It’s far from the city center, in a neighborhood that has only gained from an out-of-the-box offer. Alecrim aos Molhos is a cafeteria, a grocery store and an example of sustainability.
“Hello Mariana,” says one of the first customers of the day. Mariana responds by addressing each person by the name she already knows by heart.
Lunch is still being written on the blackboard and when asked what the options will be, the vegetarian one is still in doubt. “I think it’s going to be beet risotto, but I’m still waiting to see if enough beet has arrived,” she says, looking at the fresh produce in the grocery store.
At Alecrim aos Molhos, the restaurant and the grocery store live in symbiosis, with everything served at the customer’s table coming from what is sold so that they can recreate this plant-based, organic diet at home.
At the age of 18, Mariana moved to England where she studied hotel management. She felt that restaurants needed to be more organized and, while still in London, she put what she had studied into practice.
On one of her many trips between Portugal and England, she met João, with whom she has three children. Beatriz, their first child, was born when they were both still abroad and was the main motivation for returning home. On their return, Mariana and João knew they wanted to open their own space, replicating a little of what they were used to. “In London, every neighborhood, even those far from the center, has a good café and a good grocery store,” explains Mariana, recalling that in Lisbon circa 2018, the year they returned, this was not the case.
The desire to work with Portuguese people, and not so much with tourists, led them to open Alecrim in Quinta dos Barros, a neighborhood that is off the beaten track for this type of venue, but which serves the neighborhood, the Torres de Lisboa and the colleges in the area.
Every day, the menu is written in chalk on a board near the counter. Nothing here is permanent and everything lives on what comes in from the suppliers and what’s in stock at the grocery store.
The beets arrived on time and the risotto turned the vegetarian option pink. There is also always a fish or meat disH: the meat is organic and the fish comes from Sesimbra, certified as being sustainably fished. But even in versions with animal protein, the dish is always based on vegetables. “We serve a smaller portion of meat or fish than the Portuguese are used to, but we all have to eat less protein for our well-being,” Mariana recalls.
There are always cereals, cooked vegetables, salads and pickles, in an explosion of textures with every bite.
The hardest part comes with dessert. All are made without sugar or refined flours, the hard part is choosing between the many pies and cakes that fill the shop window. We opted for the caramelized almond cake, a best seller, and saved the (strong) desire for more for future visits.
As well as selling organic products, the grocery store has a bulk section with products ranging from pulses to detergents.
There are no bags for sale, but the space offers empty boxes so that customers can take their shopping home.
In the cafeteria, the use of one’s own container is encouraged and many already do so. Inside you’ll find the dishes of the day, but also tempeh, tofu and meat pies, as well as desserts, made to order by the slice or whole.
The ingredients used in the kitchen are from the grocery store, so there is practically no waste. “If we see that there’s something fresh that needs to be used, it’ll be an ingredient the next day,” recalls Mariana, who last week opted for an asparagus risotto after her father (and business partner) placed a larger order than expected.
When the fruit is too ripe to sell, it becomes an ingredient in the juice of the day — bananas, in particular, also go into the pancake recipe, which is only sweetened with fruit.
Although we talk a lot about lunches here, Alecrim is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Tuesday to Friday, closing at 5 p.m. on Saturdays), also for breakfasts and snacks, with pancakes, oatmeal, toast, eggs and yogurt and fruit.
Whatever time it is, take your time. Enjoy the flavors, take a look at the grocery store and talk to the shopkeepers that serve you. It’s likely that next time you’ll be called by name
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