One of the most famous and popular seafood restaurants in the Portuguese coastal town of Cascais has opened a second venue in Lisbon.
The Monte Mar Restaurant, in Cascais, has attracted many celebrities down the years, while regular clients drive the 20-plus miles from the capital city to Cascais to enjoy the delicious seafood, for which the establishment is renowned, and the views across the Atlantic from the outdoor terrace.
Visitors have included US President Bill Clinton, the former mayor of New York City Rudolph Giuliani, Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil, Florentino Pérez, the president of Real Madrid, José Manuel Durão Barroso, the former president of the European Commission, and rock stars Linkin Park and Bryan Adams.
And Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, was filmed in the restaurant for the film Ronaldo.
And now, after more than 30 years in Cascais, the family-owned ‘brand’ has branched out with a second restaurant: this one overlooking the Tagus River, with views of the city’s stunning suspension bridge, 25 de Abril Bridge, and the Cristo Rei (Christ the King) statue.
“It has taken us 30 years but we have finally got to Lisbon,” laughed João Pinto Coelho, of the family-run Onyria group, which owns the restaurant.
“One of the reasons we have not opened in the city before was because we could not find the right location. Part of the allure of Monte Mar Cascais is the views from the terrace and we wanted to be offer equally memorable views here. Now, we have found that location.
“And, while this restaurant is slightly different in style to that in Cascais – we like to think of this as ‘urban-chic’ – clients here will still be able to enjoy the same quality of cuisine, with the seafood being caught by the same local fishermen in Cascais.
“We hope that many of our clients who travel regularly for lunch or dinner from Lisbon to Cascais, will now visit us here. Plus, this second restaurant will be able to host events and gala dinners for up to 400 people.”
The Monte Mar Lisboa is located in the Cais do Sodre area, just half-a-kilometre from the train station.