Last Friday night three friends from the US and I ate dinner at Belcanto in Lisbon, a 2 star Michelin. We had reserved the chef’s table in advance and were surprised that they had seated a solo diner dressed like a shlump at our table, a last minute diner. He was pleasant enough, but really? The 21 year old server was mediocre and hard to understand. We also did the wine pairing and on of our party knew more about them than she did. The food was what my mother would have referred to as precious, we thought is was in some cases revolting, and we’re foodies. The meal dragged on until almost midnight and came to €440 per person, including a 10% tip. The only amusing episode was the server’s infatuation with one of our party, a 39 year old woman.