The Food Temple

I came by on a wednesday night around 8pm and it was pretty packed. Luckily I had called ahead and go reserved for 2 spots in the shared table.
I ordered a soup which was good. Then the 3 tapas came which were incredible (1st: Black rice over a semi sweet coconut cream sauce with mangos on top, 2nd:Mushrooms with green and crunchy quinoa on top, 3rd: Pea puree with sundried tomato and leeks on top.
Main course which probably wasn't necessary. Was good but not as special as the tapas. It was white rice with a black bean, pumpkin and soy chunks.
The tapas were very well blended and innovative. WE ordered 3 desserts and it all came out to $50 euros.
I would suggest calling them when they open at 7:30 to reserve your spot.

First, I have to start by saying that my experience at the food the Food Temple was unbelievable. My meal was well prepared/presented, fresh and inspired with the finest ingredients.

Second, the experience is unique. I have never dined in such an intimate space and been so close to the kitchen.
The staff was friendly and professional and intimate. The experience went beyond food and was something much more.

Third, after re-reading the reviews I began to wonder if it was perhaps time for the Food Temple to consider a larger more central space?

Fourth, I found the Food Temple really got me thinking about who would enjoy it and who would not.
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The only considerations I would like to add-

If you are on a tight budget and you are looking for large portions, this may not be your place.

Not easy to find. Extra preparation is needed.

Reservation Recommended.

Food was so good, could not get enough of it. The staff felt like family and were very fun to talk to. I'm amazed we found the place as it was hidden in a court yard connected by ally's and small roads. Glad we took the time to come here!

So many vegan restaurants in Lisbon now and I'm still returning here every time I go out to have dinner :)
Beautiful location, cozy restaurant, friendly staff and great variety and tasty food!
My non vegan friends love to come here and enjoy this kind of food so much, some are considering the option of becoming vegans too or at least eat less animal products :)
Keep up the good work! Can't wait to come back!

totaly nice service, great food, reasonable prices, very cute place! would love to take it home with me!

Best in town and a must go for everyone (meat eaters or vegetarians)

I came across The Food Temple by chance, bout ten minutes before de opening time. I decided to wait and grab something to eat, and it was a great experience. There were already some people waiting outside the door when I got there, and the place was packed minutes after it opened. So you should really get a reservation. The restaurant is really small and some tables are actually right beside yours (which is very common in Lisbon), it feels like walking into someone's living room to have dinner. The food was really fresh and the menu changes daily. Everything tasted great, but the gnocchi was something to die for. Absolutely amazing. Also, the staff was supper friendly.

Such a great experience!

it was not that easy to get some dinner in the food temple, because it was so crowded every day!!!
Finally we got a reservation and enjoyed, just as we were recommended, the menu consisting of soup, different tapas and one main dish for two.
Everything tasted very, very good. The dishes are traditionally portugese inspired but of course in a vegan version.

I brought my whole (non-vegan) family and everyone loved the food. So many nice people and the atmosphere is the friendliest I have ever experienced. I cannot wait to be back in Lisboa to see what is on the menu next time!

The food is neither amazing nor bland. The staff is incredible and the last time i went ther an italian couple was singing! Loved the environment!

I highly recommend this restaurant!

The food was all delicious and interesting! Also i was glad it was not a buffet! (which a lot of the veggie friendly restaurants in Lisbon seem to be) It was small plates so i got a soup, tapas and and entree and a dessert. Everything was delicious, but especially the cranberry cake!

The location was small and laidback, but nonetheless quite lovely with a small plaza with stone steps outside.

The staff was very attentive & friendly! It was like hanging out in your friends' kitchen while they make you dinner!

I was left feeling like i wanted to both work at this restaurant, and be a customer again!

Stop reading this review and go to there.

Lovely little place tucked away in small streets. It serves tapas style food and has an open kitchen, so you can see exactly how your food is being prepared. Staff is super friendly and food is good. Excellent value for money and nice atmosphere. We had a black sesame cake with lemon custard as dessert and it was amazing! Would definitely come here again!

Small all-vegan, tapas-style restaurant which gets very busy (for good reason). The food is delicious and the menu always changing. We ordered one of everything and we're definitely not disappointed. Make a reservation or arrive early!

This place is a hidden gem! Unfortunately, when we arrived (just after opening time) we discovered that the restaurant was already fully booked (this is always a good sign I guess), however this turned out to be a blessing as we were offered the opportunity to eat on the steps outside, sat on some mats with a purpose-made fold-up table to rest our food and drink on. And although it was a little chilly in early-May it was a lovely experience, matched by the friendly service and good food.

A couple of tips:

1. Book in advance
2. Sit outside (especially in the summer)
3. Make sure you have Google Maps on your phone!

Our AirBnB host recommended we try this cute spot for dinner, we went back twice because it was so yummy and had such a nice atmosphere. It can be difficult to find tasty veggie options in Portugal and hands down this was the best we came across. In fact, probably one of my favourite vegan restaurants that I've ever tried, anywhere, ever. The tapas, soups, and main dishes are so flavourful, we loved that the menu changed everyday, the staff were sooo friendly, and it was really neat sitting on the stairs. Great place, highly recommended.

Hands down the best vegan place in Lisbon for me. The food, atmosphere, staff. You won't regret going here.

This lovely little place is a bit tricky to find but is worth it as nice little plaza with great staff. Our waitress explained the menu and we went for the tapas of chickpeas and rocket, spicy bean dip with nachos plus sag aloo which were all very tasty. We shared the main which was a butternut squash and coconut curry which was good. All food was nice but as others have said, what you could make at home. The pudding was a chocolate truffle and a berry pudding with a white creamy foam which were good. Cost around €30 including drinks. Would go again as menus change daily.

