(Last updated: October 2, 2026)
Given that I literally live next door to Espaço Lisboa, I visited it quite a bit in 2024. As a result, I’m far more knowledgeable about the food now, particularly what to avoid.
One thing that seems 1,000% true in Macau is that restaurants are only as good as what you order. And believe me, when things go wrong at Espaço Lisboa, they don’t just go sideways. They curl, bend, twist and contort in appalling ways, like that grievous figure from Picasso’s Old Guitarist.
To wit, their African Chicken ($162) is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life. In fact, in no universe I’m aware of could it actually be called African Chicken, since they do it in their own foul, misinformed fashion.
It’s just this crusty, shrivelled round mound of fowl that I literally could not finish. Zero stars, in this case, feels like too many, as it probably deserves -2.
The Pork with Clams ($178) is another abomination, a dish so poorly put together that I question everything about its existence.
The huge indiscriminate chunks of pork needed to be half the size at least, then prepped in a way that they didn’t make them taste a week old. Extremely dry, they had no synergy with the clams and pretty much ruined everything. Beyond the sauce being pretty tasty, good for dipping in bread, everything else about the execution was a total fail, worthy of 0 stars.
In order to salvage the dish somewhat, I paired it with two bowls of rice, not knowing that extra rice costs a whopping $40 at Espaco Lisboa. No, that is not a misprint. It’s usually no more than $10 in other joints, so don’t make the same mistake I did.
The Macau Sole is another rough choice, and particularly frustrating to boot, given it’s one of the safest, most consistent fish dishes in town. Quite straightforward to make, it should be fresh, light and super tasty, the polar opposite of Macau’s heavy oily bacalhau that will put you to sleep after three bites.
For some reason, Espaço Lisboa puts a fried banana on top, which adds nothing to the fish and should be removed immediately. The fish itself was overcooked, overly charred and greasy enough to resemble fast food. 1 star
The Barbecued Pork Ribs ($188) don’t deserve quite the same condemnation, but they’re another dish I’d happily skip. After eating the ribs at Fernando’s, it’s hard not to compare, and these simply weren’t in the same league.
There wasn’t much of the smoky barbecue char you’d expect, while the meat itself was chewy and stubbornly clung to the bone. They felt more like ribs that had been hanging around than ones that had just come off the grill. It’s also the very last main course listed on the menu, and after eating it, I couldn’t help wondering if there’s a reason for that. 2.5 stars
The last two mains to disappoint, but only slightly so, are the Fish Stew ($208) and Prawn Curry ($155).
The Fish Stew ($208) was a respectable 3.5-star dish, although it needed rice rather than potatoes. The tomato sauce was good and everything worked reasonably well together, but there wasn’t much fish and the potatoes did very little for it.
(Update: ask for rice with this dish, and it easily becomes 4.5 stars! But… it… needs… rice…)
The Prawn Curry ($155) is another decent selection, one that would probably function better as an appetizer than a main.
Sufficiently spicy and served with rice, the prawns were super fresh and prepped well, just not very filling. A good way to start a meal, it’s probably not the way you want one to end. 3 stars
Now that we’ve gotten the low lights out of the way, it’s time to show why Espaco Lisboa still carries that shiny 4.5 star rating. The first reason is because of the superstar wait staff, who are just as much a reason to visit the restaurant as the food itself. A big Maven of Macau shout out to Evelyn, Jo, and Marian, three fun Filipino ladies who are masters of their craft and saints of service, always making everyone feel so welcome and at home there.
Counselling and consoling me over many a long night, they’ve been privy to all the trials and tribulations of my turbulent life: the stresses of waiting for blue cards, of cutting blue cards, of lost cats, lousy bosses, and loathsome students, of blackmail and bullying, of tuberculosis tests and sepsis screenings, all the while keeping the bread coming and the Bordeaux glass full. It also doesn’t hurt that when I order half a litre of wine, it’s actually a litre, and when I say a litre, it really means a litre and a half, as they pimp that pour and make it last a lot longer that it should. Having been banished from Macau temporarily yet again, I must say I am missing them deeply now.
