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The heat outside was unbearable. It was one of those days when it was only possible to exist in the water of a swimming pool or at the beach, or else shut indoors with a fan pointed directly at your face. So, what were we doing inside a small restaurant (which didn’t have ventilation yet)? No, we weren’t eating one of those crisp little salads (the kind with pasta and fruit and such). Instead, with our fingers smothered in sauce, we were feasting on pastrami and mopping up the leftover bread in "Thousand Island" dressing.
We are at Let’s Pastrami, which opened a second branch in Cascais on 22 May. The project by Russian-born Maxim Letunovskiy expanded to the town following the success of a pop-up in March at Holy Wine and due to the sheer volume of customers he had already garnered at the Lisbon shop on Rua dos Poiais de São Bento.
"We didn’t want to expand so soon, but we had many customers from Sintra, Ericeira, and Cascais who would travel to Lisbon and say they wanted something closer—that they didn't want to go to the capital just to eat our sandwiches," Maxim shares. The new establishment occupies the structure of a former traditional Portuguese restaurant in the town centre, benefiting from a considerably larger kitchen than the one in Lisbon; this is now where all the brand’s smoked meat production is concentrated.
21st-century technology and obsessive curing
After spending time in Barcelona and Kazakhstan, Max settled in Portugal at the end of 2022. He brought with him several years of experience as a director and head chef in Moscow, where he first began working with pastrami about ten years ago.
When he moved to Lisbon, he noticed that there were hardly any places specialised in sandwiches or pastrami, and saw an opportunity. The brand's first space opened in the capital in January 2024, after more than six months of planning. "Pastrami was born in the United States, and the truth is that beef brisket used to be one of the cheapest cuts of meat. But if it’s done well, it’s delicious," the co-creator recalls.
Distinguishing itself from traditional Texas-style smokehouses like Kau, Let’s Pastrami adapted its technology for an urban setting. "Our idea was always to think about how to make pastrami in the 21st century. It had to be something ideal for a big city. We use isolated smoke rooms where the smoke is controlled and hardly escapes outside," the founder explains. Furthermore, the brand champions local ingredients and suppliers, using brisket from Portuguese beef, which, unlike its American counterpart, has a leaner profile and adapts perfectly to the house process. Nearly everything is homemade, including the sauces and the fermented vegetables.
The Time Out team had the opportunity to visit the new space and try some of the menu’s biggest highlights, where the sandwiches can be ordered in two weight options (110g or 220g). The Parisienne (€15.20/€20.20), which combines caramelised onions, São Jorge cheese, coleslaw, and artisanal pickles, is one of the house bestsellers. This recipe was originally created as a Christmas special in Lisbon, but it proved so popular with customers that it became a permanent fixture on the menu.
If you are looking for a spicier option, the Spicy Kimchi (€14.50/€19.50)—which pairs beef pastrami with Thousand Island dressing, melted cheese, homemade kimchi, and an intense habanero chilli reduction—is the one for you.
However, the dish that surprised us the most, partly due to the freshness it brought against the extreme heat outside, was the Salmon Pastrami sandwich (€15/€20), served with a creamy boiled egg and mayonnaise salad, cream cheese, red onion, and chives.
And speaking of surprises: Maxim decided to run an experiment with Time Out, bringing a small bowl of São Miguel cheese sauce to the table and recommending that, after taking a bite of the sandwich, we dip it into the liquid. The result was an infectious explosion of flavour, and by the end of the meal, we were using the remaining crusts to wipe up the leftover sauce. This option isn't available to customers just yet, but following this endorsement, it probably won’t be long before it hits the tables.
The menu also includes timeless classics like the Reuben (€14.20/€19.20) and the Mustard Classic (€13.20/€18.20), alongside sides like thinly sliced crisps (€5).
As for drinks, the draught craft beers from Dois Corvos (€2.70/€6) take centre stage. Although they aren't available in Cascais during this launch phase, the brand will soon introduce signature cocktails, with a heavy focus on the Bloody Mary (€11), whose complex spices and tomato base pair beautifully with the meat's smoky profile.
The Expansion of Let’s Pastrami
For the near future, Maxim Letunovskiy plans to create exclusive, limited-edition, and seasonal sandwich recipes for each of the brand’s locations. Additionally, capitalising on the fact that Cascais is a hub for cyclists, runners, and triathletes, Let’s Pastrami intends to install outdoor technical support facilities equipped with air pumps and tools for quick bicycle repairs, positioning itself as an ideal post-workout refueling station.
Also in the pipeline is the imminent opening of the brand's third location, expected in the coming weeks, in a counter format integrated into the food court at Recreio, in the Miraflores area.
Until then, whilst we wait for the official inauguration of the restaurant and the final touches, the pastrami will continue to be served, winning over even more customers and fans, come rain or (lots of) shine.
R. Afonso Sanches 21A (Cascais). Mon-Sun 12.00-22.00
See also: It’s not a cliché: the secret behind Santarita’s pizzas in Estoril is in the dough
Also: The best ice cream shops in Cascais
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