The restaurant was a recommendation from a native Lisboeta, a friend from home who reassured me it is “without doubt, the best chicken you’ll ever eat.”
The reviews online agree yet also consistently knock the service. Herein lies the conundrum, how bad could it really be? Hungry and uninhibited (Margaritas anyone?) my girlfriend Alex and I accepted the challenge.
Located on a quiet residential street where aged, tile-faced blocks mirror each other down a narrow road, Frangasqueira Nacional is tucked away amongst the shadows. The only indication of its location; a snaking line of pilgrims clogging the doorway.
Outside, the smell is all-consuming. An earthy, charcoal aroma tinged with a back of the throat, saliva-inducing sweetness. Charred timber mixed with cooking meat.