The first thing you I noticed was the very kind and nice staff. It´s a very simple space with a lot of tables outside in a very beautiful typically small square.
The food is really good - desert included - and I would ever skip the tapas. Serves artisanal beer.

We felt very lucky to find a seat at this busy place tucked away in the Mouraria neighbourhood (also recommended). Staff seemed a little overworked but nonetheless very friendly. As we weren't terribly hungry we only ordered the soup and the tapas with some bread; all very tasty, the tapas in particular. There was also a movie screening that night, and the original seating on the stairs added to the lovely atmosphere.

The place it's small and very simple, but the food is amazing, full of flavours and diferent combinations. It's my favorite

I was there during the Morroccan Night. The food is delicious! I ordered the whole menu: soup, 3 starters, main and dessert, together with my family. They are not vegan and they also loved it. Another plus is that that night tips were collected for Morroccan refugees!

Outdoor seating in a quirky little courtyard. Menu changes daily and includes soup, tapas and main dish. Staff advised we get everything to share between 2 which was a great idea. The miso soup to start was delicious & delicate. The tapas dishes were creative and flavor some. Bread was fresh great quality. The main dish of bean stew was a bit bland. Great selection of beers. Overall the most enjoyable dining experience I have had in Lisbon.

The part in the description about booking in advance is right! This is a popular place and I love that. There were people voluntarily sitting on the steps outside having something to drink waiting for a table or just hanging out there with something small to nibble on. The staff was really excellent and attentive and spoke excellent English. Since it was my first time they did explain the setup with the menu that changes every day and with there being the option of choosing just tapas or the main dish. Not really knowing how big everything was going to be I ordered all of the above. Wow I was really full after that. But overall I gotta recommend this place. Visit!

Meeega tolles Essen und genau so tolle Athmosphäre. Reservation empfehlenswert. Wir hatten Miso Suppe, drei Vorspeisen (zu zweit als Tapas), je Hauptspeise und Dessert. Lokale Biere sind zu empfehlen.

I had dinner at The Food Temple last Thursday and it was packed! It was nice to see that the atmosphere was very relaxed, and many people ended up eating on the stairs outside (they have special "tables" that adapt to those stairs) which was fine because it was very quiet and warm. :--)

They had a limited selection of dishes (one main dish and three smaller ones, plus soups), but everything I tasted was good. All waiters/cooks were very young and friendly, and the whole experience ended up being supernice!

It is slightly more expensive than the other veggie places in Lisbon that I passed by, but it is worth a visit!

Very good place to be! Best staff ever. I went there alone, met some awesome people there (even got some free delicious desserts, because the staff liked people maling friends).

The place outside is super cute: a super small private stair/terrace.

There's just one maindish every day, so no waste of food.

I've been here three times and loved it!

It is not an easy place to find the first time, though it is near the metro. If you wish to eat here, you must make a reservation, because the restaurant is quite small and it is always crowded.

The food is very good, it is probably one of the best meals I have ever eaten in a vegan restaurant. Oh and yes, everything is vegan here! Yay!

I totally recommend this for the experience. It has an open kitchen, the environment is super friendly and the place cozy.

However, make sure you have time to enjoy it, because as the place is small and they are always full, the service tends to be a bit slow. But don't let this discourage you, as the food is amazing.



Updated from previous review on Tuesday December 22, 2015

I loved The Food Temple, I'm so glad we visited. We tried to visit earlier in our holiday but we got lost (happycow needs to update that map because it got us nowhere!) and had to try again another night.

The food here is AMAZING! Definitely not what your mother cooks - or does every one in the comment's mother put basil on their strawberry and chocolate cupcakes? - The dessert, soup, tapas and main meal were all divine. The only thing that bothered me was the price jump from the main meal and the tapas dishes because the main meal was only slightly larger and triple the price.

I would try to get here as early as you can (before 7pm and wait outside) or book in advance because it can get very busy and they had to turn people down while we were there.

This place is amazing! It's tucked away in an alley in Lisbon, but worth the walk. Luckily for us, it was right below our airbnb. It has been over a year since I've visited, but I recall them being open certain days and hours, and their menu was dependent on the local and organic produce they received that week. The food was creative and tasted amazing. We ordered what seemed like a ton of food, and it was one of our cheapest meals on our Spain/Portugal trip. I'm so glad we were staying so close, and were able to find this place!

The restaurant is a bit hard to find, but it's totally worth it to get lost in Alfama's narrow streets for their food.

I only tried their food on Santo António 2015, so it was some special day and food.
From what I had the opportunity to taste it was amazing!
I hope I can go there very soon!

The food is amazing. It is that kind of food that seems it was cooked by your mom. Because it is so warming and made with so much love. I had my last birthday party here and it was so familiar. If you are visiting Lisbon please don't hesitate to eat in this marvelous place right in the very heart of the city!

Com bom ambiente e inserido em um bairro característico, tem algum charme. A comida é saborosa. O preço é acima da média.

Atenção! Vendem cerveja que patrocina touradas.

Em um jantar de grupo, afirmaram que alguém tinha saído sem pagar, e os últimos a deixarem o local tiveram que pagar o valor que supostamente faltava. Fiquei com a impressão de que foi erro dos funcionários.

We had really good tasting food. Chestnut soup, asian salad and for main course we had rice with a flavorsome vegetable sauce! Everything tasted really good. Important to book a table since it's a popular place. Very hard to find! Charming but it was busy so the service was a bit slow..

