Refined small plates and low-intervention wines
Hidden in the area next to Jardim to Estrela, Senhor Uva is the place to be for any wine and food lover. Stéphanie Audet and Marc Davidson, both Quebecois, serve here sublime, mostly plant-based (“botanical”) cuisine and well-selected set of natural wines. The menu is seasonal and is changing regularly depending on what local producers can offer. The interior is colourful and aerial with pretty plates complementing versatile and fresh food. As for the wines, all the recent trends are there – Portuguese wine, of course, but also Jura and Loire, orange wines from Georgia, Slovenia and Friuli, omnipresent pet-nats and grower Champagnes, rare pearls from Lebanon and even Australia. Marc Davidson, the wine director, has something for every client – even the traditionalists will find a bottle dear to their heart. Reservations are strongly recommended as Lisbon becomes a more and more international, trendy and vibrant city welcoming numerous wine enthusiasts.
©Stephanie Madeira – @svizra_dine
Vertdevin: Which dish in your restaurant is a must-try and should be tried by every customer?
Marc Davidson, wine director: I would say to start with the jackfruit ceviche that is an explosion of flavour and textures with its “leche de tigre” that gets the palate going or go for the mushroom dish with a miso corn porridge and Vietnamese cilantro that is super umami and wine friendly. But our menu is seasonally driven and changes frequently. So I guess people must come back over and over to try all the new dishes.
Which wine do you recommend to accompany this dish?
Marc Davidson: With the ceviche we like to pour a short macerated aromatic grape like Malvasia, Encruzado or dry Gewurztraminer. On the mushroom we go for a more evolved and savoury wine from the Dao or Cabernet Franc.
©Stephanie Madeira – @svizra_dine
Which wines are most appreciated by your customers?
Marc Davidson: With a wine list of over 400 references, it’s a tough question. The foreign guests want to discover Portuguese wines and the locals want to drink international wines. Same as the food menu, the wine list is always evolving and changing every week.
The most unexpected food and wine pairing you have ever served?
Marc Davidson: Roasted cauliflower with a vin Jaune from Domaine Labet.