Nuno Botelho
One of the reopenings in 2023 was Taberna os Papagayos, by Joaquim Saraga Leal
A new generation of contemporary bar/tasca has been emerging for some time. Not the “Biocas” restaurant, which appropriated the name a dozen years ago to serving up cracked eggs and appetizers that covered customers’ eyes with imported trifles. The movement appeared symbolically and unintentionally in 2015 in Taberna Sal Grosso, which inadvertently created a style. The correct application of appropriate cooking techniques to new dishes, snacks and specialties, using quality, easily accessible products, by qualified and trained chefs. The helmsman was Joaquim Saraga Leal, who shone with some very Portuguese cod pasta or a twist on the duck liver pâté, which he learned from Chef Nuno Diniz – a teacher of a generation who shines in several places.
And the rest is history! There has been a wave of what I call “traditional” spaces – traditional spaces tuned like a Stradivarius – popping up all over Lisbon. It seems that 2023 has been more stimulating in terms of good news in Porto than in the capital. However, the return of Joaquim Sarraga to lead Os Papagayos – after the great Taberna Santo Humberto in Évora – was great news (revealed here on Acepipe). The pioneer has taken over the space that produced the world's fine cuisine and brought back the appeal of the pub of half a century ago, but with contemporary techniques, flavor and precision.
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