Is it a butcher’s? Is it a restaurant? José Ignácio is the new tenant on Rua Amarela (and it takes Portuguese meat very seriously)

Rua Amarela, in Cascais, can lose some of its buzz during the winter, when the terraces of this gastronomic hub become quieter and more subdued, but since the end of December there has been one more good reason to go there: a new space that promises to raise the bar even higher in the area. When you walk through the doors of José Ignácio, don’t turn back – yes, you are in the right place. But the first thing you will see is a butcher’s counter.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a restaurant? It was and it is. All you need to do is walk through a door (which we actually think should be replaced by the traditional strip curtains you find in butcher’s shops, to fully commit to the concept) and head upstairs to understand what it is all about. With walls lined with countless bottles of wine and a homely, welcoming décor, José Ignácio promises to serve outstanding cuts of meat.

The idea, one of the project’s partners Martim Oliveira explains to Time Out (he also runs other nearby restaurants such as Sr. Manuel, Malacopa, Residente and La Contessa), was to create “a rustic space where people feel they are being looked after as if they were in José and Ignácio’s home”. The venue takes its name from two Argentinians, meat specialists with whom the A Gerência group had already been working for some time. “We had known José and Ignácio for several years; they did events and were very used to working with this product,” Martim continues.

That expertise was joined by another decisive factor: the discovery of an exceptional supplier in the north of the country. “On one of the trips we take to get to know new restaurants and new ideas, we met a meat producer from Braga who had a product of excellent quality. We realised it made sense to build a concept around that.”

José and Ignácio used to say that Argentinian meat was the best in the world. “When they tasted this one, they were very, very surprised,” the partner adds with a smile.

The mission is threefold and clearly defined: the restaurant, the grocery shop and the online store. “We don’t want to be just a restaurant; we want the business to go beyond the physical space,” he explains. The idea is to make the same products, the same meat and the same curation available to those who want to recreate the experience at home, strengthening the close relationship with the local audience and extending the project’s reach beyond Rua Amarela.

At the butcher’s counter and grocery shop, you can buy not only different cuts of meat, but also other products used daily in the restaurant, from special grilling salt to bread, wine and sauces. Through the online store, these products can be delivered throughout the country – and even beyond Portugal. “We want people to be able to consume our products not only here, but also in their own homes,” says Martim.

But it is through the restaurant that they aim to showcase the full potential of all these products and the reason why they are so focused on becoming a reference point in and beyond Cascais. On the menu, the focus is on the grill and ageing, with cuts that stand out on an increasingly competitive Rua Amarela. Tomahawk (€84/kg), chuletón (€84/kg), T-bone (€84/kg) or sirloin (€90/kg) are designed for sharing, but if you are more on the selfish side and don’t like anyone touching your plate, there are individual options such as the charcoal-grilled aged entrecôte (€25) or the José Ignácio fillet steak (€22, or €16 if your stomach can only manage half).

Before getting to the cuts, there is also a starters menu to explore, with options such as José’s empanadas (€6), filled with sautéed beef fillet, onion, fresh peppers, egg and chives; the brioche steak and Parmesan sandwich (€12), with beef fillet, rocket and béarnaise sauce; or the wagyu carpaccio with oyster sauce (€18). Those who don’t want meat from start to finish will find eclectic options such as grilled mushrooms with burrata and Iberian pork jowl (€10), artichokes with chimichurri and Parmesan (€10) or smoked burrata with pan tomate (€12).

The side dishes may seem simple, but they also aim to surprise: there are charcoal-grilled asparagus with Parmesan (€5), José Ignácio mac & cheese (€5) or oven-baked rice with cured sausages (€5), with chouriço and black pudding (which could easily stand on its own as a main dish).

To finish the meal, desserts are a must. Highlights include the Traditional Argentinian Flan (€6) and the Basque cheesecake cooked in the Josper (€6).

The drinks list is divided between classic cocktails, house creations and a wine selection that includes labels such as Descabido (€19 a bottle; €4 a glass), a red wine produced by the A Gerência group. Among the cocktails, we tried mixes such as the Red Trigger (€11), with whisky, vermouth, lime juice and spicy syrup, and the Pink Crush (€11), a kind of grapefruit caipirinha. Fans of the popular margaritas from neighbouring Malacopa are in luck – they are also available here (€9).

Martim’s dream, a Cascais local through and through, is for José Ignácio to become part of the town’s daily life, with its tables increasingly filled by locals – and also to make its way into Portuguese diets through online orders. Until the cuts of meat are spread across barbecues from north to south of Portugal, he can be satisfied with having built a house that will certainly become a must-stop on Rua Amarela.

Rua Afonso Sanches 44 (Cascais). Tue-Thu 12.00-00.00; Fri-Sat 12.00-02.00; Sun 12.00-00.00

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