Hi,
I have read that restaurant portions in Portugal are LARGE. I have also read that it is considered fine to have a meal split between two people. Now here is my middle class whine. My wife would eat salads every meal while I want a hunk of meat. Splitting? And I want to explore their menus more than my wife. By the way, I love her and she is the best traveling companion I can imagine.
My questions is: Is it permissible to ask for a doggie (people) bag for left overs?
wayne iNWI
In my previous 5 trips to Portugal, I have never asked for a doggie bag, but the Portuguese are such wonderful, kind and welcoming people I cannot imagine anyone treating a doggie bag request with anything other than their typical kindness.
Provided, of course, that they have doggy bags available. I have just not found a wide spread acceptance of doggy bags in Europe. It has been two years but I don't remember the portions in Portugal being unusually large. I remember them being consistent with other areas of Europe.
I guess that means you are staying in rooms with refrigerators and microwaves? In my experience, portions in Europe are not as large as in the US. But I agree that a plate-splitting charge (which exists, but isn't that common in the US, especially if you order drinks or a bottle of wine, helping out the restaurant's earnings on the meal .... ) is very unusual in Europe.
Because each restaurant has its own business-model, quantity of tourists, and personal experiences, I don't think your OP question can be answered definitively. That's especially so for Portugal, since there are still many important destinations there that are not overrun with tourists.
An important wrinkle is that in most European countries, meals take much longer (at least for locals ... ) than they do at home in the U.S. A restaurant that takes reservations in Europe would almost never, never expect to "turn" the table and seat another party during a single dinner hour. The reason I mention that (and it's a much less disputable "internet fact" than whether a doggie bag might be acceptable) is: If you make a prime-time reservation at a moderately famous restaurant, and end up ordering a penny-pinching meal, you have done them a disservice, and perhaps, slightly, been an "ugly American."
That sounds harsh on the internet, and of course I can't criticize you for something you haven't DONE! I just wanted to consider the point. At a walk-in, in a local place, your early departure might surprise them, but of course they can then take advantage of the unexpectedly open table.
I would suggest that you concentrate on appetizers and small plates, which should permit you to explore the menu without ending up with more than you can eat. Leftover food is rarely as good as the first time, anyway.
I have been to Portugal more than 15 times and I have never seen doggie baggies. The portions there aren't huge compared to what I have been served in America or the UK, so there is no need for them. There is more fish than meat on many Portuguese menus. Food there isn't expensive, so don't embarrass yourself by asking for a doggie bag.
Often, they serve bread, pate, cheese etc as a starter, so don't overdo this and you will manage the main course OK. Don't order an additional starter.
Thanks,
One reason I asked is that we are staying in either entire houses or apartments for our extended trip. So we will have a kitchen.
wayne iNWI
I disagree that portions in Portugal aren't large. Many dishes are available in meia-dose (half portion), which costs a bit more than half of the full portion. One of my guidebooks said the full portion serves two, but in my experience, it could often serve three. As a solo traveler, I got the meia-dose and was quite full. I vividly remember that for one dish, I was sure that I had been given the full portion by mistake - it was humongous. But when the bill came, it was indeed the half portion.
I don't know about doggie bags. Since I had nowhere to store leftovers like a fridge, I just left them on the plate.
By the way, it's standard in Portugal for the restaurant to bring a plate of various starters, called a couvert (pronounced roughly "coo-VAIRCH"). If you don't want to pay for this, ask that it be taken away (não quero couvert, por favor, pronounced roughly "now KEH-roo cou-VAIRCH, por favor"). Usually, if I just pushed it aside and didn't touch it, I wasn't charged, but once I was. If you do take anything from it, sometimes you're charged just for the items you take, but other times, you're charged for the whole thing. Of course, sometimes I did want things on it.
You likely aren't coming to Portugal to eat pizza - but that's the one time I have been offered a doggie bag (or box). And - I don't find the portions huge, except for some of the small town restaurants.
Thanks to all who joined in,
We did take half a pizza home. No rolled eyes, he had a box, and bag. But that was pizza.
Portions do vary. But we are often ordering the half portion. On a menu they had 'chicken for 10 euro' and 'half portion chicken for 5.5 euro'. I said to my wife, "They can't possibly be offering a whole chicken as a meal." Well, for 10 euro you get a whole chicken.
There is no way to blend in, our clothes, shoes, eye glasses, even the way we walk is different. But you can keep your American conversation and laughter to an appropriate decibel level. Do as others do. Sounds impolite to say, monkey see monkey do. But we imitate when possible.
We have watched as locals finish their meal and have only eaten half of what was provided. I am so old I remember Herbert Hoover instituting the "clean plate" effort. And I have never forgotten that. So it is difficult for me to not eat all that I am served.
Thanks for all who helped.
wayne iNMAdeira