This small restaurant has a cozy atmosphere, an open kitchen and very friendly staff. It is located on a small plaza in one of the coolest neighborhoods of the city. But the best is the food. The ingredients are all organic, the menu changes everyday and is composed of one soup, three tapas or entrées, one main dish and some desserts. There is also ample choice of vegan wines and beers. In good weather, some tables are laid outside, so you can enjoy a bit of Lisbon's most typical atmosphere.

Nous rentrons de cette sublime escale culinaire le ventre repu, les papilles nourries et l'odorat encore empli des douces saveurs des mets préparés avec goût et raffinement. Soupe de châtaignes, tapas à partager, plat principal à partager (riz basmati, petits légumes et épices savoureuses ) et que dire du succulent brownies aux cerises !! Tout y est pour passer un superbe moment et nourrir notre corps avec des aliments sains et savoureux.... Mais n'oubliez pas de réserver car le petit restaurant ne désemplit pas!!! Nous y retournerons c'est certain ...

It is hard to find this place, which makes it more charming. After being turned away for not having a reservation, I made one for the next day.

The waiter explained that there is a daily menu of starter, tapas, main dish and dessert and that I could order anybof the items. I sat outside and ordered almost everything on the menu. The potato soup was the best, the tapas were okay - nothing super interesting - Brussels sprouts with pecans and a wakame salad. The main was a portobello on rice (meh) and had quince for dessert (also meh).

Good teas and great service.

I went to Food Temple yesterday for the first time and the food was simply amazing! Very creative and if you take the menu with soup, tapas and a main to share you get to try a little bit of a lot of different dishes. I had a cherry chocolate brownie for dessert that was maybe the tastiest thing I have ever eaten! Be sure to check out the website of chef Karo Tak, she is an amazing yoga teacher and activist and has also written a cookbook. As for the staff and other guests, everyone was amazingly friendly. The service is not professional but instead of that you can notice that the waiters really care for the restaurant and the guests and in my opinion, that is worth a lot more than perfect service.
One reviewer was disappointed because the restaurant was closed. I suggest checking their facebook site for the latest updates. Don't hesitate to go there if you are in Lisboa, the atmosphere alone in that litte cute square is worth it!

Relaxed atmosphere and creative and flavourful dishes. There's nothing we didn't like about this place. Defenitely treat yourself to a visit when in Lisbon.

Das kleine Restaurant ist zwar etwS schwer zu finden aber genau das macht es auch aus. Sehr gemütliches Ambiente und absolut leckeres veganes Essen - überschaubare Karte mit wenig Speisen was aber kein Nachteil ist sondern eher das Gegenteil. Die Küche ist einsehbar und es ist beeindruckend mit wieviel Liebe, Geduld und Ruhe hier gewerkelt wird. Toll! Wir warwn begeiszert. Man muss reservieren!

One of the best vegan places I have ever been to. Even my omnivore family was impressed, including a 15-year-old vegan virgin. The menu was daring and delicious. Will definitely go back on my next trip to Lisbon.

I went here with 5 of my omnivorous family members and we all enjoyed a fantastic meal. The ambiance of the restaurant was lovely. There was live music at the top of these beautiful stone steps that worked as a bit of a stage for people eating. The neighbourhood is also lovely and definitely worth a wander.

It's very cool that they have a new menu every day as well.

Our only complaint was the service. We didn't feel as though anyone was rude to us, but there were a lot of little things that were missed; short on forks, no glass brought for the bottle of beer ordered(although other tables received this), some drinks coming quite late. It was also a little difficult to order drinks as the only menu was the one written in small text on a blackboard far away from the table. Additionally, at the end of our meal we had barely finished our coffees (had paid maybe 5 minutes prior) and were asked to leave the table for the next guests (we had reservations in advance as well). This was on a Thursday evening. I can understand if we had been there for a long time, but it really was quite early to rush us away

Like most people here, I really enjoyed visiting this spot. As mentioned, the atmosphere is magical. Yes, it's a bit tough to find, but not if you're able to use the Happy Cow app to hone in on it.

As others have described, the system is "unique," there are only a handful of starters and one main dish. Yes, service was slow and a bit stop-and-go, but everyone seemed to be happy with what they were getting and the location itself is good for inspiring patience. This is obviously a labor of love and the dedication to each meal as a work of art really sets it apart from more utilitarian places. It's a great spot to come for a gourmet experience with ambiance to spare, but not if you are starving and in a hurry. Try to get here at least once when passing through Lisbon!

Não é fácil chegar ao restaurante uma vez que fica, tal como o nome indica, num beco. De resto, o espaço é interessante. É uma típica casa da Mouraria onde o chef cozinha perto dos clientes. Assim, dá para ver o cuidado e a dedicação na preparação de cada prato.

É claro que uma pessoa tem que ir, e ir com tempo. Os pratos são confeccionados um a um em tempo real. Assim, é normal que em dias de casa cheia a comida demore um pouco a chegar à mesa. Sim, a nossa demorou mas foi tudo tão perfeito, tão bom que uma pessoa não se importa.

Comecemos pela sopa de feijão frade e couve rocha (divinal), a que se seguiram as tapas - estufado de cogumelos com castanha e arroz vermelho (divinal também). No prato principal - salteado de seitan com cogumelos, com esmagada de batata e molho de pimentos - o divinal continua. Excelente prato, excelentes sabores e sobretudo uma excelente combinação de ingredientes.
A refeição perfeita terminou com um bolo de chocolate e cereja - o ponto menos divinal da noite.

