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There is a new spot on the Cascais Line where you can eat, sip a cocktail, and enjoy live music. Opened on 22 April, LaMusik, in Parede, fuses signature Portuguese cuisine with a concert programme curated by Rodrigo Balona. The 33-year-old music agent and manager works with artists such as Mizzy Miles, Vespa Asiática, 9 Miller, and Tixa, and organises events like Remember The 90's vs 00's. Now, this background in the urban music scene makes way for a cosier venue with seating for 35 people.
LaMusik stems from the desire of Rodrigo—who has spent over a decade navigating the ins and outs of music and nightlife production with great agility—to create a more intimate project. "I dream of one day owning a large venue, like a club or a concert hall." After much research, he came across the space that Time Out visited and where this conversation took place.
"I felt it wouldn't work if we were just a bar with live music—a place where people come, sit down, have a drink, and that's it. So, my idea was to enhance the experience and take on the role of a restaurant, so that customers would stay longer, ordering more, whilst complementing the experience of listening to a band or an instrumentalist," he explained.
The kitchen was handed over to chef David da Conceição after a single, spot-on interview: "I did one, and there was no need for any more. We had great chemistry. He understood exactly the concept I wanted and developed a signature Portuguese menu with a fine-dining touch," Rodrigo explains.
The culinary offerings at LaMusik are divided into several chapters using musical terminology. First up are the Interludes (starters), featuring dishes like the alheira croquettes, served with a dill mayonnaise (€6).
For the main courses (Crescendo), we tried the 250-gram entrecôte, which arrives at the table accompanied by a literally flaming sprig of rosemary, house butter, asparagus, and rustic potatoes (€20). We also tried a recreation of a national classic, christened Bacalhau à LaMusik (LaMusik-style cod), beautifully served in layers with potato wedges, confit onions, shredded leeks, and an egg yolk (€16). "Our cod is quite special. It’s inspired by bacalhau à Brás and is slow-cooked at a low temperature to make it tenderer and more flavourful," Rodrigo explains. There are also the surprising ovos rotos (broken eggs), served with shoestring potatoes, confit onions, and roasted peppers, available with or without the traditional cured ham (€7/€10).
For the final flourish of the meal (Finale), the sweet and original creations range from a citrus and ginger cheesecake (€8) to ice creams with flavours such as rosemary (€2.50) or hibiscus and mint (€2.50).
To accompany the meal or extend the evening after dessert, LaMusik boasts a signature cocktail menu inspired by great names in international music, whose aromatic profiles seek to reflect each artist's personality. Among the choices sampled by Time Out were the Sade—described as elegant and commanding, made with limoncello, ginger tea, and sparkling wine (€12); the Amy Winehouse—characterised as bold, irreverent, and full of attitude, combining Bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, and red wine (€10); the Anderson .Paak—which blends tequila, mezcal, amaro, red berries, and soda (€12); and finally, the Frank Ocean—a cocktail composed of gin, red berries, lime, and tonic (€12).
Looking to the future, the plans for LaMusik involve consolidating the venue and perhaps blending the current weekly line-up—anchored in jazz, bossa nova, and soul—with the urban music scene that Rodrigo usually works with. "I’ve been captivated by exploring this more acoustic and intimate side, but as we grow, we will look into other directions. I’ve been speaking with some musicians about hosting open mics here and connecting the urban scene, in some way, to this setting we are building. Maybe one day I’ll invite the artists I manage to do a surprise gig here, but for now, I want to establish LaMusik as a place where people can come to listen to jazz, bossa nova, or soul."
Rua José Relvas 12 (Parede). Wed-Thu 19.30-22.00; Fri-Sat 19.00-02-00