Meet the family running Watford’s new cafe serving up traditional Portuguese food.
Iberia Lounge, at 85 Queen's Road, opened on December 23 and is run by the Carvalho family hailing from Barcelos in north Portugal.
It has been set up by couple Gil Carvalho, 51, and Florinda Costa, 48, and their son, Pedro, 24, who moved to the town in 2007 and have lived in west Watford ever since.
The idea for the cafe sprung out of the family’s home catering business that they set up during the pandemic, making cakes and Portuguese specialties to order.
Pedro, who studied accounting and Spanish at the University of Hertfordshire, is now an equal partner with his parents in the business, as he handles the paperwork while they focus on the food.
“At the same time, we always want to keep the feel of Portugal and Spain with the tapas and starters.”
Iberia Lounge serves traditional cooked food, almost all of which is cooked from scratch, as well as pastries and local beer, such as Sagres or Super Bock.
For people who are unfamiliar with the cuisine, Pedro recommends trying the prawn and squid skewers grilled with garlic butter, or the Francesinha sandwich.
A specialty from the northern city Porto, it contained a sandwich of roasted meat, covered in a layer of melted cheese and a unique tomato and beer sauce.
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As well as a growing Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish clientele, Pedro has been surprised but pleased by the reaction from local people who aren’t familiar with the cuisine.
He said: “We are having quite a lot of people who aren't Portuguese. They're just locals who noticed the shop and pop by and they all appreciate my mom's smile. She's always smiley and she has a big personality."
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They have even started receiving regular customers, including one who comes in everyday.
"He does seem to enjoy the food," Pedro said. "I think he's trying the whole menu!”
The cafe is open from early till late and has been granted a licence to serve alcohol in the evening.
For the summer, they are also looking into obtaining permission to set up outdoor seating or diversifying into holding live music events.
Iberia Lounge was recently visited by Watford mayor Peter Taylor, who said: "You are guaranteed a warm welcome and fantastic food. I can recommend their pastel de nata!"
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