Um reparo: tenho pena de o restaurante estar aberto apenas de quarta a domingo, e apenas aos jantares.

O local é mesmo acolhedor, atendimento muito cordeal e a cozinha é surpreendente. Os preços não são baratos (o prato principal fica nos 9, as tapas andam entre os 3,5 e os 3,80, e a sopa nos 2,2) mas vale cada cêntimo. Voltaremos.

We ate at The Food Temple with my partner two times within one week in June, just after it had had a very positive review on Time Out Lisboa. Both times we shared the three tapas of the day, one main course, and two desserts. The second time we also shared a soup of the day. Together with a bottle of wine, the bill was around 40 euros both times.

The food was excellent. However, if you're after huge portions and lots of protein, this is the wrong place to go. Lisbon has plenty of good quality veggie buffet places for that. With the tapas, one main course, and the desserts, we weren't feeling stuffed, but definitely sated. If you have a hearty appetite, you'll probably want to eat a main course and at least a couple of tapas by yourself.

The main thing about the food here is that some serious thinking has gone into the design of the meals. Each portion had creative contrasts of textures, flavors and culinary traditions, and they were delightful. This is quite an accomplishment, given that the menu changes every few days.

You shouldn't go to the Food Temple without an advance booking. Both times we went there the place was completely full, and many people looking to eat there were turned away. The bookings were on the hour, last one being at 10 pm.

The milieu of the place is undoubtedly one of the best in any restaurant we've ever eaten. On a warm summer night, with the tables laid out on the small square in the heart of Mouraria, with the small set of stairs next to the tables serving as a "bar" for people queuing for a table, it indeed feels like a sacred amphitheatre of eating. It's worth going there just for the ambience, but I imagine it's rather different in the winter.

As for the service, criticized here by many, I think it was good, considering the place was completely full both times. Second time we ate there, there was one waiter who wasn't focused on his job, carrying dishes to wrong tables, and not remembering all of the day's dishes. Still, even he was very friendly. In any case, you should be prepared to spend about two hours there if you plan on eating all of the menu. It's not a place for rushed dinners.

After finishing our second dinner on a Sunday night, the place starting to close and the kitchen staff preparing to share a meal on one of the outdoor tables, we were thinking that rarely, if ever, we've had as pleasant a dining experience as that night. Eating at the Food Temple is essential for every vegan going to Lisbon.

The Food Temple is a fantastic place to eat in Lisbon. The night we ate there we had the option of soup for starters, three tapas and a main. Between the two of us we had a soup each, shared the three tapas and then shared a main meal. All of the food was fantastic and the staff were very friendly and helpful and spoke perfect English. While arguably the menu is a bit limited we felt it just made ordering easier. The restaurant is really small and most of the tables are outside in a small square which was a beautiful environment to eat in on a warm Lisbon evening. The restaurant also has a selection of wine, beer and cocktails at very reasonable prices. We really liked eating here and if we're back in Lisbon again we will definitely be visiting the Food Temple.

The food was nice, but as they have a fixed menue each day I couldn't eat some of the food as I'm allergic to onion. But the food I ate was really nice, and the dessert (a chocolate and green tea cake) was amazing. My partner, who is not allergic to anything could eat all of it and liked it.

The staff semed to be stressed and we Waited for a long time to order, and then order more and to pay. This took some time and patience. But over all - really nice place for veggie-people!

This is my favourite in Lisbon! The downside could be that there is only one main dish and three starters you can choose from but I was never disappointed by any of them. It's good to go with a group to try a bit of everything but you should book in advance.

Food Temple is a nice, small restaurant in the rustic neighborhood of Mouraria. It's hard to find, but when you do, it is very worth it. The food is very original (I tried lotus root there for the first time) and very tasty, it's a whol experience. A must-try. One of the two best vegan restaurants of Lisbon, tied with Be Happy Bar, which has bystro-like food.

I really enjoyed this place. It is true that there is not a lot of choice, so a bummer if you don't like the specific day's menu. But that is just the concept they choose. The food we had was lovely, the service really nice and I liked the atmosphere - very homely with the open-kitchen.

I knew before we went that they were not the cheapest option, but the drink by the way are not expensive at all! We also loved their home-made ice tea.

And maybe it is a good thing that it is hard to find because it already fills up too quickly!

The Food Temple has some good ideas but is let down by some major flaws. The main (pardon the pun) is that there is a set menu with only one main course. So, if you don't like the sound of the main or are allergic to any of the ingredients then you go hungry.

My girlfriend didn't like the sound of the main and the staff were very inflexible at offering something else, even a more substantial starter (they offer three tapas, which come in set portions). They have a like it or lump it attitude to the menu. This is a shame as the place is also very difficult to find and quite expensive for what it is.

The place also fills up very quickly and there is little room between the tables. If you don't mind that kind of dining then you won't worry about it but I prefer something a bit more private, especially for restaurant prices.

Service is also cripplingly slow, despite the set menu and small number of tables.

If you are in Lisbon for a few days then give it a try but if not then there are much better options.

Great ambience and food, but too expensive for the quantity of food served.

Even though nothing on offer sounded particularly appetizing, it was all, without fail fabulous. Very difficult to find, but worth the effort.

Small, cozy and friendly- but most of all: DELICIOUS!!!!

I've been to The Food Temple quite a few times in the last few years (8-10 times), and it has been a crazy ride.

First of all the most important.. the food.. there I have nothing bad to say, it's mostly very good (specially when Alice, the chef, is at the restaurant). The doses could be just a little bit bigger.

