San Francisco officially has a Portuguese restaurant, courtesy of former Tacolicious chef Telmo Faria. The Portuguese chef has been dreaming of this concept for the last 15 years, specifically launching a cooking career in order to open Uma Casa down the road.
Well, the day has finally arrived, and it’s clear from the extensive menu and beautifully decorated interior that this restaurant has been given some serious thought. Faria is the mastermind behind every element of both the food and 75-seat space (though operating partner Nora Furst created the drinks), both of which are heavily influenced by, of course, Portugal. While the menu — which you can see in full here — leans more traditional, the space is a straight split between Portuguese and Californian influence.
“I wanted to create this Lisbon-meets-San Francisco vibe, because when I'm in Lisbon, it always reminds me of an old European San Francisco,” Faria told Eater SF. “But I didn’t want it to be the Disney version of what the Portuguese restaurant would be.” To that end, he incorporated traditional Portuguese tiles and a lot of white and wood tones, with splashes of bright colors, to make a “clean, modern, comfortable, light, and airy space.”
Uma Casa is now open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
