berny

Very excited about finalizing my itinerary. Will be in the Minho near Ponte de Lima 4 nites, 1 nite Bussaco, 2 nites Marvao, 2 nites Evora, 2 nites Sintra & 3 nites Lisbon. Love delicious food, just don't like fried food. Love fresh & simple or gourmet. Small and low key or upscale. Please share your favorites or your "very goods." Looking forward to hearing your advice.

grace_omalley

We stayed in Ponte de Lima four years ago so the names of restuarants have faded in my memory, but there are plenty of good eateries there and we found Portugese food to be healthy and delicious and very little in the way of fried food. I remember lots of seafood, interesting stuff like barnacles, and yes, they were quite good. I also remember a platter of steamed peppers, most of them mild, and then whoa! You get a surprise! They have lots of beans and rice, pork, kid goat. One night we had roasted chestnuts as a side. In my opinion it is one of the best cuisines we have had in out travels.

AltheainTO

Hello -

I was in Portugal a year ago, and found the food very hit and miss! For a while I travelled with a friend who had a Routard Guide and the food suggestions were great (just don't know if they publish in English - see www.routard.com to check it out). Or look for the Routard sticker in teh window - there will be many French dining there.

In Sintra I went to Tulhas a couple of times - rue Gil Vicente, 4-b. If you stand and face the Tourist office, it's on the little street just to the right of the office. Very, very good, and reasonable!

Other suggestions from Routard in Sintra I didn't get to:
Casa da Aro - rua Visconde de Monserrate, 44
Tasca co Manel, largo Dro Virgilio hortas, 5
Restaurante o Regional, travessa do Municipio, 2

Good luck!

Brazilnut

While in Lisbon, do not miss "O Cantinho do Bem Estar". It is a very small place (only 8 tables, I think), but it has fantastic food at very reasonable prices. You might have to wait a little while, specially on weekends (a lot of locals). But it is worth it. Try the "prato do dia" (dish of the day), or "Arroz de Tambal com Gambas" (Rice with Fish and Shrimp - superb!). The desserts are also delicious!

Beware: it closes on Mondays (all other nights it is open to about 22hs00) and they only accept cash.

O Cantinho do Bem Estar
Rua do Norte, 46 (Bairro Alto)
Tel. +351-21 346 42 65

sssteve

If you like fish, you'll love the restaurants in Portugal - even the simplest ones. The fish is absolutely the freshest I have tasted anywhere (and I live on the Mediterranean coast) and they know exactly how to cook it - generally grilled. Don't look too hard for gourmet, but if it's "...fresh & simple..." that you're looking for, Portugal fits the bill!

Check out my web site for some specific restaurants where we ate during our recent visit to Portugal:

http://www.travel.stv77.com/portugal/pt.htm

bowen

Hi berny,
Your vacation to Portugal made me wonder if any of the places you are visiting are close to the wildfires that Portugal is battling right now. If you are not aware of this news, please go to the following link for an update of areas worst hit by the fires as well as satellite images and maps.

http://earth.esa.int/ew/fires/Portugal_aug05/

Brazilnut

Sorry, I gave you the wrong information. THe dish I was talking about is "Arroz de Tamboril", and not de "Tambal" as previously posted.

Brazilnut

Just thought of another great little place in Lisbon: "Bem-me-quer" in the neighborhood of Alfama. Ask for the sardines ("sardinhas" they are superb!