Now off to the bad part... 30% of the time everything goes right, 40% the food comes slower than it should.. and the other 30% the service is just a complete mess. For example, the last time I was there I decided to repeat the soup.. and it took them 30 minutes to bring it to me because they were preparing other dishes (I would understand this.. if this wasn't soup and only took 5 seconds to scoop it out of the pan). Deserts can also take anywhere from 3 to 30 minutes to arrive to the table, it does become painful. They also should just post on facebook when they have issues and won't open, has already happened to me twice to get there just to be told they had a leak and couldn't serve meals (and nothing was posted on any social network for people to be aware).

Well, even after painting all this dark scenario, I'm still giving it 4 stars for its food, but I'm not returning until they fix this crazy inconsistency, which I really hope they do.

This place was amazing. Best vegan food I've ever had. Would definitely recommend. Might be a little hard to find if you're not familiar with the Mouraria area of Lisbon, so take a map.

I had traveled to this little rustic beauty with my sister who I had recently introduced to veganism and It was perfect as one of the first fully vegan restaurants to show her. We decided to go all out and have all the courses that they had available that day, which the staff so kindly talked us through in English. We were absolutely more than satisfied after a short while, but we fought to push the boundaries of our stomach capacity knowing it was well worth it considering we probably wouldn't be back in Lisbon for a while. After stumbling around the traditional winding cobbled streets trying to find the right turning, we were lucky to be seated straight away and before even getting to the food we fell in love with the surroundings, situated in an endearing residential square it is truly the most charming places I have had the pleasure of enjoying a meal.

In terms of the food, I don't know what more you could ask for - the menu is small and changes weekly which means it is freshly prepared with love using selected ingredients. The best kind of place. Its healthy but most importantly absolutely delicious. A place that can make a nutritious meal that delectable is up there with my all time favourites. I think given the beautiful surroundings along with the carefully curated menu it is a real one of a kind gem which I wouldn't suggest anyone missing while in Lisbon, I can't wait to go back one day.

We have visited this small restaurant durring your 3 days stay in Lisabon.The personal was very friendly, explained all the food they have in english. We had yumie coconut soup, three tapas, main course and two desert and were more then happy about all what we get. We expected bill oround 50 euros,but paid only around 30, so it was very nice and can recomend to everyone.

We went for dinner and enjoyed all of the courses. There was a soup, three tapas, a main, and a variety of desserts. There was no English menu but our waiter explained all of the options to us and recommended we try everything. Although we arrived only an hour after opening time they were all out of the main so we could only order tapas and soup. To compensate for us not being able to order the main- the last two slices of quince pie were saved for us. The soup and the tapas were all very good but very small and not too filling - we ended up ordering three of one of the tapas in an attempt to get enough food. While we were eating a few people came into the restaurant and were turned away because there was no room. I'd recommend The Food Temple but would highly recommend making a reservation and/or arriving as soon as it opens to ensure that you have a seat and the chance to try all of the dishes! I'm a huge fan of dessert but the dessert here was my least favorite dish - I'd recommend focusing on the tapas course.

a bit hidden in historic Mouraria, not so easy to find, as all good things. once you are there, relax and enjoy the experience of world cuisine, with tapas and main dishes to be shared. helpfull staff. you might share a large table with others or sit outside in summer.

Small, little bit hidden place - but super tasty vegan food. We shared the starters and the main course and were glad we could try everything. People were waiting quite some time to get a table - and now I know why.

Everchanging menu with the evergrowing genious and love of the chefs. It's a wonderful place to be. To be yourself. To love and be loved.
Many times i have been there and i shall return many more. The food is allways delicious and surprising.
It's a good place to convert omnivores - Wololo!
Amazing bathroom acustics!
Highly recommended :)
Love.

this is what you want! seasonal+creative, well balanced flavors. only the desert (2 cakes) was a bit boring.

Truly delicious food. With my friend, we shared the soup, 3 tapas, a main and a dessert. We were absolutely stuffed! Staff is wonderful.

I had the three tapas, a glass of wine, the dessert and a pot of tea and the bill
came to 15€ which I think is entirely reasonable for the quality. Even though I dined alone and the restaurant had people waiting (and eating) on the steps I was not rushed at all by the waitron. This was a really nice experience: the place was atmospheric and the food was imaginative and delicious.

Romantic location in Alfama, friendly international staff, and... excellent food for reasonable price (didn't you count the cows?)!

It is, inevitably, becoming famous: so, make sure you reserve your table (unless you are ready to have dinner sitting on the square stairs, that is what I recommend, by the way...)

These kinds of places are hard to find. Just from watching the staff work, you can tell that they are passionate about what they do.

I came in by myself. The menu for the day included one soup, 3 kinds of tapas (2-2,8 euros each), and a main course. I tried everything but one tapa because I was afraid I would be too full. Everything was soooo good!

The corn soup had great texture and flavor, the seitan chorizo tapa was a burst of flavor, the broccoli tempeh salad redefined what a salad was, and the udon...dare I say it? The udon may have been better than my grandmother's (I'm so sorry, gam!). Not only did everything taste good, but the presentation was beautiful as well. I also had a chocolate mousse, cream, and roasted plum pie that was not at all overbearing yet completely satisfying for my ever-present sweet tooth. I was already full after the soup/tapas/main, but I felt dessert was a must. It did not disappoint!

I read another review saying that the portions are small. I am from the USA, so I did think they were comparatively small. Still having not eaten for the 6 hours and been on a bike tour around the hills of Lisbon, the amount was perfect for me especially since I am not used to eating so late at night. If you have a big appetite and are looking for cheaper food though, this may not be the place you're looking for.

