http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22084
It’s small and new, very homely, serving a lovely mix of Portuguese cuisine with an Italian accent. The owner, Nino, is of Italian/Portuguese descent and grew up in South Africa, so he speaks perfect English (Afrikaans too if that helps anyone) and it turned out we have mutual friends there too!

The first night I had a delicious Lasagna al forno, even better than my own, and my partner had a typically Portuguese dish, Feijoada a Portuguesa which is a pork and bean stew, very tasty and much better than it sounded.

They also have things like fish lasagne, Lasagna al Bacalhau, lots of pastas such as bolognese, putanesca, aglio olio, peperoncino with a breaded steak, prawns in a cream and cheese sauce, and Bacalhau com natas (cod with potato cream and cheese). They’ll do pretty much any combination you want and it’s all good. We ate there twice and wished we’d discovered it earlier.

With a nice bottle of wine, neither of our meals for two came to more than about €25, as the main courses are mostly well under €10. Even for Lisbon that’s good value and the place is fun!

The Alfama, as I’m sure anyone reading this will know, is a very typical and ancient area of Lisbon, full of lovely little corners and alleys, it used to be more or less a slum but is now clean and safe.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22084 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/7256 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/7256 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6109 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6109 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6108
When we left, the pre-booked taxi charged us SKK 250 for the 20 minute ride to the airport.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6108 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6088 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6088 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6086
The apartment was newly renovated, spotless and well equipped, in a quiet and safe, if somewhat unprepossessing, area just 5 minutes walk from the historic centre of this lovely city, once the capital of the Hungarian Empire.

Well worth visiting before it gets spoilt by lager louts (I hope it won't be).]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6086 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6085
I paid less for a good ticket to a symphony concert than I would have paid for a coffee in the interval at a western European concert.

This city has so much to offer. It’s a shame it is often given such bad publicity. It is cleaner and safer than many others and excellent value.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6085 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6084
After our not inexpensive meal I was shocked to see that 20% 'service' charge had been added (the bill was CZK 1530 and the amount added was 290.) When I queried this with the waiter he asked me how much I thought the service was worth, adding 'This is not McDonalds'. I was now so annoyed at this attempted imposition that instead of adding the normal 10%, I told him I was not prepared to pay anything for service - and I paid the exact amount of the bill, minus the 20% - in cash (no credit cards accepted there anyway).

All I can say is although the food at U Golema was good, the experience wasn't and left a very sour taste. At least at McD's we'd have got a smile without having to pay 20% for it!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/6084 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/7255 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/7255