Leitao: A Portuguese Gem You’ll Keep Coming Back To

Pau
Apr 21
1 min read

Leitao is one of those places we keep going back to again and again for a girl's night out. In full transparency, I had never really explored Portuguese cuisine before coming here and I always get a little nervous trying new spots. Shoutout to my friend Ximena for putting this on my radar during one of our first girls’ nights after I moved to NYC.

The dish I constantly crave is their iconic bife à cervejeiro, a sirloin steak with mushroom and pepper sauce. We literally fight over the last piece, every time. Their salads are also always so fresh, we’ve tried the roasted beet and the peach with burrata (my favorite, but sadly seasonal).

We’ve also ordered the cod & potato croquettes, spinach with fava bean purée, and the clams which have always been consistently great. And I’ll admit it: there are two things I will always order if they’re on the menu: pain au chocolat and french fries. So yes, every time we go, I get the fries (they are SO good). If you’re a fellow french fry lover, you need to add this side to your order.

Pro tip: Order dishes to share AND save room for dessert. The pastéis de nata alone will make you dream of planning a trip to Portugal.