The second reason Espaco Lisboa retains 4.5 stars is because their best dishes simply merit that ranking. Their daily specials can be quite fantastic, not to mention tremendous values, often costing just $98. Available at lunch, and served with soup and coffee, the Feijoada, Sea Bream and Fish Fillet are all outstanding selections, with the Feijoada enough to feed two people.
Appearances can be deceiving in pictures but that is not a small bowl, and it’s pretty outrageous (or sickening) that I can finish all of that myself, along with the side of rice that comes with it, then still want more bread afterwards.
The Sea Bream is not as good as what you get at Fernando, but then again, nothing is. As a daily special, it is exactly that – special. Light, clean, and tasty: sometimes that’s all a fish needs to be. Whenever it’s available, you’ll probably be find me sitting inside.
The Fish Fillet packs quite the punch as well, and is so much better than the Macau Sole already mentioned above. With two generous pieces, it’s surprisingly filling in its own right, topped off by tasty tomato rice and small salad.
The last daily special worth hunting down is the Octopus Rice ($190). I really can’t tell it apart from their normal Seafood Rice, which I waxed ecstatic about in the original review, but won’t anymore, since it costs too much now ($360).
Prepped in the same way, with the same soupy tomato broth, it’s an excellent example of one of Portugal’s most celebrated dishes. Any type of seafood rice in Macau is usually pushing $300, so snap up this amazing value while you can.
The new Roasted Duck Loin ($128) debuted in January 2026, although our portions appeared to come from two completely different birds. I got stuck with a chewy, awkward thigh, while my wife landed a far juicier wing. If they let you choose, take the wing and leave the thigh for somebody you dislike.
The Meat Skewer is not something I’d usually order, but for $98, I take the value and run. Besides that, it goes very well with their house wine, which only costs $60 (500 ml) or $95 (1 litre). Trusted sources tell me it comes from a box, and that it can be bought in a supermarket around town, so don’t expect too much. If you want something better than barely adequate, order one of their bottles instead.
Shifting down quite a bit in quality, Espaco Lisboa serves both Chicken Stroganoff and Beef Stroganoff with the beef a far better option than the chicken.
That beautiful thick creamy sauce they get from the beef just works so much better with the rice than the sauce that’s generated from the chicken, which tasted dry and a day old.
The same issues plagued the Chicken Breast as well, two dishes I’d recommend everyone skip altogether.
Shifting to their a la carte menu, Espaco Lisboa has four superstar dishes that approach must order status, beginning with the Barbecue Chicken for $155. A firm favourite among regular clientele for good reason, it’s a moist tasty bird, done pretty much to perfection. My only reservation is that you might want to be more adventurous with your dining selections while in Macau, instead of choosing something you can probably have anytime at home.
The Salmon Fillet ($178) comes buried beneath a thick creamy sauce that works ridiculously well. Even the vegetables arrive stuffed inside a large green pepper, which is creative as hell if nothing else. Choose rice over potatoes and thank me later.
Another creamy fish dish that just works is Espaco Lisboa’s Bacalhau Com Notas ($171), made of shredded codfish, potatoes, breadcrumbs and topped off with parmesan cheese. In contrast to a lot of bacalhau in Macau that’s smothered in oil, this serving is prepped in a much lighter cream that’s soft, rich and just stupendous with rice. If you’re like me and often find cod difficult to get through after two or three bites, just give this one a try and you’ll be over the moon.
Perhaps saving the best for last, allow me to present my personal favourite, the masterful Duck Rice ($162), a dish I order time and again at Espaco Lisboa.