The Food Temple is a place that takes pride and passion in preparing their food and their work. There is a lot of love that goes into making the food. This isn't a place to adopt the philosophy of more value for your money, something that I have so commonly seen in the US.

Lastly, my server was extremely friendly and it seemed as though they spoke mostly English between one another. So that was great for me because I don't speak a wink of Portuguese! :)

I have travelled around the world to many places and this has got to be the most robbed that I have ever felt to date. Unfortunately as HappyCow do not allow us to give lower scores for vegan/veggie places, I am forced to give this place an undeserving 2*stars.

This place is extremely difficult to find (and I am quite good at reading maps) and there are no signs down the many tiny alleyways indicating to you which way to go. The place itself has a lot to be desired. Why do people, even other vegans, think that all vegans/veggies want to eat in scruffy looking places?

When we finally found the place, the waiter was a lovely friendly guy who explained everything to us in english. However, there were only three starters and one main. As we were starving, we ordered all three starters and one main each.

When it arrived we were in disgust by the size of everything. We may be vegans but that does not mean we eat 'bird-food'. We love our grub just as much as anyone else. The proportions were minute, not even enough to feed a small child.

After finishing the 'starters' (more like tasters!), we awaited our main, saying to one another 'Let's hope that the main isn't as stingey as the 'starter'.' It was. It barely filled us up. It wouldn't have even filled a young child.

We don't usually have deserts, but as we were still hungry, we decided to have a desert each. When the waiter came with them, we had them down our gobs in just two bites. They were ridiculously small.

As we waited for the bill, we jokingly said 'I'd say it's about €20, but knowing our luck it will be as expensive as €30.' It was a shockingly €44. I felt sick to the stomach. I never felt so robbed in my life. They even charged us for the teaspoon of oil that accompanied the bread.

The whole place is a joke. And it is places like this that make me angry and embarrassed to bring non-veggie people too, especially considering how cheap veggies are in Portugal. They must be making a 200% profit in this place. Yet another veggie place taking the piss out of veggie customers. How can we convince other people to turn veggie when this is the kind of rubbish they get?

When we left this place, we left in a bad mood, ruining the rest of our night, as we couldn't forget how we were robbed. In fact, we were still hungry after the visit that we had to even go and get a few churros to fill the gap.

If you are someone who hates to be robbed, avoid this place. It's a shame to the veggie world. Never again.

2days ago we went here for a late lunch. The food was great and healthy!! It is a loveley small place in the centre of Lisbon!! People are great. Price of the food is quit good. For under €30 we ate for 2 persons. Incl drinks, dessert and a starter..

The problem of this restaurant is: They put their banner/outdoor advertising not for the door until they are open! The map is right - it is a blue door. When they are open there is a glazed tile with "The Food Temple" on it.

When you had luck and you entered the restaurant :) you can enjoy very excellent and interesting meals. The atmosphere is very friendly, they have good music and can see the cook cooking. She was always singing to the music and had fun.

If you are in Lisboa don't miss it. :)

Excellent small and cosy place offering one different menu every day (one soup, one starter, one plate, one desert).
There's no menu and you never know what you'll get but everything's fresh and made with love :) You can actually see the girls cooking in the kitchen and it feels like you're just a member of the family or friend sitting in the dining room and watching them cook.

Wow, what a fantastic place!
There is just a tiny menu (which I like because it means everything is fresh) but we tried most of it and it was simply delish. Simple and fresh ingredients perfectly prepared. Even my dad, who is very skeptic when it comes to vegan food, loved it.
The open kitchen and the nice decoration give the place a cozy atmosphere.
The only negative point is that it's very hard to find and we needed the help of some locals to guide us there.

Dined there today for the first time and I must say it was a very nice experience.

It's small and cozy, very relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
It's a typical tapas bar, with the option for a main course and it's a fully Vegan place so for me it was great, no need to ask about the food=). Despite being a fully Vegan place it just feels natural and homely, it doesn't try in any way to shout out this fact, which i really liked. This place made me realise some places try too hard to feel vegetarian if that makes sense.
There's not much variety but the menu changes daily, as it's written on a chalk board. However the small variety made sense to me, as it all feels like going to a friends house for some amazing food, so you eat what you get.

The food was delicious. A mixture of homemade with the familiar tapas feel of a good portuguese neighbourhood joint. I had a very good roasted tomatoes pie with a crust that is worthy of note.

There were two people behind the counter (which is an open kitchen that takes up about half of the space) and they were both very friendly. In fact I found myself talking to them as you would when meeting friends. They told me they also make themed meals and I'll be sure to try it soon.

The place is located in the old part of the city (one that not a lot of people get to see when visiting) in the small alley streets of the old part of town. Yet, if you're following a GPS it is surprisingly easy to get there by car, and I assume it should be the same by foot.

The price is far from competitive but I found it a fair moderate price.

Overall I strongly recommend you to try out this place if you're in Lisbon.
Delicious food, good homey atmosphere and you get to walk the alleys of the old part of Lisbon. =)

Restaurant is warm like an house and people are friendly.
Food is great and price is fine.
I will return for sure

I gotta say a great place with delicious food.
Nice and small, it gives you a homely feeling and you can see how your food is being prepared freshly in front of you.
Definitely worth visiting.
Friendly warm people are there to serve you.

