Restaurante/Café paparazzi

Open since the end of August, the restaurant has already made a name for itself – and it’s easy to see why. We entered through a completely overhauled space, very “clean”, with contemporary décor. Photographs are hung on the walls with some excellent images – most of them black and white.

As you walk in, behind the bar you can see the pizza chef at work beside the log-fired oven. The wonderfully seductive smell of cooking pizza fills the dining room – which is already practically full. We manage a tiny table for two, and almost straight away receive a menu.

At first glance, it seems small – but you then realise it has the very best that Italian cuisine has to offer. And when everything is made to order, with fresh, quality produce, it makes sense to run with a limited menu. Another happy surprise: reasonable prices!

Despite the throng of diners we didn’t have to wait long for our first choice – a ruccola salad with slithers of parmesan cheese (€5), very prettily presented with excellent dressing - and the accompanying “focaccia” with mozzarella cheese (€2.50) gave the tradition of garlic bread a whole new meaning!

We agreed to share a “pizza proscuitto e funghi” (€9), and the difference of the log-fire oven turns a good pizza into a really great one! Sneaking a look at choices at other tables, I know I’ll be returning to try some of the pastas here as well as the meat dishes. If you need a place to impress good company, this is it! Final word? Congratulations!

Specialities: cucina italiana; Hours: Open daily from midday to 2am; Bank cards: credit and Multibanco; Bill: €20.30 (for 2);