
The Príncipe Real neighborhood has a huge range of things to do, to visit and, of course, where to eat.
It’s for much more than just these 10 reasons that we pass through almost every week.
However, we had never come across this place, a pleasant and very beautiful green nook next to the Botanical Gardens, more precisely at number 32A Rua Monte Olivete , which is where Boubou’s restaurant is located, owned by Agnes Bourrat and Alexis Bourrat, sister-in-law and brother-in-law respectively of the chef who won this year’s French Top Chef, Louise Bourrat.
Boubou’s restaurant
Let’s start with Boubou’s restaurant and what you’ll find there. Don’t worry, we won’t tell you everything!
Outside, a small but friendly wooden terrace, with space for little more than four or five tables, hints that Boubou’s has been decorated with great attention to detail, with colorful flowers featuring prominently, especially at the entrance door.
As soon as you take your first step inside Boubou’s , you’re immediately surprised by a small bar full of good things, where you can have your first cocktails before the real fine dining experience begins.
Once you’ve had your aperitifs, you enter the first room, which is indoors and has a magnificent view of the entire kitchen.
Here, as well as the usual tables, you can also sit at the counter and get even closer to the chefs who, with incredible tranquillity, begin to prepare an experience that goes beyond the imaginable.
It was here that we stopped for a few moments, enjoying all the mise en place before the day’s service.
By the way, Boubou’s restaurant is only open from Tuesday to Saturday for dinner, between 7pm and 2am.
It’s in the second room, or should we call it the inner garden, that you’ll find the perfect hideaway for a meal that will leave you spellbound , with dishes full of creativity and flavor.
It was in this space, which was more open and spacious than all the others, that we most enjoyed being.
Full of plants everywhere, pictures, portraits and walls covered in decorative paper, it was in this interior garden that we tried some of the house specialties, such as the smoked eggplant with tamago egg, mango chutney and tahini, and the sweet potato, pomegranate, coconut and kaffir lime ceviche. Wow!!! Everything was so delicious!
The menu at Boubou’s
At Boubou’s restaurant you’ll find international cuisine, full of inspiration from the places where Chef Louise Bourrat has traveled.
Currently, you’ll find two types of menus: the Vegetarian Tasting Menu (€75) and the Degustation Menu (€85), two experiences that are worth every bite.
In the Vegetarian Tasting Menu you’ll have a 100% plant-based experience in six moments, made up of dishes full of creativity, flavor and sustainability, with local ingredients and a zero-waste ideology.
As for the second option, you’ll be able to try some of Chef Louise Bourrat’s signature dishes, through seasonal creations in a menu also made up of six moments, on a journey of flavors and memories.
You won’t find lobster or caviar on this menu, just humble ingredients elevated to a level you never imagined possible.
Chef Louise Bourrat
Chef Louise Bourrat was the winner of the French version of the cooking show Top Chef.
And this merit happened in 2022, so it’ s likely that you’ll taste some of her creations at Boubou’s restaurant.
With much of her career spent in France, in award-winning restaurants such as L’Hostellerie de l’Abbaye, Chef Louise Bourrat loves our country, and Boubou’s was opened even before her participation in Top Chef, in July 2018.
Because she loves our country and, of course, Lisbon, we chatted for a while in the interior garden, where she told us some of her secrets about the city:
Secret Lisbon: Favorite place to enjoy the evening in Lisbon
Louise Bourrat: It’s on the other side of the Tagus, at Cais do Ginjal
LS: What’s your favorite Portuguese food?
LB: Bacalhau à Brás, but only my grandmother’s.
LS: What are the best pastéis de nata in Lisbon?
LB: They’re at Padaria de São Roque, in Príncipe Real.
LS: What’s your favorite viewpoint?
LB: Nossa Senhora do Monte.
Tomorrow, on Lisboa Secreta’s social networks, we’ll be releasing the video of the entire conversation with the lovely Chef Louise Bourrat, whom we’d like to thank in advance for her availability.
Address: Rua do Monte Olivete 32A (Príncipe Real)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, from 19h to 02h