I just got back from eating here, and it is delicious! In a country that's cuisine is about as not vegan as it gets, this place is an oasis. It's nice that the dishes maintain the Portuguese flavor, though, so I feel like I'm still getting to experience the local cuisine. And, boy! Did I ever experience the local cuisine here! After getting by on nothing but French fries, bread, and rice at other places, I was ready to eat! I did each of the three tapas dishes, olives, bread, soup, the main course, and the cake, and all were fabulous! I took pictures of all of them for you to see except for the cake because I wolfed that down too quickly :(

Anyway, this place is super cool and quirky on the inside, and the owners are great. I see a lot of people saying the place is hard to find, but as of January 2014, Google maps is now correct. I also posted some pics of where you should turn if you're coming from the Martim Moniz Metro stop. It's just a very short walk from there up some very cool, twisty streets. Keep your eyes open, and you'll be fine.

Enjoy your meal here! I know I did!

such a warm friendly place, super delicious food. I LOVE IT! will be back to lisbon for this place, for sure. look for the fado guitar, then ask again for directions. its off to the right and then look for a green lantern. definitely a worthwhile treasure hunt... magical place.

I dont't like to lose to many words: it's a real great restaurant and you really should visit it if you enjoy delicious vegan food and very friendly staff.
Don't give up looking for it, it could be a little hard to find it, but it's worth it!

Our first night in Lisbon, we went out on foot searching for this place. I'd read that Google Maps doesn't have the right location, so we used the Happy Cow map. It's close, but not quite right. We wandered around until we found it quite by accident, only steps from where we'd been. Basically, instead of taking that last right into the courtyard, take a left. You'll see a place with a green paper lantern hanging out front (at the top of a slight incline). That's the Food Temple. We ate here twice during our trip and both were five-cow experiences. The food and the service are top-notch. The surrounding neighborhood is super charming. There was a Fado celebration going on at Fado's Corner, so we had some music to listen to while we ate. We were utterly charmed by this place, it's people and their neighbors. It's all vegan, which is great, too. This is a "must" if you're visiting Lisbon!

My husband and I are vegan (23 years for me, 22 for my husband) and we love finding all vegan restaurants. We were thrilled to find this one. Alice, the woman who cooked for us is so friendly and welcoming. We had an amazing meal, which we saw prepared. The dessert was out of this world, a rhubarb chocolate mousse. I am not a soup person, but the soup Alice made was truly the best I have ever had--a red pepper with chipolata soup. This restaurant is hard to find, yes, our taxis was lost for a long time even with a telephone call. However, you can get there and it is sooo worth it. Please make the effort and do not give up. Make sure you get a print out of the map (we did not have one) and the phone number (we did have it). One we were finished out meal, Conor, the waiter walked us down to the taxi stand and the square was right there (had we seen this before, I do not think we would have had such difficulty).

Vegetarian? Vegan? Go.

This wasn't a meal, it was an experience.

I had to think twice when they said it was €15 to eat here on Sunday evening, but hugely grateful I entered. A wonderful memory. And the food was very good too.

I'm really ethusiastic about the food temple and I really appreciate what they are doing. It is a small place, really, really hard to find. (So make sure you check it on the map before!)

Just a few options for food- but thats totally okay, because you feel that every person in there is totally behind healthy, delicious, quality food. So a few options- but great options. Freshly made the kitchen is actually in the sitting room. A light, lovely atmosphere and very friendly, funny staff (english spoken). Also great music.

I have to point out the great carrot-ginger cake I ate at both times I was there. One of the best carrotcakes I have eaten so far. Super fluffy and great, interesting spiced. They know what they are doing and I appreciate it a lot. Thank you.

The restaurant is located in a small street near the Alfama district.
I loved the fact that it was written nowhere that the place was entirely vegan; I think it would probably attract more people.
The place is quite small and you can watch the cook cooking right in the middle of the restaurant.
There were only a few choices in the menu but all of them including some typical Portuguese ingredients like "caldo verde" or duck rice replaced by seitan :-)
Only one dessert though which was strawberry ice cream
We had stuffed tomatoes as a starter and then the rice as the main dish, with one homemade ice-tea and one watermelon juice for...17€ for 2 people!!!!!!!!!!!
Highly recommanded

You can only dream of places like this. Set in a rough and ready part of Lisbon, this place is part of real life but when you get there the tranquil courtyard setting is so peaceful and serene. Yes, it took a while to find, we actually met a couple a few nights previously in Terra who said they gave up looking for it. I can kind of understand why. OK, here is how I would do it. From Martin Moniz Metro walk up Rua Cavaleiros until you hit the first main crossroads / junction. Take a right onto Rua Marques Ponte do Lima then another quick sharp right into a street (more like a passageway) called Rua Guia. There is only one sign for Rua Guia, you will have to look behind you to see it. Follow this narrow road down to the bottom and you will see a sign for Beco Jasmin at which point turn left and you will see the Food Temple. On the day of our visit, 4 September 2013 we had the spicy tomato soup which was out of this world and an absolutely oustanding shittake mushroom and tofu stir fry served with rice and rocket. It truly was delicious, if not breathtaking. I do not exaggerate. Expect to pay €2 for soup and €8 for main courses. The place is run by two friendly ladies who are so happy to see visitors from other countries particularly when you mention Happy Cow. Outside seating is basic but so tranquil and lovely in the courtyard area. A truly wonderful place, it's not flash, pretentious or elaborate. This is the Food Temple.

