Until the public holiday on 5 October, the River Lounge restaurant, on the ground floor of Myriad by Sana in Parque das Nações, will be serving dinner featuring sushi, ceviche and Portuguese tapas from late afternoon onwards. Sundays are brunch days, with fish and meat grilled over charcoal.
At the five-star Myriad by Sana hotel, which stands alongside the country’s tallest building, the Vasco da Gama Tower, the promise of a panoramic view over the whole of Parque das Nações and the Tagus Bay means you simply must head up to the Babylon 360º bar. The biggest highlights, however, can be found at the foot of the tower, just a few metres above the Tagus, on the River Lounge Deck. On Saturday evenings, ‘Al Fresco’ takes place – a series of al fresco dinners under the stars, accompanied by a DJ and saxophonist; and Sundays are for ‘Sunday Brunch & Grill’, enlivened by vocals, guitar and percussion.
Both events have drawn guests to the hotel’s oval-shaped terrace, shaded by fabric sails and sheltered from the strongest breezes by tall glass panels. But above all, the aim was to offer two new summer experiences, both with the significant contribution of Bruno Caetano Oliveira, a 42-year-old head chef with over 20 years’ experience. In what marks his third return to the Sana group – having left Valverde Lisboa and previously worked at Epic Sana Luanda and the Sheraton Cascais, amongst others – Bruno arrives eager to make things happen, and to do so with quality.
The evening offering, between 6 pm and 10 pm, brings to life ‘dinners with a traveller’s spirit’. The focus is particularly on Mayumi’s fusion cuisine, centred around the sushi bar where two sushi chefs prepare dishes using fresh fish and expertly prepared cuts. Following a more traditional approach, the menu features nigiri, sashimi, hosomaki, uramaki, futomaki and usuzukuri made with salmon, sea bass or sea bream, served with ponzu sauce and roe, for example. The dishes remain refreshingly light with the spicy tuna tartare and salmon tartare with roe. Two ceviches – salmon and white fish – point the compass towards Peru.
“The idea isn’t just to dine for the sake of dining, which is why we also serve Portuguese tapas designed for sharing in the late afternoon,” explains André Calva, director of the River Lounge. Pica-pau, clams, prawns al ajillo, scrambled eggs and beef steak on a bun are just some of the options on offer. As for drinks, alongside the traditional options, three exclusive Al Fresco cocktails feature lychee, melon liqueur and yuzu. On Sundays, sushi remains among the cold brunch options, which chef Bruno Caetano creatively revamps each week.
Guests will find, immaculately displayed on a central island in the restaurant’s dining room, the usual selection of cheeses and charcuterie; mixed salads; oysters from the Ria Formosa, served plain or with passion fruit and chilli sauce; salmon and tuna tartares; and mini leek and vegetable quiches. Next to these are prawn fritters, chicken samosas and other traditional fried dishes; pizzas; and homemade ice creams and desserts.
The highlight of Myriad Sunday Brunch & Grill, the chef’s own initiative, is on the terrace. It is the grill station, “where guests can choose the meat or fish they want and specify how they’d like it cooked”, explains Bruno Oliveira. Here, too, the selection is extensive, ranging from premium meats – picanha, boneless chicken thigh, sausages, ribeye steak and rack of lamb – to grilled tiger prawns, monkfish and prawn skewers, and sea bass cooked over hot coals. There are various side dishes, as well as vegetarian options.
Al Fresco and Myriad Sunday Brunch & Grill Cais das Naus, Lote 02.21.01, Lisbon
Tel.: 212 468 688
Web: https://www.sanahotels.com/pt/hotel/myriad-by-sana/
Al Fresco dinners, Saturdays until 5 October, from 6 pm to 10 pm; average price, 50 euros per person, à la carte, excluding drinks.
Sunday Brunch & Grill, Sundays from 1 pm to 3 pm; price, 75 euros per person (plus 9/14 euros for wine/juices)