Portuguese food in Dubai

Considering the number of Mediterranean restaurants in Dubai, there’s been a glaring gap in the scene for some time. Where, we’ve wondered, are the Portuguese venues? For some reason, no restaurants have crossed the border with Spain to offer us the delights of the other side of the peninsula – until now.

Yet now that the Portuguese have discovered Dubai, they’re quick on the uptake with two restaurants due to open in the space of a month. First up is Portugal Genuine Piri Piri restaurant, scheduled to launch at
the beginning of October in the Sea View Hotel in Bur Dubai. Following suit is Piri Piri, opening in November in the Four Points by Sheraton, also in Bur Dubai.

Two restaurants offering the same cuisine, scrambling to open within the same month mere streets away from each other, can mean only one thing – the hottest new food trend. We spoke to the men behind these openings to find out what the hype is about, and took a closer look at the traditional and creative dishes on the menu at Portugal restaurant.

Cabrito a padeiro (roasted lamb)
While the Portuguese are known for their seafood dishes, they are also a nation of meat eaters, and particularly proud of their grilled meat, known as churrasco. Lamb is especially popular in the northern, inland regions, and this lamb dish is a prime example of this style of cooking, simply roasted and dressed with herbs, grape and honey.