Photo Essay: Ericeira, Portugal in the Summer.

Nope, that’s not a Gray Malin picture, that is a photograph of Ericeira, Portugal!! As you may know, Dan and I got married near the famous surfing destination of Ericeira, Portugal last summer! I was originally going to write a post about Ericeira in the Summer as a follow up to Ericeira in November, but Ericeira is really just a small Portuguese beach town that acts as a beach getaway for Lisboetas and serious surfers. Ericeira is also beautiful, so here are some of my favorite pictures from Ericeira!

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The colorful flowers in Ericeira are unreal and everywhere!

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Blue & white tiles everywhere.

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Restaurant Review: Casa do Alentejo, Lisbon, Portugal

Casa do Alentejo is a gorgeous, albeit touristy, restaurant in central Lisbon, very close Rossio Square. Dan and I went here on a food tour years ago, and I remember thinking it was so, so beautiful!  Casa do Alentejo is set an an old palace with Moorish feature, the most stunning tiling, and palm trees! So old school Portuguese, and just want you want to experience in Lisbon!  So, when we were planning our pre-wedding weekend in Lisbon, we made a dinner reservation for 13 on our first night in Lisbon!

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The foyer of Casa do Alentejo!

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Restaurant Review: Mini Bar by Jose Avillez, Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal is definitely an underrated foodie city!  Lisbon offers both delicious cheap meals and creative upscale food experiences that rival those of Barcelona, Paris, and London.  

Lisbon’s most famous chef is certainly José Avillez.  Avillez runs a handful of restaurants in Lisbon, with his Michelin-starred Belcanto being his most well respected (it was just named the 70th best restaurant in the World in 2017!).  Dan and I ate at Belcanto in 2014 and while it was really, really, really delicious and creative with excellent service, it was quite pricey and came with all the stuffiness that one usually expects at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

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One of many courses at Belcanto circa 2014.

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Restaurant Review: TimeOut Market, Lisboa!

Lisbon, Portugal is one of those cities with excellent food, but the abundance of options (from take-away stands to Art Deco cafés to Michelin-starred restaurants…) can make it difficult to pick a restaurant.  This difficulty is compounded if you are looking for a traditional Portuguese dish but want to avoid touristy spots, or if you have a group with varying tastes.  

Enter: TimeOut Market Lisbon!  TimeOut Market Lisbon is an AMAZING food hall serving all of Lisbon’s traditional foods, as well as foods that are not traditionally Portuguese but are enjoyed by Lisboas (think pizza and hamburgers!).  I definitely recommend TimeOut Market Lisbon to anyone in Lisbon who does not know where to eat, or who is part of a group with varying food interests!

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Dan’s fancy dish of octopus fried in squid ink from Sea Me at TimeOut Market Lisboa!

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