Sunday, 16 May 2010

Restaurant Andorra in Lisbon

If my geography is right, this Restaurante Andorra is located at RUA PORTAS DE SANTO ANTÃO 82 1 LISBOA, LISBOA, 1150, the street that runs up from Rossio Square parallel to Avda. Liberdade, and passes the Coliseu Theatre. It is a well known "ambush alley" for tourists with the "hustlers" trying to get unsuspecting punters into restaurants.

Unfortunately for the hustlers, when I occasionally am in Lisbon and need to go up that street, they incur my wrath....in Portuguese!!! :))) They don't like people who look like tourists but who canvgive them "what-for" in there own language.!!!

Apart from this two things, every restaurant and business in Portugal is required to have a complaints book. This is called a "livro da reclamação". All businesses are legally required to present it to you if so requested. The local is repsonsible for the monitoring of this system and while they may sometimes be slow to do so, they do. That is why restauranteurs will do all they can to avoid you filling it in. If they refuse, you are perfectly in your right to pay, get the receipt. and then go and find a local policeman for help you insist on completing the complaints book, (in the area in question, there are always a lot around and most speak some English. ) 

Finally, in the same area, a block away over on Avda. Liberdade is the Lisbon Tourist Police Station. They are specifically to assist tourists.

I am puzzled about how the bill arrived at € 105.00 for 2 people, even in a place like this. It sounds like a mighty rip-off. Even in those type of places, I woulf not expect to pay more than € 30.00 per head for a very good dinner and wine.