Borough Market and its surroundings are teeming with fantastic restaurants. Casa do Frango muscles past the plethora of Italian restaurants, steak restaurants and pubs to offer some authentic Portuguese cuisine. Was it any good? Time to find out…
Ideal for:
Those who want to try Portuguese cooking without travelling 1,200 miles
Dinner with a group of mates, so you can share and try everything
Diners with big appetites looking for some hearty cooking
Ambience & Décor
This was the first restaurant post 19th July (Freedom Day in the UK post lockdown) I had visited, and the high-ceilinged venue amplified the ambience to the point where the buzz was electric. In terms of the décor, the restaurant was an airy, breezy space with that typical exposed brick you find in restaurant conversions. The smattering of plants and natural light pouring in from the windows and skylight gave an alfresco vibe.
Service
Have to say our server was a bit ditzy and raw to the service game. Truthfully, she was young and vibrant, but service was errant.
Food
The four sections to the menu are “To Start”, “Sharing Plates”, “Frango Piri-Piri” and “Sides”. The Sourdough Bread to start came with an assortment of Portuguese olives, lupin beans, pickled carrots, and butter. Olives were delicious and the best item.
From the sharing plates, we went for the Fire-roasted Sweet Potato, Iberico Pork Croquettes and Grilled Chorizo (see left). The Sweet Potato was the standout here. Not only did it look as delicious as it tasted, but great value also. The smokiness married with the sweetness from the potato and earthiness from the herb garnish. I would have liked less potato and more pork in my croquettes, but I am truly nit-picking; it was delicious. Despite chorizo not being Portuguese (chouriços are similar), I cannot complain about the strong, hard-hitting flavours of the sausage, very earthy black olive mayo and spicy guindilla peppers (again Spanish). Some may feel its too much of an assault on the palate but for me, it was something I could have kept eating.
Frango means chicken in Portuguese, and this “House of Chicken” delivered some exquisite chicken (see right) The organic chicken naturally tastes better and was cooked to perfection. Casa do Frango’s secret Piri-Piri blend blows a certain Portuguese chain restaurant clean out of the water. For £11, the half chicken is worth the £3 more than its chain counterpart.
The sides of African rice, Batatas Fritas and Casa Slaw were okay without being earth shattering. The crispy fries were tasty, but the African Rice (see right) lacked cohesion. Sweet Plantain, spicy chorizo, and salty crispy chicken skin just did not come together as I would have hoped. Desserts of Chocolate Salami Cakes and Pastel de Nata were also a very delicious way to end a hefty meal.
Casa do Frango does its signature beautifully and if you are after high quality chicken and chips, then this hits the spot. Some of the starters and sides were nice without being amazing. For £36 per person for all that food plus a pitcher of Sangria, I think it presents fantastic value, and it because of the great value, vibes, and chicken that I am willing to overlook the African Rice debacle and the scatty service, and I think Casa do Frango just sneaks in an A rating.
Photos of Casa do Frango and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: A
Final comment: Represented Portugal proudly and would happily return.
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