Small Menu, Big Cult Following

Chez Isabel Bacano:
372b, rte de Thionville, L-5884, Hesperange.
Tel: (352) 26 44 15 85

Chez Bacano
59, rue de Clausen, L-1342, Luxembourg Ville
Tel : (352) 43 18 40

Two Portuguese restaurants which share the same menu and have no difference in food quality, Bacano’s has emerged as one of Luxembourg’s more enduring eateries thanks to the house special: grilled flambé prawns. For those who do not enjoy sea food, there is also a selection of steaks in diverse sauces available, but it is for the prawns that Bacano’s is most widely recognised. Chez Bacano, the original venue, is marked by its lack of size, making for an intimate dining experience where you can find yourself elbow to elbow with your neighbours as the spectacular dishes are served from the kitchen into a noisy but undeniably buzzing atmosphere. The prawns, flavoured with liberal quantities of garlic, and steaks are served with a simple green salad and French fries, and the portions are generous: €27.50 gets you six large prawns and the steaks come in at under €20. Both restaurants offer a reasonable selection of desserts, some homemade, others not, but neither offers starters. A dish of the day is available at lunchtimes, but the dinner menu is more impressive and provides Bacano’s with the lion’s share of its trade.

While the food does not differ from one restaurant to the other, the atmosphere is perhaps somewhat different. The Clausen branch can be claustrophobic, but the ambience is undeniable, and its sister restaurant possibly suffers in comparison despite being better appointed all round. The intimacy of the former is part of its charm, and the latter loses something intangible because it is spacious. That is not to say either is not enjoyable: but identical menus and standards do not signify an identical dining experience. For more of a buzz, try the Clausen restaurant. For a more laid back experience, Chez Isabel Bacano may be preferable. Moreover, some of the waiting staff speak English and will be able to help you select a wine (they have a small list dominated by standard Portuguese bottles) or provide information on the dishes available. If you do not enjoy prawns or steak, you would be better off avoiding these establishments, and non fish-eating vegetarians may struggle to be accommodated. These factors aside, Chez Bacano, in either guise, will offer you a dining experience not quite like anything else currently available in the Grand Duchy, and is highly recommended.