Cerveja Canil
Vive la craft beer révolution!
- Marquês de Pombal (Linha Amarela/Azul)
- €€
- R. de Santa Marta 35, 1150-295
For a city built on the cafe and quiosque culture of sipping on a little imperial (20cl of Super Bock or Sagres lager), the presence of a craft beer house, serving 12% ales at €5 a pint or more seems extreme. But as the quote from Fields of Dreams does not go, 'If you build it, they will come' - and the swathes of Americans and Europeans visiting Lisbon each year are more than happy to drink when it is almost half the price of an IPA in London*.
Which is what brought us to Cerveja Canil just behind Avenida de Liberdade in the centre of town. Just like your favourite craft brewery and bar anywhere in the world, Cerveja Canil serves up more than 30 different beers, and a menu of classic bar bites and burgers to soak it all up.
Settled in with a couple of red ales, we naturally fell for the plate of BBQ wings, accompanied with a compelling citrusy sour cream and the ever wonderful cornichons. At this stage, it's worth saying the menu of appetisers alone could keep a table busy as you work your way through the beer menu.
Finally the main events arrived: for one a classic cheeseburger, stacked high with a grilled patty, slathered in cheese and the salad garnish. For the other, the premium picanha burger, juicy AF ground steak topped with a halloumi style cheese - both nestled into soft, buttery brioche buns.
Cerveja Canil isn't doing anything new, but these establishments are few and far between in a city so wedded to its homegrown lagers. The result is a wonderful place to pass the hours trying a vast array of drinks and celebrate them with the everlasting classic, burger and chips (or fries, if that's what you call them).
Don’t forget to order: Picanha burger paired very well with the red ale.
*The authors were told someone bought 4 drinks for £38 in London this weekend in a pub we used to call a local. This made the authors sad with laughter.