Bar Estrela

Good environment, and the price/quality is fantastic. Good plates, and a good selection of Portuguese wines to offer.
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DanielVB - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, December 12, 2011

I have never had a problem with the food at Bar Estrela, i have tried the food in the other restaurants and they are not good quality.

From what i know the owner shops for seafood, fish and meat instead of ordering it, so that he gets fresh produce. I have noticed they have seafood available at decent prices. I think its real good quality. I once tried snails which were tasty and very unsual.

I have read the reviews from 'James', i think he had given a opinion from one visit too early. He really needs to visit the place more often.

Bar estrela is definately the busiest, i will not go to a restaurant that have nearly no customers.

So this is my opinion. Oh yeah the football atmophere is definately the best.
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Shanel Pearce
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, June 24, 2010

Some of these reviews are a bit bonkers on the high food scores.

This is simple stuff and not even great examples of its kind, eg sardines could have been cleaned better, calamari a bit rubbery, garlic prawns slightly overcooked and needing more garlic. I'm not damning the place, the food is fine, its cheap, and sagres is £1.70 a bottle. There's a great atmosphere and a sunny fun evening here with a few small plates costs £10-15 a head. Given that you get bread and olive oil with food you could really have a pleasant evening here and leave a tip for £12. Amazing value.

NB if you just drink and don't eat, there's a £5 cover, may as well order a plate of tapas which will probably be less!
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8 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Saw all the reviews and decided to give it a shot with my wife as I lived in Portugal for 10 years and love Portuguese food.

We arrived and got seated ok, although the waiter had none of the real warmth that I would have liked at a Portuguese restaurant.

I was very impressed that they stocked Monte Velho; IMHO one of the most wonderful Portuguese wines. We ordered a bottle, and our food; prawns in garlic and chicken on a skewer to start with, along with olives and bread, followed by a steak each with ham, cheese and egg. The bread was not authentic portuguese bread; but we let that one go. I was surprised at the prawns as they had been peeled and were in a thick garlic sauce rather than as you get them in Portugal; usually unpeeled, cooked in garlic, olive oil/butter, some parsley and a little piri piri. My wife's chicken on a skewer had been fried not grilled, and was dry, and the sweet peppers on it were burnt to a cinder.

Main course unfortunately was even worse. My steak was a mass of grissle, and had been overcooked. It was THE toughest steak I have ever had. Again it hadnt been grilled, it had been fried and it was like an old piece of leather. In Portugal I regularly eat steak, and a good Portuguese restaurant knows how to serve very tender steaks. The chips had been cooked in old oil it seemed as they weren't golden crispy brown, but pale.

I managed to pick at half my plate; while my wife left most of hers in disgust. We left no tip as we received NO service. Waiter didnt engage us at all to ask how we were even though I speak Portuguese and had tried to open some friendly dialogue. We saw another couple who didnt seem too impressed either. Interestingly none of the Portuguese we saw were eating food.

Was really gutted as based on reviews I thought this place would be fab. I will certainly never be going there again, but I will try other Portuguese restaurants and IF I find something genuinely authentic I will give a positive review.

I am not looking for perfection, but what we had was far from being good, authentic Portuguese food, and warm friendly Portuguese service.
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James
2 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

BAR ESTRELA is the only one with 5 STAR RESTAURANT at the door.

Is the best restaurant in the street, not only for Portuguese clients.

Have a fabulous environment, employees are excellent, the price is so good.

We even find that cheap and others in relation to other ones.
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Alex Dubois
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Sunday, February 15, 2009