If you want a dinner accompanied by a really fun show where everyone can dance, look no further.
Whether you live in Lisbon or not, you’ve more than likely heard of Envy, the restaurant at Lust in Rio, which offers a stunning view of the Tagus River. With a cozy and sophisticated lounge area, filled with exotic plants and stunning lighting, it is the ideal place to socialize and relax, whilst sipping the best cocktails and wines to the sound of good music and enjoying the best sunset in the city – it has a privileged view of the Tietê River, but to really appreciate it, it needs to not be raining.
And being in the place it is, Envy is the restaurant they look for if they want a meal filled with entertainment, that is, with several music and dance shows throughout the night. It is, therefore, more than a gastronomic experience – there are emotions, there is music, there is art, everything to provide a unique experience for the customer.
These days, Envy has several new features. One of them is a completely renovated space, which stands out for its premium furniture and decoration in terracotta and nude tones. The other is the new summer menu, with lots of new features. There really are a lot of new dishes to try… and that’s exactly what the Echo Boomer team set out to do.
The new menu is an ode to seasonality, with salads and desserts that use exclusively seasonal fruits, within a dynamic menu to ensure that fresh ingredients are always the highlight. An action that reflects Envy’s commitment to sustainability and zero waste philosophy.
Sitting at Envy’s best table, right next to the bar and the space’s stage, we had a dinner that was, for all intents and purposes, a spectacle. With great humor, excellent food and super professional staff who were attentive to all our needs.
For example, Envy was, if I remember correctly, the ONLY one of all the restaurants we have tried – and there have been hundreds – that paid particular attention to the fact that one of our team members was lactose intolerant. In other words, those responsible were kind enough to bring us versions of their dishes without the ingredient of milk or dairy products – when that was possible. Congratulations to the kitchen, this attention to detail is truly to be commended.
If, last year, Envy had already renewed its menu, this year those responsible went even further, as there are many new dishes. Oh, and before we start, an interesting note: Envy’s manager, Flávio Sousa, makes a point of going to all customers armed with a suitcase containing the different cuts of aged meat. from Envy: Entrecôte, T-Bone, Cowboy Steak – all with 45/60 days of maturation -, Ribeye Steak Boi Galego and Australian flank steak – the latest additions to this chapter of the Envy menu. One thing is certain: we were immediately salivating…
But it all really starts with the Couvert, which translates into Bolo do Caco with garlic butter, Mafra bread, shrimp butter and cheese mousse with aromatic herbs. Right here, the gentle warning that, for those who are lactose intolerant, Mafra bread could be consumed without any problems. But for the rest of the team, this fantastic cover – magnificent Bolo do Caco which, topped with cheese mousse, disappeared from the table in an instant – was just the prelude to a magnificent dinner with lots of food.
Soon after, to make us happier, two XL sangrias, that is, 2L each: one with passion fruit and green apple, the other with melon and watermelon with sparkling wine – seems to be everyone’s favorite, even the staff themselves. And yes, even those who don’t like melon and watermelon will love it!
And to continue the meal, several things arrived on the table. To start, some Guilho Prawns, which complement the cover very well. They are fried in olive oil and butter and contain garlic and thyme, and are refreshed with white wine. Again, an option without butter also arrived on the table, due to the lactose, which was equally delicious.
Soon after, the Broken Eggs with Sausage, which were incredible. For starters, these aren’t your typical cracked eggs made up of straw potatoes – here they’re actually fried potato sticks. Then it’s a dish that also includes onion and sausage, and everything is wrapped in beaten eggs and cream. And yes, you guessed it: a cream-free version also arrived on the table, therefore suitable for lactose intolerants. Until you see it, everything is perfect!
Next came one of the new additions to the summer menu, the Tuna Tataki, that is, thin strips of tuna loin in a vinaigrette sauce and chopped mango. There are five slices of tuna and several cubes of apple.nga, so we give you some advice: don’t share. It’s such a good starter that you’ll want to repeat it if you only devour one or two slices…
There was also a starter that already existed on the menu, the Goat Cheese gratin with walnuts and honey. The cheese is French and comes wrapped in puff pastry, which is a classic option, but not to be missed.
But don’t worry, it’s not over yet. For starters, we were served another new product, in this case the Steak Tartare, with a toast base and which includes chopped veal loin with capers, pickles, mustard, red onion, Worcestershire sauce – also known as gravy English – and kewpie (mayonnaise), finished with cured egg yolk. It was the only option that it was not possible to make in a lactose-free version, due to the involvement of kewpie mayonnaise.
This Steak Tartare comes almost in the form of a snack, given its size, but even so, the amount of meat is generous. A delicious, very fresh starter, in which the quality of the raw material stands out.
