Il Monello
Il Monello’s spaghetti alla carbonara, just served, with crispy guanciale
Ristorante e Pizzeria · Campo Pequeno, Lisbon — since 2018

Hungry for Italy?

Fresh pasta made to order, crispy guanciale and the carbonara voted the best in Lisbon by NiT magazine. Slow-fermented Neapolitan pizza, tiramisù the way it should be.

See the menu Book a table

Reservations recommended · Campo Pequeno, Lisbon

Our story

From northern Italy to Lisbon.

Il Monello opened its doors in 2018 with one simple idea: to bring authentic Italian cooking to Lisbon — no shortcuts, and with authentic ingredients.

In 2022, chef Walei Marcolino took over the kitchen and won the title with his carbonara, opening a new chapter in the story of the ristorante. Since then the cooking has kept evolving, with new experiences such as the fortnightly menu, devoted to the flavours and traditions of Italy's different regions. Always with the same commitment: to preserve authenticity, respect for the ingredients and the essence the ristorante was built on.

Il Monello is the Italian title of The Kid, the iconic Charlie Chaplin film about a mischievous boy with a free spirit and an enormous heart.

That is the spirit of the house: irreverent in name, generous at the table. A “monello” — a mischievous kid — who takes food very seriously.

2018

Il Monello opens its doors in Campo Pequeno, Lisbon.

2022

Walei Marcolino takes over the kitchen and carries the project on, keeping its commitment to authentic Italian cooking.

2024

The carbonara is voted the best in Lisbon by NiT readers.

Chef Walei Marcolino, in a flat cap and white chef’s jacket, holding a plate of spaghetti alla carbonara in front of the wine wall Chef Walei Marcolino
The chef

Walei Marcolino

Brazilian, Walei Marcolino has a long career in gastronomy and is today fully devoted to Italian cooking. Across 19 years of training and experience, he has specialised in several fields, among them sommellerie and pastry.

He taught culinary arts at SENAC in Brazil and holds a number of professional qualifications, notably the ProChef I certification awarded by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), one of the world’s most respected culinary schools.

He moved to Portugal for a master’s in gastronomy — and ended up leading Il Monello’s kitchen. Today he splits his time between Lisbon and João Pessoa, supporting the new opening — fine-tuning pizzas on both sides of the Atlantic.

1ProChef I certification, awarded by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
2Master’s degree in gastronomy, in Portugal
3Head of Il Monello’s kitchen since 2022
4Culinary teacher at SENAC, in Brazil
Tagliatelle al ragù on the dining room’s green tablecloth
Tagliatelle al ragù — fresh pasta
Il Monello’s dining room with the Chaplin Kid mural
Our painting — The Kid, 1921
The signature dish

The best carbonara in Lisbon.

The city said it, not us: in 2024, in a readers’ poll by NiT magazine with 8,592 ballots, Il Monello’s carbonara took first place with 3,627 votes. The recipe was born back in Brazil, before Walei moved to Portugal, and became the dish that defines the house.

Spaghetti alla carbonara with caramelised guanciale, pecorino and black pepper
42.21%

of the votes in NiT’s poll — 3,627 votes, first place

8,592

ballots cast in the vote for Lisbon’s best carbonara

+30

carbonaras served per day, every single day

The secrets, according to the chef

Secret no. 1

No cream. Ever.

The creaminess comes from egg, cheese and technique — as Roman tradition demands.

Secret no. 2

Pasta cooked to order

The pasta only hits the water when your order reaches the kitchen. No exceptions.

Secret no. 3

Respect for the guanciale

Fat, protein and sugars call for patience: guanciale never goes straight into a hot pan.

The kitchen, according to the chef

“Over the years, I kept refining the creaminess.”

Chef Walei Marcolino — to NiT, 2024
Groups and events

Sharing good moments at the table.

A complete menu at a fixed price per person, for birthdays, company dinners and family gatherings.

At Il Monello, the Group Menu was designed to turn any event into a memorable experience, bringing together the most authentic flavours of Italian cooking.

It opens with one of the house specialities, the pizza fritta, followed by a selection of main courses that includes Neapolitan pizzas, fresh pasta, ravioli and salads. To finish, classic Italian desserts such as our tiramisù.

The menu also includes drinks — sangria, soft drinks, beer and coffee. Beyond these options, we have further suggestions so you can find the best fit for your group and the occasion.

Price per person
€26.90
Starter, main course, dessert, drinks and coffee
Talk to us See the menu as PDF

To start per iniziare

  • Pane all'aglioPizza dough seasoned with garlic cream, finished with grana padano.
  • Pizza fritta MargheritaPomodoro sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil and grana padano.

Pizzas your choice

  • MargheritaClassic Neapolitan with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil.
  • DiavolaTomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami (ventricina) and nduja.
  • EstateMozzarella, rocket, fresh cherry tomato, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fleur de sel and fresh buffalo mozzarella.
  • FunghiMozzarella, sautéed mixed mushrooms and rocket.
  • 4 FormaggiMozzarella, gorgonzola, grana padano and pecorino.

Pasta and salad your choice

  • Spaghetti alla bologneseSpaghetti with ragù alla bolognese.
  • Paccheri ai funghiShort pasta in mushroom cream, with cream and grana padano.
  • Pappardelle al ragù di cinghialeLong pasta with wild boar ragù.
  • Ravioli di fico e zolaPasta filled with fig and gorgonzola, finished with crisp parma ham.
  • Insalata capreseTomato, mozzarella, pesto genovese and basil.

Desserts dolci

  • TiramisùSavoiardi biscuit, mascarpone and coffee.
  • Budino al caramello e amarettiCaramel pudding with amaretti biscuit.

Drinks bevande

  • Water, lemonade and soft drinks
  • Sangria — red, white or rosé2 l per 3 people.
  • Beer 20 cl2 per person.
  • CoffeeIncluded in the menu.

Drinks are served according to the option chosen by the group. For other suggestions or specific dietary needs, talk to us — we will find the best fit for your group and the occasion.

The space

Simple outside, generous inside.

A simple, unfussy room with no decorative excess, where all the attention goes to the plate. In a quiet neighbourhood near Avenida de Roma, with tables on the terrace and warm, familiar service — like a neighbourhood ristorante in Italy.

Terrace Warm, personal service Quiet neighbourhood All about the food
Il Monello’s dining room: set tables, vintage posters and the Chaplin Kid mural on the wall The dining room — with Chaplin’s Kid on the wall
Visit us

The table is set.

Address Rua David de Sousa, n.º 12
1000-107 Campo Pequeno, Lisboa
Phone +351 21 583 2023
Reservations Book online — TheFork
Area Between Campo Pequeno and Av. de Roma / Areeiro
Opening hours Tue–Thu: 6–11 pm
Fri–Sun: 12–3 pm · 6–11 pm
Monday: closed
Instagram @ilmonello.ristorante
Google 4.7 ★ — 800+ reviews
Brazil @ilmonellojp — João Pessoa
Il Monello

Rua David de Sousa, n.º 12 — a short walk from Campo Pequeno.

Get directions
Book a tableBook online — TheFork