“The” bar
Signature mix
Bistro 100 Maneiras’ bar isn’t just a beautiful wooden counter – even if this counter has an Art Déco cut… It’s a piece made of people, a lot of people who have mixed and emulsified with the house, with that bar, over these years. First, Dave Palethorpe. Then, Jorge Camilo, Daniel Zamith, Miguel Pereira, João Sancheira…
Over the years, this Bar has won several important mixology awards: the Coaster 2017 for Best Bar in a Restaurant in Portugal and the same title, in 2019 and 2022, at Lisbon Bar Show Awards. In 2014, the prestigious Monocle magazine named it the perfect place to have a drink at the end of a day in Lisbon and we couldn’t be more proud.
The recipe for success is simple and doesn’t involve just spirits, juices, bitters, gummies and broths. It is made of flesh and bone, blood, sweat and laughter (and ok, a few tears too).
Liquid food
Drinks to be eaten
In the months leading up to the opening of the restaurant, in September 2010, it was the British Dave Palethorpe, from Cinco Lounge bar, who created the first cocktail menu and formed the team who would be in charge of the counter in the number 9 of Largo da Trindade. But, quickly, our bar, this bar, freed itself from the “father” and, in its cry for independence, became a staple of the restaurant and one of the reasons Monocle chose Bistro 100 Maneiras for world number one at Monocle Restaurant Awards 2017 (and third in 2018!).
Much more than a simple extension of the restaurant, it is a space with its own prizes, recognized by the original creations that come from some of the heads that made (and make) it grow.
BAR
The identity of the cocktails made in Bistro 100 Maneiras has stood out so much over the years that we felt the need to leave the counter and make the recipes visible to everyone.
In November 2015, we created the first great Portuguese cocktail book, 100 Cocktails 100 Maneiras, published by A Esfera dos Livros. 100 recipes created from scratch, most of them born in the moment, from the products found in some of the places where the team traveled. Travels in our land, in search of the best national ingredients to create cocktails with a Portuguese soul.
In the book, the philosophy of Bistro’s bar became even more clear. Inside the glass, a gastronomic approach is made to classic mixology. Which means: many of the ingredients used in cocktails come from the kitchen. This blend-of-mixing-way has spawned creations that have become classics, such as 100 Maneiras Strong (with lemon, ginger and lemongrass in its composition) and 100 Maneiras Smooth & Easy (with coriander and pineapple), but also Red Hot Guava (with guava, chili and ginger), Hulk (basil and pepper) or Damn That’s Good (raspberries and peppermint), the undisputed bestseller. These are hallmarks of the cocktails by 100 Maneiras and a working base for virtually all Bistro’s creations. It is food in a liquid state. A world in colors, sometimes sweet, other times more acidic, but almost never bitter.
In 2018, this counter of historic curves and countercurves was remodeled by the artist – and friend – Filipe Pinto Soares, with the support of Schweppes. To the Art-Déco aesthetic of this piece, we added technical areas designed by the bar team, to make the creation process faster and more practical.
In the beginning of 2022, after 5 months of renovation works and changes in Bistro’s menus, a new cocktail list emerged, with blends that reflect the essence of Bistro using natural ingredients, with the imaginary of Alice in Wonderland serving as the motto for the journey and Tiago Maya’s illustrations guiding every step of the way. The cocktails are the main characters of this parallel universe in liquid form, such as Sage Pumpkin, with Monkey Shoulder, sage, pumpkin, passion fruit and spices, or Queen of Hearts, with Hendrick’s Orbium, Noilly Prat, Martini Ambrati, cider vinegar, raspberry and watermelon. These creations join a handful of signature cocktails that are already part of Bistro’s identity – such as Red Hot Guava, Hulk or Damn!!!! That’s Good – and some unmissable classic cocktails.
Every year, every season, we write another chapter in a story that has been told for more than a decade. This story is set amidst bottles, glasses and spoons, between long days and endless nights. A story that literally gave rise to a book and, every day, makes us record movies in our minds – action, comedy, romance, drama and even horror films. Here, reality always surpasses fiction.