'Simple, delicious and clean’: The best restaurant I’ve tried this week in Port Orange

Whether a true foodie with a palate for international cuisine, or an experimental diner looking for somewhere new to feast, this hidden treasure has just the right variety of scratch-made creations to please all preferences.

Bela Lisboa opened its doors in the initial days of 2021 and, with local residents continually singing its praises online, it was time I finally made my first visit — and it certainly won’t be my last.

Hoping to mirror the flavors of their well-traveled lives, owners Jo Vagos, a Portugal native, and Anca Vagos, who hails from Romania, are insistent on awaking Volusia County residents' tastebuds with a diverse, tradition-rooted medley of Mediterranean fare.

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What to order at Bela Lisboa

In all things, quality takes time — and the same goes for a meal at Bela Lisboa.

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The family-owned restaurant, located within the Tuscan Village Shoppes in Port Orange, makes each dish to order, with an emphasis on crisp, clean flavors, high-protein meals and experiential dining.

“We like the idea of Mediterranean cuisine, because a lot of people are still looking for simple, delicious and clean food — this is what we offer,” Anca explained. “A lot of places, it can be difficult to find all this without all the crazy sauces and stuff like that. We like fresh, clean — a lot of olive oil, garlic and herbs.”

An undeniable best-seller and recent favorite of mine includes the snapper with shrimp — a flaky, crispy-seared fish dinner saturated in a light, white wine, lemon butter, garlic and cilantro sauce over a bed of “Portuguese punched” pounded garlic potatoes and fresh veggies.

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However, for seafood lovers looking to dine the more traditional route, the Portugal-imported salted cod is a Portuguese staple, Jo noted, whose distinct flavor requires a brief explanation for those expecting a traditional, mild fish dish.

My recent selection included the Bacalhau Lagareiro style baked cod ($27.99), doused in a mild olive oil and garlic blend, and served over a soft Portuguese punched garlic potato and seasonal vegetables. The aromatic dish’s rich, concentrated flavor and pronounced saltiness gave it a unique, yet still traditionally flaky and flavorful spin that I’ve yet to find replicated in the area.

“We don’t make anything ahead of time … I’m not going to cook stuff, leave it left over for the next day and then serve it. That’s not me — not my policy. I’d feel very guilty,” Jo said.

“And when it comes to fish — I like to serve the fish clean. I don’t do much stuff on top of it just to cover it. If you eat fish, it’s because you like fish.”

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For those who wish to take dinner up a notch, Bela Lisboa also offers “on-the-stone” interactive dining, where guests are met with a hot stone, roughly 450-500 degrees, where they prepare their raw meat or fish of choice to their liking, front and center at the table.

While choices range from the Brazilian beef, salmon and several surf and turf selections, I recently indulged in the octopus and filet mignon combo ($29.99). Both the tender serving of steak and soft, succulent octopus were served with a small side of butter and chimichurri sauce and later sliced, per Jo’s recommendation, for a quicker cook time over the stone.

“It’s nice — you cook it the way you like it,” Jo said.

“So (customers) have the option to do it themselves on the stone … and put the steak or shrimp on top, you know? It’s fun. But you also have the option to have it from the grill, where we do it ourselves.”

If you manage to save room, Bela Lisboa’s dessert selection is worth the trip in and of itself, with its Pastéis de Nata Delight being no exception.

The traditional Portugese tart, a new-to-me favorite I’ll now be regularly craving, originated in Lisbon, and effortlessly combines the elements of a creamy, caramelized custard with that of flaky, crisp pastry. Topped with a sprinkling of cinnamon and powdered sugar, the modestly portioned treat is a $6.99 no-brainer.

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Alongside its usual menu, Bela Lisboa offers a three-course early bird menu from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday priced at $19.99, and a $16.95 surf and turf special on Sundays, as well as daily happy hours with $1 mimosas from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Sundays and a daily 3-6 p.m. kids' happy hour where children 12 and younger eat for free with the purchase of an adult entrée.

What is Bela Lisboa?

The twinkling, tucked-away restaurant came about rather organically, Jo explained, after having owned a Portuguese restaurant with his wife in Romania for roughly four years, and several others, including an Italian restaurant, in Portugal and even another Bela Lisboa in Tennessee — which remains in operation under new ownership — following his move to the U.S. in 2017.

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After having frequently visited the Palm Coast area, where the couple says they connected with a large community of Portuguese-Americans, they decided to make the move to Florida in late 2020, and soon after opened shop in Port Orange.

“If you look at our location, people don’t come here by accident. When they come here, they heard about us or a friend told them … because we’re not actually exposed in the main street,” Jo said.

“We didn’t know much about the area, so we just took a chance — and we’re still here.”

Whether enjoying a flavor-dripping steak or flame-grilled chorizo, an interactive seafood dinner or glass of homemade sangria, there’s no questioning the authenticity and attention to detail that saturates every unique dish at Bela Lisboa.

“We try to please all the taste buds … because this is how we are — we’re a community spot, a community place,” Anca said.

“We are not a tourist area, so we try to rely on our community and try to make it as affordable as possible … people opened their arms for us here and supported us, so I thought, now we can support them.”

Bela Lisboa is located at 3510 S. Nova Road, Suite 119-120, in Port Orange and is open 3-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday, though they hope to re-open on Mondays in the future. For more information and details on specials, call 386-262-5828 or visit belalisboaportorange.com.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bela Lisboa in Port Orange is the best restaurant I've tried this week