Albergue 1601 is a Portuguese restaurant nestled in the heart of the historical neighborhood of St. Lazarus District. From October onwards, alfresco dining is also available for lunch in the courtyard under the canopies of giant camphor trees. I included in my itinerary because it popped up in reviews from locals and it was located at a reasonable walking distance from St. Paul’s ruins where I completed my first itinerary in the old city during a trip in October 2019. By accident, the courtyard was a occupied by a very noisy Halloween party (not related to the restaurant).
The visit
I and a friend did not have a reservation but we were quickly accommodated in one of the last table available.
Bread with some dip sauce was provided free of charge and so tap water.
We decided to share the seafood rice that ended up to be quite rich, with mussels, clams, shrimps, and squid. This was our appetizer.
Then each of us chose a type of Portuguese codfish (the signature fish was available in several styles). My choice was for the baked codfish with cornbread. I found this dish delicious and the flavor of the codfish was not compromised by the condiments.
My friend opted for a “spiritual codfish” that turned out to be a sort of porridge (some wine was also used).
Both dishes were very large! Each of them could have satisfied two people.
I need to praise the service. The staff was very attentive and proactive in solving small issues such as a wobbling table. They even offered to switch off an air conditioning unit that was pointing the cold air toward the table.
The check
Without the wine, the food check was around 700 MOP (or 43 USD per person). Considering the size of the dishes, the price was reasonable. I kind of regret that I could not try more dishes, but I was completely satisfied by what I had and I would certainly go back if I visit Macau again.
Where in Macau:
8 Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro.
Website: https://www.albergue1601.com.