And it was these wonders that served us as starters, and, on the menu, the Heart Cabbage Gratin (Grilled heart cabbage with créme fraîche, lime, grapefruit, onion and cloud of parmesan drizzled with fermented honey vinaigrette) and grilled Padron peppers served with fleur de sel and Tagareshi and Wasabi sauce.
As for the salads, the Burrata Salad (mixed lettuce served with fresh burrata from Naples, cherry tomatoes, red onion and croutons) remained the same, and there are now three more options: Fig Salad and Caramelized Melon (mixed lettuce served with fig, caramelized melon, cherry tomato, oxa onion and Parma ham, drizzled with fermented honey and spices), Caesar Salad (American lettuce with Caesar dressing , croutons, parmesan shavings and chicken or shrimp) and Tropical Tuna Salad (lettuce mix served with tuna, mango, watercress, celery, apple and croutons). This last one alone looks incredible for those really hot days.
We also tried two delicious risottos, already available from the previous menu, in this case the Risotto Al Funghi (Risotto with dried funghi and Shitaki mushrooms) and the Risotto Gambas Surf & Turf (with prawns, coconut milk, crispy ham and shrimp broth), both fabulous, as well as the Galician Octopus (Octopus cooked at low temperature with potatoes au gratina and sautéed greens ), which left nothing to be desired.
But the stars of the dinner were, in fact, the most recent additions to the Aged Beef chapter, in this case the Castrated Galician Beef Ribeye and the Australian grain feed flank steak, sliced in front of us. In the case of Ribeye, it is a meat very similar to Wagyu, very tasty and with many more nerves. With 35/45 days of maturation at a controlled temperature, it can be seen that it is a meat with a high level of infiltration, which adds more (good) fat to the meat, effectively making it a delicacy from God. It’s 400g of meat, but we’d venture to say that anyone with an appetite can manage those grams by playing around.
Then there is the grain-fed Australian flank steak. Despite appearing in the Aged Meat chapter, it is the only one that does not mention the number of days of maturation. However, it is considered a lean cut, so for those who are not big fans of a lot of fat in the meat – which usually gives more flavor to the protein itself – but, in this case, it is a juicy meat that cooks well. fast.
And speaking of speed, it’s worth scheduling the few minutes to wait at our table while we wait for all the options we’ve already described to you. This is particularly important because Envy was packed – from bachelorette parties, to large group dinners, to business events, it’s actually impressive how quickly we dine. This just shows that there is great management in the kitchen so that nothing goes wrong.
Before we get to the desserts, we should point out that they also have a section of unaged meats, with options such as Portuguese Steak (Sirloin steak fried in olive oil and garlic with Portuguese sauce, ham, pickles and potatoes fried in slices), Cheeks with Polenta (Pork cheeks braised at low temperature with Port wine and polenta) and Brazilian Picanha (South American picanha accompanied with beans black, rice, panko crumbs and fried cassava); Seabass fillet with garlic puree and vegetables (Fried and marinated sea bass fillet with garlic puree, baby carrots, bimmis and courgette) as new in the Pisces chapter; four options in the Pasta section, where the new one Lobster Nero stands out (Nero spaghetti and crustacean bisque with low-temperature lobster loin; and also a vegetarian dish, the Pad Thai (Sautéed noodles with carrots, green beans, mushrooms, leeks, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, tagarashi, tamarind paste and seaweed).
Now let’s move on to the desserts. And get ready, because out of the seven sweet options, five are new: Snickers (Paçoca and caramel cream with cornflakes), Tiramissú (Champagne cookie with cream of mascarpone and coffee), Citrus Ingot (Orange cream with pink grapefruit jelly and citrus ice cream), Ginja (Cherry mousse, ganache and chocolate ice cream) and < strong> Vegan Temptation (Chocolate brownie with peanuts and raspberry sorbet). The other two are La Feliz (Argentine Alfajor, a duo of chocolate cookies filled with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream) and In Rio (Passion fruit foam, mango syrup and green apple ice cream).
Our favorites? Without a doubt, Snickers and Vegan Temptation, if we weren’t peanut fans… In any case, we guarantee that you will be completely satisfied with any other option on the menu. In fact, the difficult part will be even choosing, meaning that, most likely, they will have to return to Envy soon.
At the end of it all, also know that, if you dine at the restaurant, you can directly access the nightclub, where the party continues, without having to queue outside. Because dinner is just a small part of the experience…
At the end of it all, the certainty that we will definitely return, if this hadn’t been one of the best dinners we’ve had in recent times. Delicious food, impeccable and fast service, and the company of the people we love most. What more can you ask for?
Reservations at Envy are recommended, especially as demand is high. You can book by calling 911522027, sending an email or save yours directly from < a class=”ek-link” href=”https://envy.pt/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>official site.
Article: https://echoboomer.pt/restaurante -envy-for-a-not-so-boring-dinner/