As you can see, it’s usually served with an egg on top, which can be removed if you ask them to. While not the best Duck Rice in town, as that honour belongs to Vic’s Restaurant over at Fisherman’s Wharf, Espaco Lisboa’s version is still sensational, with every bite bringing succulent duck and slightly moist rice together in a sweet stirring sweeping symphony of love. A must order, especially if you’re in a group, it’s quite likely the best thing they do.
Three appetizers also hit the mark, and I’ve yet to have a starter at Espaco Lisboa that disappoints. While the clams and prawns described below are better, they also do nice Octopus Salad ($145), Codfish Cakes ($99), and Roasted Sausage ($88).
Of those three, the Octopus Salad is my favourite. Only the clams and prawns from my original 2014 visit below rank higher.
***
Espaço Lisboa is a wonderful find in Coloane Village, a charming little restaurant tucked away down a side street close to the big traffic circle and A.R Eanes Square.
Set inside a restored two-story home, the environment inside is very warm and inviting and they even have outside seating upstairs on the second floor by way of a small balcony.
The service staff is exclusively Filipino and were in a bit of a bind the first afternoon I visited back in 2014. You see, Manny Pacquiao was fighting at the Venetian that day and they had to walk the tightrope between working and following the action live over the radio near the bar.
I can’t say their service didn’t suffer because of it, but I definitely appreciated the updates I got between rounds, as Manny pummelled some American who had no business being in the same ring with him.
Suffice to say, that put the staff in unusually high spirits that day, and I was feeling pretty good myself, no doubt aided by the decent red we had flowing for $200 called Monte Da Pata.
My friend and I paired that with some pretty standard Portuguese dishes: Clams with Garlic ($118), Prawns with Garlic ($118), Seafood Soup ($65), Lobster Bisque Soup ($104), Grilled Lamb Chops ($167) and Grilled Sea Bass ($181). For dessert, we gave the sweet tooth some love with Serradura ($53) and Ice Cream with Cherry ($116).
Most of what we ordered was seafood and it was all masterful, in particular the clams, prawns and two soups.
The Grilled Sea Bass was a more controversial selection – I loved it, while my friend didn’t care of the lemon butter sauce that came with it.
Besides the seafood though, everything else was disappointing. The Grilled Lamb Chops were far too chewy and the fact that they were barbecued gave it a weird kind of taste, one I’d rather not experience again.
Both desserts were forgettable as well, in particular the Serradura, which tasted clumpy and dry.
In the end though, the seafood at Espaco Lisboa is just too good to pass up. That’s why the restaurant gets 4.5 stars overall and what you should be ordering when you go there.
I’m also a big fan of their seafood rice, which is a perfect dish for those dining in pairs. (Far too pricey nowadays in 2024, running $380, try and get their daily special octopus rice instead, which costs half.)
One of Coloane Village’s very best restaurants, I’ll certainly be returning to Espaço Lisboa often in the future.
***Update***
A slew of daily specials that to finish up with, starting with the only two I’d order again.
The sauce is the real draw here: rich, savoury, and deeply moreish, with genuine depth and balance. Add rice and ignore the rest of the menu. A must order.
The best minchi is basic, and Espaco Lisboa keeps it that way. Whenever it shows up as a daily special (which isn’t often), I definitely visit.
The rest of them, unfortunately, are easy avoids. They sound great on paper, but fall flat once they arrive. The issue isn’t so much the cooking as the ingredients. There’s a sense that the sauces are doing the heavy lifting, out of necessity rather than design. If Espaço Lisboa sourced higher-quality meat, they’d all taste a lot better. Let the descriptors fool someone else.
Nothing that follows below is anything I’d recommend.
The last special is only available on Sundays, their prized Portuguese Stew for $228. It’s clearly something the restaurant is proud of, for reasons I don’t understand.
It’s essentially a tray of boiled components – various meats, sausages, vegetables – piled together with no real sauce, no cohesion, and no payoff. It eats like a checklist of ingredients rather than an integrated dish.
Spend your Sunday evenings elsewhere!
