Maré-Viva

Table fondue on a real grill.

Porto Brandão. If the village needed a slogan, it would be ”The place you have to find first.” We recommend parking here if you plan to spend a day in Belém, as the ferry will take you across the Tejo in just a few minutes to the hustle and bustle. And if you’ve had enough of crowds by evening, Porto Brandão is a wonderfully peaceful place.

Don’t let the ruinous appearance fool you. The vacant lots are long in the hands of investors, led by the unmistakable remains of the 19th-century quarantine station, later used as a hospital, prison, and orphanage. Quite intense, until the 2000s asylum seekers lived here under the worst conditions. A tourist highlight in the village is the graffiti ”Caranguejo” by the famous street artist Bordallo II — a three-dimensional crab made from waste on a wall behind the ferry terminal.

But we’re here for the food. And it’s really worth a detour because Maré-Viva serves Carvoada. It’s a bit like a raclette, but not on a table grill with a power outlet and plastic bowls, but rather a metal drum filled with hot charcoal. Following the raclette principle, you order raw ingredients of your choice and cook them yourself. There are also plenty of homemade sauces. And of course, the view of Belém.