know that I thought I was ordering a bifana a thinly sliced spicy pork roll and a steak-​esk entrée.

Mais um daqueles sítios fantásticos de Lisboa, cheio de história, cheio de carisma e charme. Poiso de jornalistas desde a sua abertura, o Snob foi também palco de encontros entre intelectuais e artistas. Ali conspirou-​se muito à volta de um bom cozido à portuguesa ou do famoso bife, ex-​libris da casa. A porta da rua, sempre fechada, quase afasta clientes. É preciso tocar à campainha. Agora já quase toda a gente o sabe mas, antigamente, isso afastava «um certo tipo de clientela» menos bem vinda. Hoje, misturam-​se por lá todos, em amenas cavaqueiras.
Um bife fantástico a desoras, numa sala confortável, boa companhia e, com sorte, algum segredo de Estado vindo da mesa ao lado. Boa sorte!

Fui na curiosidade de conhecer um espaço que dizem ser frequentado por intelectuais e jornalistas. Eu não sou de bifes nem fui, mas o bife que o meu par encomendou já a noite ia avançada chegou à mesa como me tinham dito. Grande acompanhado de batatas das quais se sentia o cheiro no ar mal entrei. Um cheiro que não batia certo com o espaço porque em vez de pratos e mesas de jantar, há mesas de jogo cobertas com panos verdes feitos para a jogatana. O ambiente é de pub, tal é a média luz e os copos de whisky a girar, não parece de todo um restaurante. Mas detrás das portas de vidro há uma cozinheira quase maga que faz os ditos bifes que acabei por provar e que sabem a bife sem molhos de cafés ou pimentas, a bifes tardios, noctívagos, secretos quase neste recanto que mais parece o cenário de um filme de espionagem.

Ai, tanto bife ali abençoado madrugada fora, temperado magistralmente pela saudosa D. Manuela. Culto de jornalistas pela cozinha a trabalhar fora de horas, é sempre uma das referências maiores da cidade, numa zona histórica e em que as paredes parecem ter ouvidos ou nao há o «furo» jornalístico queimar as pestanas ;)