Fado, literally destiny or fate, is the musical expression of the Portuguese people. At Clube de Fado the show is the main dish, and food a supplement.

Fado is sung in the form of melancholic tunes and lyrics mostly about the sea or life of the less fortunate overlaid with pessimism. One could summarise it as songs filled with longing.

The day we visited we had musicians Henrique Leitão, Carlos Leitão and Paulo Paz with Cuca Roseta, Maria Ana Bobone and Cristiana as the singers.

Powerful, heartwrenching and haunting, these great fado singers arrested our senses being non-Portuguese-speakers.

As I said the Show is the main dish and the food a rather poor second. That said, our dinner consisted of bread served with butter and broad Beans and Olives. The vegetable Cream Soup was a great starter and the main dish of a spring rice which has rice and lots of fresh vegetables was both tasty and filling.

The Clube de Fado red wine was a great way to keep the meal going with the hauntingly heart wrenching music playing.

Desert was orange with muscat.

We ended the meal or should I say the show with hot espresso to cries of Bravo! Bravo as Cristiana’s singing.

Lues, took care of us and was easily the best - from making us feel welcome to keeping the wine coming in and to being such a great representative of the Portuguese people - warm, generous, hospitable and kind.

I promise to come back here the next time I’m in Lisbon.