From Across the Kitchen Table: Cervejaria Ramiro, Lisbon, Portugal

Upon arriving in Lisbon after a long and tiring flight, one of our main priorities was to find somewhere to eat. We decided to take a risk and go to Cervejaria Ramiro, which is arguably one of the best restaurants in the city. Naturally, its reputation comes with unbelievably long queues which can stretch up to two hours long.

Luckily for us, we managed to get in after waiting only twenty minutes. We were greeted by a friendly waiter who showed us to our table and handed us with our menu on an iPad. There was a wide variety of seafood, and as a seafood lover, I was overwhelmed by all the choices.

The first dishes to come were the garlic prawns and garlic clams, which both tasted wonderful with garlic bread. Then arrived the barnacles, which was a bit sweet despite their unappealing appearance. Things started to get messy as the scarlet prawns were brought to our table, followed by the spider crab with roe. We were forced to use our hands, and within minutes sauce and roe were splattered all over the table. Do not make the same mistake as me and bring a white shirt.

Overall Ramiro is a must-go restaurant if you are ever travelling to Lisbon. Its high-quality food and reputation ensure that it is loved by both locals and tourists alike.

Toasted buttered bread

This was one order but believe me, you'll end up ordering more.

Garlic Prawns in Olive Oil

Now this is something you don't get to see everyday. Do you know what these weird looking shelled creatures are called? These are gooseneck barnacles and are considered a rare and wonderful delicacy in Spain and Portugal. We had our first taste of barnacles here in Ramiro. They are far from appetising at first glance but the flesh is actually slightly sweet and the texture is like a combination of clams and lobsters. The best way to eat them is to boil them. How do you eat them? You simply twist off the claw and pull the inner flesh out of its shell. Easy peasy!