Establishment in Praça do Comércio has just received certification from the APC (Portuguese Association of Celiacs) and has a menu completely suitable for celiacs, including starters, burgers, breads, sauces, desserts and even gluten-free beers.
Celiacs and gluten-free dieters already have a gourmet burger restaurant where they can feel at home! Café do Rio is the first gourmet burger restaurant certified as 100% gluten-free in Portugal. The house was the first in its segment to receive certification from APC – Portuguese Celiac Association.
On its social networks, APC highlights that Café do Rio “has been a reference since 2008 in artisanal burger cuisine in Lisbon. The partners were visionary in creating burgers served exclusively without bread, an option that won over customers due to their incredible flavour. They also stand out for their unique fusion of traditional Portuguese cuisine with high-quality ingredients. But not only. Its value has been recognized for several years through Certificates of Excellence achieved on TripAdvisor”, informs the APC post on its Instagram page.
”We are pioneers again and I hope that we are, once again, launching good fashion. May houses like ours begin to open their doors not only here in Portugal, but everywhere”, says Andrea Zamorano, partner at the place alongside her husband, Rui Domingos.
When he talks about pioneering, Zamorano refers to the fact that Café do Rio was the first establishment to use the name “hamburgueria”, when they opened in 2008 – only later did similar establishments appear on the Lisbon scene. They also opened their doors in downtown Lisbon long before tourism was a consolidated reality there.
“Our speciality is gluten-free cuisine with lots of flavors! We use 100% Alentejo meat, from local breeders, and we make all our products in-house, including breads and sauces, to ensure that there is no presence of gluten and, thus, eliminate any risk of cross-contamination. The sauces are even available for sale and customers – celiac or not – love them. The fame of our inclusive cuisine has spread and it is very common for us to receive tourists from all over”, says Rui Domingos.
The restaurant, however, is not just for celiac patients: on the menu there are several lactose-free, vegetarian, vegan and low-carb options. “We were also the first to offer gourmet vegan and vegetarian burgers, and today we even see our original recipes reproduced in other restaurants – which fills us with pride”, says Andrea.
On the menu, the Portuguese Farta-brutos (mustard sauce, cheese, ham, bacon, ham, sautéed mushrooms, cucumber pickle, tomato, lettuce, fried onion and fried egg, €18), Mirandelês (meat mixed with Mirandela game sausage, old mustard sauce, bacon, tomato, lettuce, fried onion and fried egg, €15) – both are the most popular in the house; the very spicy Diablo (which has Chipotles Morita sauce, bacon, padrón peppers, corn nachos, tomatoes, lettuce and fried onions, €16); the pretentious Siciliano (meat mixed with fresh mozzarella and basil, feta cheese and basil sauce, a slice of mozzarella, tomato, onion and arugula, €15) and Gorgonzola (gorgonzola cheese sauce, bacon, goat cheese, tomato, lettuce and fried onion, €15); the vegetarian Grain and Feta Cheese (grain and feta cheese burger, feta cheese and basil sauce, tomato, onion and arugula, €14) and the vegan Beans and Mushrooms (white bean and portobello mushroom burger, homemade guacamole, tomato, lettuce and onion, €14). All come accompanied by homemade fries, basmati rice or salad. Café do Rio’s menu also includes drinks such as natural juices, smoothies, traditional cocktails, beers, wines, whiskeys, gins, coffees and teas. The dessert menu includes ice creams, mousses, cheesecakes, brownies and fresh fruit.
Andrea Zamorano maintains, in parallel, a career in the area of culture as a curator and writer, with works published in Portugal and Brazil. She has a monthly column in Revista Blimunda, from the José Saramago Foundation, and contributes to different publications. She is also a member of Samambaia Bar, in Graça. As a result, it is common to find personalities from the cultural scene frequenting the place.
The restaurant is located in Praça do Comércio (more precisely at Rua da Alfândega, 114), an easily accessible address and very close to the Terreiro do Paço metro station and other public transport.
CAFÉ DO RIO – HAMBURGUERIA GOURMET
- Rua da Alfândega, 114, 1100-016 Lisboa
- daily, for lunch, from 12pm to 3pm, and for dinner, from 7pm to 11pm
- reservas@cafedorio.pt or +351 218 868 050
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