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Chiado

Chiado
ChiadoSupplied

14/20

Portuguese$$

While Sydney loves its blackened, butterflied chicken and caramelised custard tarts, it looks like we might be ready to take our relationship with Portuguese food up a level. At Chiado – named for an area in central Lisbon – this begins with home-made bread with fresh white butter and tiny herbed black olives. Move on to petiscos, or small plates, such as migas (kale with black-eyed peas and crumbled corn bread), or sweet broad beans and smoky chorizo paired luxuriously with a wobbling, slow-cooked egg. Skip the ubiquitous salt cod croquettes in favour of fresh sardines on grilled sweet red capsicum and garlic, before moving on to more substantial offerings, including a beautifully composed terrine of slow-cooked suckling pig with baby vegetables and fragrant herbs. A wonderful cataplana de marisco – seafood stew – combines cod, mussels and prawns in a winey, briny broth to soak up with slices of sourdough and potato. And go on, have a custard tart after all: Chiado’s are among the city’s best.

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