Alfama

On a visit to Lisbon with my family, there are memories of sitting in a tiny restaurant off a cobble-stoned street a few steps from the sea and being served at-least 5 different kinds of fish. All very different from each other, and each dish was had been so very flavourful.

Alfama, in the West Village is a small restaurant that follows the Portuguese tradition of delicious fish preparations. Portuguese cuisine has always had influences from African countries like Mozambique, Angola and of course countries from South America. With their long history of colonisation that began in the 14-15th centuries when Portugal was the leading power in the world for trade and commerce, before the British and before the French. Throughout the 15th century, Portuguese explorers sailed the coast of Africa, establishing trading posts as they looked for a route to India and its spices, which were coveted greedily in Europe.

The current chef, Mark Twersky, a veteran of Per Se's kitchen, reflects attempts to create a more contemporary kind of Portuguese cooking using influences from Africa and Asia.

This restaurant is a must try not just for the cuisine but because the food is absolutely fantastic by itself. The wine-list is overlooked by Tarcísio Costa, the Wine Director and has incredible values with some Portuguese wines that are not found anywhere else. (The restaurant has relocated, the photos and article are from the old Alfama location in the West Village).


214 East 52nd Street,
New York, NY
Tel: 212 759-5552