Around The World In Three Days (in Mexico City) 2

Restaurante Lvsitano is a cute and cozy, informal little place, with friendly staff. There's a general feeling of good cheer

We'd been reading a lot on various food blogs of LVSITANO (the "v" is pronounced as a "u".)

It's at near the west end of Calle Guanajuato, in Colonia Roma Norte, about half a block from Avenida Insurgentes (Mexico City's Amazon River of an avenue.)

Although I'd made a reservation, it was unnecessary as the restaurant was depopulated when we arrived at 4:00 on a Saturday. A couple of hours later, it was packed.

I'd only a fleeting acquaintance with Portuguese cuisine a few years ago, at the Sol Mar Restaurant in Tarrytown, NY, but that's more Brazilian than Peninsular Portuguese.

Once seated, we were brought a basket of very good, crusty bread, a dish of tangy green olives, and a little crock of o.k. tuna paté.

We ordered drinks: a cerveza, a limonada and a large Gin and Tonic for me.

Appetizers are prominently featured and we chose Sardinhas Fritas (good), a little chicken pot pie thing, and shrimp croquettes, small, and with too more dough than shrimp.

Sra. Cuevas wanted pulpos (octopus) for her main course, but they were out. I steered her to a Pork with Clams Alentejena dish. It was passable, but monotonous.

Jennifer had a big loin of cod "Narciso". I don't know what that entails. I must ask her. (Looks like a heap of onions atop a piece of cod.)

Bacalau "Narciso"

That's all, folks! One fig, cut in two.

This time, we skipped dessert, (expensive!!) and two of us had coffee.

I might go there again, but order differently. They were doing a very impressive Pescado a la Sal, ($600 pesos) and an appetizer which caught my eye: a fat chorizo, grilled over a pottery dish.

Ratings

Food: ***1/2

Service: ***  (There was a screwup at one point, when we were brought main courses which were obviously ones we hadn't ordered. We firmly rejected them and soon the correct ones arrived.)

Cost: $$$+

Ambience: Cozy and informal.

Hall to the baños

 Location and contacts.

Guanajuato 239 Local B Roma Norte (entre Insurgentes y Monterrey)

Tel: 55 6383 0464