The place is actually not hard to find, you just have to be careful if you decide to ask for directions (or if you use GPS), as there are two "Beco do Jasmim" not very far apart from each other - you will want to go to the one in the "Socorro" area, not the one in the "São Cristóvão e São Lourenço" area. Once I got there, I was extremely pleased with the typical, unadulterated settings (I am from Lisbon myself). The staff were very nice and helpful, and I and my daughter decided to have Seitan with Rice and Mustard Sauce with Caramelized Onions. Everything was prepared to perfection and incredibly tasty. I will definitely return many times in the future.
Updated from previous review on Monday September 02, 2013

Updated from previous review on Monday September 02, 2013

Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't find the neighborhood to feel unsafe at all. It is definitely a residential area with an ethnically and socio-economically diverse population, but that doesn't make it 'dangerous'. I also found the restaurant without any problems whatsoever. Yes, it's located in a small (and lovely square) a few twists off the main street, but as long as you're following a map you'll be fine. It's also an easy walk from the main center (Chiado) of town.

Onto the food--I imagine the menu changes daily, it's also limited to a single main entree, a small selection of tapas, a soup, and deserts. I don't mind the small selection at all; everything I ate--in this case, I tried the three tapas, which was enough food for me--was delicious. These included a really nice soba noodle dish, a small slice of incredible pizza, and a slice of savory mushroom pie. My only complaint at all would be that the tapas dishes were very starch-heavy. I'd have enjoyed having a dish that was more heavily vegetable and / or protein focused for one of the three tapas. But that's a small complaint. For dessert I had cheesecake (remember: everything is vegan!), which very much met my expectations--creamy goodness very reminiscent of New York cheesecake.


Updated from previous review on Saturday July 20, 2013

The Food Temple is a special sort of restaurant aspiring to be more than just a place to eat. It is a very cute little place with about five or six indoor tables, a handful of outdoor seats, and an open bar kitchen. In many ways, it feels as though you've walked into chef Alice's home. When your food arrives, it will be as if your mother made you a home cooked meal, except she learned how to make awesome vegan food since the last time you saw her.

This small community joint is full of locals who come because they know the always changing menu is one that will entice them and make them feel warm inside. Pictures on the walls show that Alice has had community workshop days with local children, making sure she gives back to the neighborhood that has welcomed her. As a Canadian, she is fluent in English, so no problems there.

The only real con, as others have said, is the tough to find location. No worries, the happycow map is spot on. Google maps has some trouble with this alley address, but Bing maps found it without problem. Get to the Martim Moniz metro, then head up Rua Cavaleiros (as others have mentioned this is a little sketchy, so keep your wits and avoid dressing/acting "like tourists"). Take your first right at the top of the hill, then an immediate right again onto Rua Guia--this does not feel like a street so much as a neighborhood plaza, and there is only a street sign if you turn around, so it's easy to miss. Walk across the plaza to Beco de Jasmim, turn left, and it'll be on your left. Not hard to miss once you're in this alley/street.

Overall, a fantastic place, fantastic food, great prices, and one I would highly recommend all vegan and veggie visitors check out!

Near impossible to find and you might have to go through a few less than comforting alleyways at night. Don't trust google maps as it takes you somewhere else. Most of the locals I asked had no idea where this place was and it finally took a policeman to help me find it. (Said policeman recommended I hide my camera while walking up there because of the type of neighbourhood.)

But when you get there it is worth it. I had a celery soup which was probably the best I've ever tasted. They had a chorizo/potato dish that was so good I ordered a second. The kitchen is open which is great and it seems to be run by interested people.

All in all very nice.

The Food Temple is a charming recent addition to the Lisbon vegan scene for which as far as I can tell is just coming to life. It's a small cafe located a short walk up a hill from the center and can be quite hard to find so make sure you draw out detailed directions beforehand! This is not their fault but a simple reality of Lisbon itself. It's a small rotating menu from week-to-week.. I had a few of their tapas sized items however there was a main dish and dessert which I never got around to trying. But for starters was a garlic soup.. yes, garlic soup. Very unique and quite strong but I happen to like garlic a whole lot so it was no problem for me. Next I had an eggplant and seitan dish along with fried rice and tofu which I think was the better of the two. Both were nice and had good flavors though! It was a rather quiet Sunday evening so I had a chance to chat with the proprietors who were just as charming as the restaurant and food. They're definitely onto something special and I hope to see it grow sooner than later. I'll definitely be back next time I visit Lisbon.

My husband and I visited this restaurant recently during our trip to Lisbon. The address was confusing, there are two streets with the same name, I think. This one was near the square, and tucked into a very residential neighborhood. GPS found it, and even though we wandered a bit to find it, it was VERY worth it. They encourage you to call for directions if needed.
The tiny kitchen is in the middle of the very intimate restaurant, which has about 5 tables. It is fun to watch the chef, Alice, make the food. The waiter was extremely friendly, and spoke English extremely well. Our food was great- there are 4 rotating (and unique) tapas and 1 main dish to choose from. Very reasonably priced. My husband and I shared 3 tapas and the main dish along with a few beers, and it was the perfect amount.
I am sad I don't live in the area and won't have the chance to become a regular at this restaurant...

Great food. Nice and lovely service. All vegan. Sort of hard to find. If you have trouble finding them just call them.

I really recomend this small and cozy restaurant for everyone who wants to have some really nice snacks in one of the most emblematic neighborhoods of Lisbon. Other things that make this restaurant unique is the concept of vegan "tapas" and the sympathy of the staff.
Oh, and this is one of the few (if not the only one) 100% vegan restaurant in Lisbon.

It took me and my friend some time to find it, but therefor it is just a wonderful atmosphere on the quiet little space with outdoor seating. The food was good, we were both happy. The only thing I didn't like was that most of the dishes were adaptions from meatdishes.