(Last updated: November 8, 2023)
I hate to say it, but one of my favourite restaurants in Macau might be losing it. A recent visit in September 2023 was so bad that I have to question whether Litoral is going the way of A Lorcha, as in overrated tourist trap living off what they did long ago.
As of now, I hope against hope that their Macanese dishes are still as good as they were before, otherwise the restaurant will be completely gone.
First of all, they brought all the dishes out at once, which I absolutely detest, especially when the bill is well over $1000 Mops. I didn’t come to one of the most beautiful and atmospheric restaurants in town to leave in an hour, and that’s especially true when there’s a bottle of wine on the table. Litoral has always been a special venue to me, and as such I expect courses to be come out observing proper timing and flow, which shouldn’t be too difficult for staff to detect. Hmm, they’re halfway through an appetizer so let’s slap down both mains is not something that should be happening – ever.
Secondly, the red wine was served cold, a fact I didn’t notice until it was way too late. I spent the whole of the meal hoping it would cool down, but it never really got down to room temperature. So take note of that before ordering and definitely tell them you want it how 85% of the sane world enjoys it.
However, worst of all, both of our mains were simply atrocious. The lamb I had in there a decade ago was so good that it melted my face off. Fast forward to 2023 and it was a travesty, a simple pathetic serving of dry shrivelled meat.
The Grilled Chicken was a little better, but not by much. Parts of the bird were a little cold, while the vast majority was as dry as the Saudi sand. Do you know that tourists eat when they don’t know any better?? Exactly, they eat THIS!
The appetizers were both very good though, perhaps leaving some hope that all is not lost at Litoral.
This awesome little shrimp soup prepared in soft bread was probably the highlight of the meal, while my mainland friend gushed over the codfish salad.
The codfish salad was one I enjoyed way back when as well, so I’m glad to see it’s still up to snuff.
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Here’s what I wrote years before, when the restaurant still clearly had it. Please note that most of the selections I enjoyed back then were Macanese favourites, and it’s possible they’re still as good today.
Litoral is a magnificent restaurant located near the Maritime Museum and the Inner Harbour.
For details of my dinner there, please follow the link to Trip Report I.
In subsequent visits, I’ve also tried their Garlic Shrimp ($98), Clams ($150), Curry Shrimp with Crab Meat ($168), and Pork with Shrimp Paste ($170).
As expected, they’re all top shelf.
