Pharmacia

The cocktails come in syringes and the menu in a prescription pad, which is exactly the sort of thing that should make a serious diner run. It doesn't, because Susana Felicidade can actually cook. Pharmacia has occupied the Museu da Farmácia on the Santa Catarina hillside since 2011, and the gimmickry is the least interesting thing about it — the duck croquette with orange compote and a five-course surprise menu at €28 are the reasons to climb the hill. Ignore the theatre and eat.

Susana Felicidade cooks contemporary Portuguese with a straight face, whatever the room is doing. The duck croquette with orange compote is the signature and the dish to judge her by; the tibornas — toasted bread with brie, rocket and roast tomato in a coriander sauce — are the kind of simple thing that only works when the ingredients are right. The bacalhau changes with the day and rewards trusting the kitchen. The format is small plates and a nightly surprise menu, five courses for around €28, with à la carte landing nearer €40 to €70 a head once cocktails and wine join in. The address is the whole conceit: Rua Marechal Saldanha, inside the Pharmacy Museum, where Felicidade has been turning a novelty premise into real cooking since 2011. The food carries the room, not the other way round.

The setting is the draw and Pharmacia knows it. Inside, the Museum of Pharmacy's old bottles, cabinets and dispensary fittings make a genuinely odd, genuinely charming dining room; the light is low and the mood more playful than romantic. The terrace is the prize — one of the best in Lisbon, looking over the Bica rooftops to the Tagus and the 25 de Abril Bridge — so ask for it when you book. Dress is casual to smart-casual and nobody stands on ceremony. It is a room that photographs well and, unusually, tastes as good as it looks.

Book Pharmacia for a first date because the concept does the icebreaking for you: the syringe cocktails, the prescription menu and the museum oddities hand you something to talk about before the conversation finds its feet. The food is good enough to carry the evening once the novelty fades, and the terrace at sunset is hard to beat for a second drink. Mention it is a first visit and ask for a terrace table. See more first-date restaurants in Lisbon or the full Lisbon dining guide.

Not for a purist who wants Lisbon's serious tasting-menu cooking without the costume — if the syringes and prescription pads will irritate you, they will, and Loco or Belcanto will suit you better. Skip the à la carte if you are watching the bill; the €28 surprise menu is where the value sits.

Is Pharmacia worth it? Yes, more than the gimmick suggests. Chef Susana Felicidade's contemporary Portuguese cooking — the duck croquette with orange compote, the daily bacalhau, the tibornas — is genuinely good, and the five-course surprise menu at around €28 is a Lisbon bargain. You are paying partly for the museum setting and the theatre, but the kitchen earns its keep. Go for the terrace and the food, not the syringes.

How hard is it to book Pharmacia? Moderately. Book one to two weeks ahead for dinner, and earlier if you want a terrace table in summer, which is the seat everyone wants. Weeknights are easier than weekends. Always state that you would like the terrace when you reserve; the indoor museum room is charming, but the Tagus view is the reason to climb Santa Catarina.

What is the dress code at Pharmacia? Casual to smart-casual. There is no formality here; the room is playful and the crowd dresses accordingly. A shirt or a summer dress is plenty, and trainers are fine on the terrace. Dress comfortably for a relaxed, slightly theatrical evening rather than a grand one.

How much does dinner at Pharmacia cost? The five-course surprise menu runs about €28, which is the smart way in. À la carte with cocktails and wine lands nearer €40 to €70 a head. The syringe cocktails are priced as the novelty they are, so order one for the photo and move to the wine list, where the value is better.

What should I order at Pharmacia? Start with the duck croquette with orange compote, Susana Felicidade's signature, and the tibornas. Take the €28 surprise menu if you would rather let the kitchen lead, and add the bacalhau of the day. Have one prescription cocktail for the theatre, then switch to Portuguese wine, and book the terrace for the view.