Mezze

At Mercado de Arroios, Mezze makes bread the starting point of the meal. It opened in September 2017 through Pão a Pão, an association providing training and employment to refugees from the Middle East. The idea began with someone missing Syrian bread, and the restaurant retains that connection between food, identity and a shared table.

The set menus bring several flavors together without limiting you to a single dish. The vegan option combines dips, khubz, tabbouleh and maghmour, a chickpea and eggplant stew with mint. The vegetarian alternative features freekeh, toasted green wheat, with mushrooms and akawi cheese. Pulses, grains and herbs take leading roles rather than serving merely as accompaniments to meat.

There is also a sea bass menu with tahini and another built around spiced lamb. These combinations let you contrast the main dish with its accompanying bread, salads and dips. The market setting provides a fitting context for discovering another side of Arroios cooking; Time Out includes the restaurant among its recommended neighborhood stops.