14/12/2023
A charming restaurant next to the Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência which became famous when its chef, Louise Bourrat, won the French version of Top Chef in 2022! Modern, internationally inspired cuisine with a feminine touch. Only open in the evening, when the choice is between two tasting menus (one of which is vegetarian).
14/09/2023
French-born (but from Portuguese stock) Alexis Bourrat and his Hungarian-British wife, Agnes Bourrat, came to Lisbon from London with hopes of putting their years of hospitality experience to work as consultants. That didn’t quite pan out, but what happened instead is better: their eclectic restaurant BouBou’s (get it?). It’s clearly a labor of love, with one or both of them working the floor every day, conveying a spirit of love and friendship for their guests. The menu reflects their identities as citizens of the world. The menu, which is was devised by the couple and Alexis’s younger sister, Louise—who in her early 20s has already worked in the kitchens of Alain Ducasse, the Mandarin Oriental London and Chile.
06/09/2023
Every big city should have a bistro to call its own, a place like BouBou’s in the Principe Real neighborhood. An alum of Alain Ducasse’s empire, chef Louise Bourrat runs the kitchen, while her talented team (dominated by women) take care of the guests in the dining room — never letting anyone run out of wine. The two menus — Omnivorous and Terra (vegetarian) — include dishes focusing on fresh Portuguese ingredients, mainly seafood and vegetables, combined with global inspirations. The atmosphere is cheerful, and the service is efficient to boot. A few meters from the restaurant, the team opened BouBou’s Sandwich Club, a casual venue for street food.
28/06/2022
Opened in 2018 by couple Agnes and Alexis Bourrat, BouBou’s is a family affair – Alexis’ sister Charlie Bourrat hand-picks wines for the restaurant, while his other sister Louise heads up the kitchen, bringing her rebellious, experimental style to BouBou’s. The result is a fun, casual fine dining restaurant in arguably the most food-focused district in Lisbon.
If tasting menus are your thing, this one is truly impeccable. Dishes are varied, fun and full of flavour, with a focus on seasonal produce and zero waste. The restaurant isn’t vegetarian, but there’s a tendency to lean toward veggie-heavy dishes – expect sweet potato served with coconut tiger milk and kaffir lime, and a nori taco with kimchi rice and glazed seitan – although it’s one of the few times checking out the menu beforehand isn’t advised, so you can be pleasantly surprised by each dish. The wine pairing is also highly recommended; our sommelier carefully talked us through every glass (all Portuguese, of course), and each was more delicious than the last. Tip: grab a table overlooking the open kitchen to watch the slick kitchen action – and work up more of an appetite.
