60-Minute Feasts: Albergue 1601 Portuguese Restaurant Lunch Review

Restaurant snapshot: Albergue 1601 is your snapshot of a former Macau, a Portuguese restaurant pickled in history with the aura of little Lisbon. Manned by Executive Chef Pedro Almeida, this eatery celebrates traditional Portuguese fare in the former colonial locale.

Vibe and venue: Nestled in St. Lazarus Quarter, the building that houses Albergue 1601 once hosted a refugee centre for those escaping world wars, creating a community on the cobbled roads of Macau. You breathe the history when stepping into this historic landmark. 

Value for time & money: Ordering a la carte between two people during lunch promises large portions, for prices around MOP150 to MOP250 on average for meaty mains. Ingredients are true to the cuisine, imported from Portugal, and demand a pricier meal for better quality.

Menu highlights: As noted by many, Albergue shines on its true traditional dishes, such as the arroz de marisco, a seafood rice stew, bacalhau a bras, salt cod with scrambled eggs, braised Iberico pork cheek, baked duck rice, and baby sardines.

What we tasted: Between the two of us, we ordered Caldo Verde (MOP68), green potato soup, Frango de Churraco (MOP178), Piri Piri style chicken, Vegetais Salteados (MOP98), sauteed garden vegetables in garlic, and Linguda de Vaca (MOP268), braised ox tongue.

Hits & misses: A hit for us in the lunch meal was the ox tongue, served in a rich, tomatoey sauce and punching with umami notes. It’s what beef should taste like. A small miss in our meal was the soup. More “green” was needed to balance the dull potato flavour.

The midday must-have: The Linguda de Vaca is a rich, salty, and glutinous dish that may bring you into nap territory, but it packs a punch for great umami flavours. No wonder it is a recomennded dish by servers at Albergue 1601.

Final verdict: Albergue 1601 stands out in Macau’s list of great Portuguese restaurants, namely for its historic appreciation of the dishes shared in the city for more than four centuries. Rich umami is present throughout, leaving you full of hearty bites.

Location: Albergue 1601, 8 Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro, Macau

Contact details: +852 9383 1601 (WhatsApp only)