IL LIBERTINO AVEIRO || This was The Best Italian Meal We had in Aveiro, Portugal
After a long day of walking around town, we were famished and in dire need of refuelling. What better to do so than a satisfying, carb-heavy Italian meal?
We discovered il Libertino on a local restaurant booking app and decided we would head away from the tourist haunts where we were staying. It’s a quick 15-minute walk from the center of town, and the entrance is just off the main street. The side facing the street showcases the kitchen, so passerby could peek in and see the chefs preparing the fresh pasta in the pristine kitchen. When the chefs saw us recording on our phones they popped out and said hello!
The kitchen faces the main street, giving passerby a sneak peek of what’s brewing in the kitchen.
Bar table in the entrance corridor.
Although the restaurant is located away from the city center, the cozy dining room was bustling by 7:30 on a weekday. There are several delicious appetizers we would recommend: the Burrata Salad with Pomodoro, Beef Carpaccio and Stracciatella, and the Bruschetta Siciliana alla Peperonata.
The bruschetta was refreshing and tasty to kickstart our meal, with marinated peppers, ricotta cheese and microgreens on top of toasted Italian bread. The Burrata and Tomato Salad with San Marzano tomato, black olive powder and microgreens is another favourite of mine, namely because I absolutely love fresh Burrata with anything. The beef carpaccio with its thin slices of filet mignon, seasoned with beetroot and basil peso, buffalo stracciatella, and pistachio powder was another treat to enjoy with a glass of wine.
After all these appetizers, did we still have room for entrees? Of course! Who can pass up a cheese wheel Carbonara at an Italian restaurant?
Dining room.
Fresh burrata is the key to my heart.
Simple dish with marinated peppers, ricotta cheese and microgreens on top of toasted Italian bread.
We ordered several pasta dishes for the table, including the classic Lasagna, White and Black Ravioli, and Carbonara.
The Lasagna was an instant favourite and my niece polished off her plate in record time. She even came back for seconds which is unheard of. Of course, this meant that I just got a tiny taste of the Lasagna, which was sufficient to prove that it was indeed a scrumptious and hearty dish.
The White and Black Ravioli features black ravioli shells stuffed with smoked ricotta, spinach, chard, nutmeg, and finished with white sauce, tomato crumble and toasted walnuts. We ordered a side of vegetables with it to balance out the heavier flavours.
Last but not least, we ordered two Spaghetti Carbonara once we saw it being prepared fresh in a massive Parmesan cheese wheel. Who could resist fresh cheese and pasta? WIth pecorino Romano, Italian pancetta, black pepper and smoked paprika, this was exactly the dish I needed as the perfect end note to my day.
That and the delicious Affogata and Tiramisu we had after consuming all of the above!
We wish we had better lighting indoors because this photo does not do the Carbonara justice!
The only Lasagna I’ve ever seen my niece polish off in record time.
In terms of the service we found our server to be attentive, friendly and approachable. We had a great time at the restaurant, found the prices to be extremely reasonable, with the bill coming to 200 euros for the food plus a bottle of wine for five people. If you are in Aveiro and want to get away from the crowded city restaurants, we would recommend going for a short stroll to il Libertino. After the hearty meal we’re sure you’ll want to walk off some of the calories anyway!
High ceilings and comfortable booth seating with a warm colour palette.
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Av. Santa Joana 81, 3810-329 Aveiro, Portugal
Photography by Florence Leung