<a target="_blank" href="http://www.solardospresuntos.com/">Solar dos Presuntos</a>

R. das Portas de Santo
Antão 150

1150-269 Lisbon

Portugal

BY NEAL MARTIN&nbsp;|&nbsp;APRIL 28, 2023

The Food:

Pata Negra and chorizo with
Manchego

Galician-style sliced
octopus

Cod fish cakes

Goat (kid) with potatoes and
rice 

Almond
cake

The Wine:

2018 Quinta
da Pellada Carrocel Tinto&nbsp; &nbsp; 94

I wanted to see what Lisbon’s
more upmarket restaurants offer to discerning gastronomes. Not its cluster of Michelin
stars, rather I sought a top-notch address serving traditional fare with a wine
list that would leave me spoiled for choice. I was recommended Solar dos
Presuntos and secured an early evening table. This was restricted to two hours,
which remains a gripe of mine since I dislike having to keep looking at my
watch, although I was not evicted from my table after my allotted time.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1682691375748-solar+exterior.JPG">The Solar dos Presuntos exterior 

Opened in October 1974, Solar
dos Presuntos is another Lisbon institution specializing in cuisine from the
northwest region of Minho. Approaching its entrance, you get the sense of heading
somewhere special. A white neon sign illuminates its name over the cobbled street
and large smoked hams dangle in the front window. The restaurant is far larger
than its facade suggests. Solar dos Presuntos is enormous! It covers two floors
with several annexes and private rooms. Every seat is full this Friday night,
with numerous youngsters dining with their parents. Every square inch of the wall
is plastered with the beaming smiles of celebrities that have entered its door:
artists, politicians, athletes, pop stars and so forth. I enquire about their most
famous visitor ever, and our waiter nonchalantly answers Nelson Mandela. I spot
Cristiano Ronaldo just by the entrance. Apparently, his fellow ex-Manchester
United teammate David Beckham is elsewhere. These photos ramp up the
anticipation before you have even sat down. Overall, the interior, which I
believe was recently refurbished, is brightly-lit, tasteful and luxurious: marble
floors and racks of Portugal’s finest wines on display behind thick glass. The
decor is spotless: all white linen tablecloths ironed to perfection. The
atmosphere is quieter and more sober than <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/vinous-table-cervejaria-ramiro-lisbon-portugal-apr-2023">Cervejaria
Ramiro</a>. A plate of Pata Negra ham lies waiting on your table as if to say:
“I’ve been expecting you. Dare you to say no?” It’s not free. But I succumb. The
glistening wafer-thin ham has just the right amount of melt-in-your-mouth fattiness,
which is to die for; ditto the discs of oily chorizo. Yes, doing this is a bit
cheeky, and I can’t believe many customers rebuff the offer. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1682691657362-solar+ham.JPG">Pata Negra and chorizo with Manchego For starters, I choose
Galician-style octopus: slithers doused with olive oil and paprika. This is off
the charts. Having lived in Japan, I’ve eaten more than my fair share of
tentacles, and this ranks among the best I have savored, so tender and flavorsome.
They are prudent with the amount of paprika, so I dab on more thoughtfully sprinkled
around the rim to add a bit of fire. The accompanying cod fish cakes are decent
enough, perhaps just a bit conservative in flavor compared to the octopus.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1682691633563-solar+octopus.JPG">Galician-style sliced octopus The main course has to be a specialty
of the restaurant and the Minho region: kid goat. This dish is served with rice
and boiled potatoes. Wow. This ranks amongst the most delicious dishes I’ve eaten.
Tender, moist meat slides off the bone - every morsel is to die for. Having
finished the three cuts, I almost do a little jig of joy when the waiter
reminds me there is more on the plate. Even the potatoes seem to have been
roasted in the meat juices and infused with more flavor than your normal spud.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1682691618028-solar+goat.JPG">Goat (kid) with potatoes and rice Nicely stuffed, I have just
enough space to share an almond tart. This is another fabulous dish, crumbly
and nutty, simple but perfectly executed.As already mentioned, Solar
dos Presuntos boasts one of the country’s most comprehensive wine lists. My
only quibble is that I have to scroll through pages on my Smartphone. This is
one occasion when I would like to peruse the list at leisure to make sure
I choose wisely. You will find some of Portugal’s most coveted bottles,
apparently including one made by Dirk Niepoort and produced exclusively for the
restaurant. I push the boat out without going crazy, choosing a well-priced 2018
Carrocel Tinto from Quinta da Pellada, from the estate resurrected
by former engineer Alvaro de Castro in 1980. Youthful on the nose, it delivers
pure blackberries, cassis, incense and crushed violets scents: think Margaux
mixed with Dão, even though it is pure Touriga Naçional. The palate is beautifully
balanced with saturated tannins, perfect acidity, seamlessly integrated oak and
a long, tender, pure finish. At 13% alcohol, this wine doesn’t overwhelm,
though it clearly needs several years before reaching its peak. Not for the
first time, it leaves me wondering why more oenophiles do not drink Portuguese
wine? <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1682691581359-solar+almond+cake.JPG">Almond cake Solar dos Presuntos fulfilled
my expectations. It is a very impressive large-scale restaurant that operates
like a well-oiled machine. The service was excellent throughout. My only regret
was that I was the only person drinking that night. This would be a perfect
place to join fellow wine lovers to make deeper inroads into the list. It is a
restaurant that caters to families and couples, wine lovers and foodies, famous
football stars and far less famous wine writers. I appreciate how it shuts out
the outside world and foments its lively simmering atmosphere without
compromising a sense of intimacy. Compared to the UK, it is well-priced at
around €30 for many main courses (though you pay premiums for more lux dishes
like lobster).<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1682691594391-solar+wine.JPG">I will definitely be back to
see who else I can spot on its hall of fame. © 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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