Old Lisbon Friendsgiving Dinner on Coral Way Since 1991

Old Lisbon, at 1698 SW 22nd Street on Coral Way, has served Portuguese food in Miami since 1991, and its menu is already arranged for sharing. The Parrilhada de Mariscos, a mixed seafood grill for two, is $99.99, and the seafood paella for two is $59.99, so a group of friends can order a few platters and pass them around. The restaurant's homepage also invites large reservations and private events with Portuguese fine dining and family-style dishes, which is the right format for a Friendsgiving dinner.

The restaurant's about page tells a story worth repeating at the table. Owner Carlos Silva was the very first customer at Old Lisbon, paying with a twenty-dollar bill, and he later bought the restaurant. The kitchen is led by executive chef Carlos Abreu, who grew up in the coastal town of Ericeira and cooked for nearly a decade at Faia, a fado house in Lisbon's Bairro Alto. That background shows in a menu built on salt cod, grilled seafood and Portuguese sausage.

The Coral Way location sits under the banyan trees that line the avenue, and it feels like a neighborhood dining room where families have celebrated for decades. The room fills with families and groups who come back for the seafood platters, and the staff are used to pushing tables together. Sagres and Super Bock are on the beer list, an easy round for a table that wants something lighter than wine.

Start with the Chouriço Assado, the flaming Portuguese sausage, at $15.99, which arrives lit at the table and is the best way to open a Friendsgiving. Bolinhos de Bacalhau, codfish croquettes with black-eyed peas, are $18.99, and Caldo Verde, the kale and potato soup, is $12.99 and works as a warm first course for anyone who wants something lighter. All three are made to share across a long table.

For mains, the Parrilhada de Mariscos for two at $99.99 is the showpiece, and the Paelha à Marinheira for two is $59.99, with lobster added for $20 more. Bacalhau à Lagareiro, the roasted salt cod with olive oil, is $45.99, the dish that most closely plays the role of a holiday centerpiece in a Portuguese home. Feijoada de Marisco, a seafood and bean stew, is $34.99.

Salt cod carries extra meaning at a holiday table. In Portugal, bacalhau is the traditional dish of the Christmas Eve supper, the Consoada, when families gather around one big platter. Ordering the Bacalhau à Lagareiro at a Friendsgiving borrows that tradition, and it gives the meal a story to tell. Pair it with the parrilhada for the friends who prefer shellfish, and the table covers both sides of the Portuguese coast in one order.

Finish with Pastéis de Nata at $12, the custard tarts that are the Portuguese answer to pumpkin pie. An honest call: skip ordering a paella and a parrilhada for every pair, since both are large; for a table of eight, two parrilhadas, one paella and a bacalhau cover everyone, with the croquettes and chouriço to start.

The events page says the restaurant's menu packages offer a large selection of Portuguese fine dining and family-style dishes, and the online reservation form goes up to 8 or more people. For a Friendsgiving of 10 or more, contact the events team at (786) 340-2129, the number listed on the official events page, and ask about a set family-style package so the kitchen can plan the platters in advance.

Plan B: if the group cannot meet in person, the restaurant's online shop sells holiday gift baskets, including a large frozen cod gift basket for $170.95, and Portuguese pantry items such as a 2-kilo case of bacalhau for $120. A host who wants to cook a Portuguese-style Friendsgiving at home can pick up salt cod and cheese from Old Lisbon and bring the restaurant's flavors to the table.

Old Lisbon on Coral Way is open Monday to Saturday from 12 pm to 11 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 10 pm, with a lunch menu from noon to 2 pm. The restaurant is not near Metrorail, so most guests drive, and Coral Way traffic is heaviest in the early evening. Plan on a shared ride for a group that wants to enjoy the wine.

The restaurant also runs a small Portuguese market shelf through its online shop, with items like a large Castelões cheese for $44.95. A host who brings a wedge of it to a pre-dinner gathering, or picks it up for the next day's leftovers, extends the Portuguese theme beyond the restaurant.

The late closing time is useful for a Friendsgiving. A table that sits down at 8 pm still has three hours before the kitchen closes, which suits friends who are coming from work or from across the county. It also means nobody has to rush through the chouriço, the platters or the last round of custard tarts.

Coral Way itself is the walk. The banyan trees that arch over SW 22nd Street form one of the city's signature streetscapes, and a short stroll along the avenue before dinner gives the group a shady, quiet start to the evening. In late November the temperature finally drops, and the walk is comfortable even before sunset.

Nearby, Shenandoah Park on SW 21st Avenue is a neighborhood park a few blocks away, a good place for the group to gather before heading in. After dinner, the quiet residential streets around the park make for a relaxed walk while the group waits for rides home.

Old Lisbon, 1698 SW 22nd Street, Miami, FL 33145, on Coral Way. Events line (786) 340-2129. Monday to Saturday 12 pm to 11 pm, Sunday 12 pm to 10 pm. Family-style and fine dining packages for large parties and private events. Parrilhada de Mariscos for two $99.99, Paelha à Marinheira for two $59.99, Bacalhau à Lagareiro $45.99, Pastéis de Nata $12.