We didn’t quite so know what to expect for restaurant choices/food options in Ponta Delgada. We had read that the cuisine in The Azores is typcally “peasant food” meaning meat, potatoes and veg. This wouldn’t be anything new for us having lived in Ireland for the past four years. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find a huge variety of restuarants within walking distance of the apartment we rented that were all excellent quality and offered really unique and delicious options. Our top five are listed below with some details about opening times and cost, although these things change season to season so double check on google and socials before visiting.
Number 5: Oishi
We had never had an all you can eat sushi experience before and as sushi is a cuisine we all love, it was a huge treat. Yes the portions of sashimi are small, but you can literally keep ordering as much as you want. So for €42 plus beverages, which are inexpensive in Portugal (Julian and I shared a bottle of wine and it cost €7!), all four of us had eaten so much we had to roll ourselves home. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. We tried to eat here again a second time one Friday night but they couldn’t take us as they were fully booked, so I’d recommend making a reservation on Fridays and Saturdays.
Number 4: Lan’s
Sometimes you want a slice of good pizza and for us, this restaurant was just the ticket. They also had a variety of Thai dishes which also looked really nice, but we stuck to the pizza. We didn’t make a reservation here, we just popped in around 6pm and we were able to get a table right away. It was one of the only restaurants that opens up at 6pm, many aren’t open for evening meal until 7pm. We actually ate here twice, and the price came in at €37 for all four of us both times, this included pizza with extra to take home for lunch the next day, soft drinks for the kids, and a beer for myself and Jules.
Number 3: A Tasca
This restaurant is really special and is definitely not to be missed. On google it has 4.5 stars and over 5,000 reviews so to be honest I thought it was going to be overhyped and ultimatly disappointing. I was wrong! We all absolutely loved our meal here and will eat here again if/when we get back to Ponta Delgada. Get the queijo fresco for the starter and try the pinapple cake for dessert. I’m getting hungry typing this and wish I could go eat there right now. They don’t take reservations, so it’s a first come first served basis. They actually don’t close in the late afternoon like most restaurants, so they open at 11:30am and then stay open through dinner. We arrived around 5pm thinking we’d have a snack and a drink and then head home for dinner, however we had to wait about 30 mins for a table so we decided to just stay and order dinner and we’re glad we did. Our meal here was €60 including drinks, so a little more expensive, but for the amount of food we ate and the quality of the food, it felt like a steal.
Number 2: Michel Restaurant
We ate here on our last night in Ponta Delgada and we’re disappointed that we waited so long into our trip to come here for a meal. It was literally around the corner from our apartment, we passed by the doors multiple times every day and we just didn’t know how delicious it would be. You can walk in for a lunch, but if you want to come for dinner, go on their website and make a reservation. It’s incredibly easy, just do it about 3-4 days in advance for a Friday or Saturday night reservation, those spots fill up quickly. The food was out of this world. I had ahi tuna and Julian had octopus and while we were slightly terrified, the octopus turned out to be delicious. It’s a heavier meal than you’d expect, kind of like pork. The kids had bolognese from the kids menu which was also delicious. Our meal here including drinks, 2 each for the adults, a starter and two desserts was €72 so again, more expensive, but if we’d had that meal in Ireland it would have been much much more.
Number 1: Õtaka
This was an absolute dining experience, and one of the best that Julian and I have ever had. The staff here couldn’t have been more friendly and engaging and kind. Every once in a while we love treating ourselves to a really speical meal, usually we’d get a babysitter, however we didn’t have that option here so along came the little people! We opted for the six course tasting menu with wine pairings. Frank had no interest in that so he ordered his meal a la carte, but Claire wanted to try the tasting menu and actually ate nearly every bite including the sting ray! She has an adventurous palate and we’re really proud of her. We walked in on a Friday evening to see if we could get a table and they were fully booked, so while we were there I booked a table for the following Friday. This seemed like the easiest way to make a reservation and then we got to look forward to it all week. They have 2 sittings each evening, at 6:30pm and 9pm. This was a real treat and the price reflects that, the six course tasting menu is €90 pp. I let them know about my mollusc allergy when we arrived and they didn’t need to make any ammendments to the menu.
There was another restaurant we didn’t get to try, but wanted to called Louvre Michaelense. We did pop in one evening for a drink before dinner and that was superb. The restaurant itself had a really nice and kind of quirky ambience, we’ll have to go back next time. I hope the info is helpful as you plan your holiday to The Azores and feel free to get in contact if you have any questions! kristina.bell.leonard@gmail.com
Transatlantic Leonards 