The best restaurants in the Azores

Associação Agrícola de São Miguel

Meat lovers should venture to the north end of the island near Praia de Santana, where the lively Restaurante Associação Agrícola offers nine beef varieties to choose from, and you can pick your preferred cut for each of them. Choose between tenderloin (lombo), sirloin (vazia) or topside (pojadouro). The signature steak is the Bife à Associação.

Address: Recinto Da Feira, Campo Do Santana, 9600-096, São Miguel

Vale das Furnas

The most recurrent suggestion by locals is to roam around Parque de Campismo and get a table at the Vale das Furnas restaurant, where fresh meats and sausages are mixed with cabbage, carrots, yams, potatoes and rice, all served in a family-size pot. Make sure to order other dishes like bacalhau (codfish), feijoada (a type of bean-based stew) and octopus ahead of time, too, so you can feast on some local nibbles while the stew pot cools off. 

Address: QMCR+2J Furnas, Portugal

Alcides

The Bife à Alcides – a chunk of beef fried in a pan with a lot of garlic and pimenta da terra – is an institution in Ponta Delgada, and reason enough to visit this restaurant. It even has John Wayne’s seal of approval.

Address: R. Hintze Ribeiro 67, 9500-049 Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

A Tasca

This is the island’s most popular restaurant. It doesn’t accept reservations so the queue can get long, but luckily, this place is open until late-night hours. Locals have raved about the tuna bifana, the pineapple cake, the signature “polvo à tasqueiro” (stewed octopus), or one of the many petiscos , but our heart goes to the tuna steak: a large and succulent tuna chunk crusted in sesame seeds and served with sweet potatoes. The wine selection is good, too, with many available by the glass. Attention everyone: they serve limpets here, too! 

Address: R. do Aljube 16, 9500-018 Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

Mané Cigano

Mané Cigano, the legendary Ponta Delgada tasca (traditional Portugese bistro), is a world expert in the art of frying sardines (Its nickname is Cervejaria Sardinha, aka Sardine Brewery, after all). They land on the tables nicely golden, with sides of yams, potatoes, pimenta da terra, a white bean paste, a saucerful of chopped onions and Galician lemon. There’s an equally famous alternative for those who don’t like fish bones: a beef stew to be covered with “lambão” sauce (fresh salsa made with onion, tomato and coriander), and served with roasted potatoes. For dessert, order a slice of queijo da ilha (island cheese) or a queijada da Graciosa - or both. Because, as Portuguese singer, Marco Paulo, once sang, 'it is possible to have two loves'.

Address: Rua Engº José Cordeiro Antiga da Calheta 3, 9500-310 Ponta Delgada, São Miguel

Genuíno

One of the mandatory pitstops in Horta is Genuíno restaurant, by Genuíno Madruga. Before welcoming customers with a cheery “welcome aboard”, Madruga never rested in the same place for long: he sailed around the world solo, twice.

Address: Rua Nova, 9900-038, Horta, Faial

Praya

Try the brand new Praya, a tapas restaurant/terrace on Almoxarife beach.

Address: H94R+H2 Praia do Almoxarife, Faial

O Esconderijo

O Esconderijo is a peculiar restaurant in Cedros, founded and managed by German owners and with an international menu that changes according to the hosts’ mood.

Address: Rua Janalves 3, 9900-341 Cedros, Faial

Café Restaurante Maré Viva

This restaurant, which has one of the best views in the archipelago, reopened in May 2017. Maré Viva, in Fajã das Almas, boasts a glorious terrace with a view of Pico mountain, and serves the freshest seafood on the island. If you’ve never had limpets, this is the perfect place to try them.

Cella Bar

Cella Bar (picture above) is a reference on Pico island. It’s been dubbed “the most beautiful bar in the world”, but the sea recently messed with that beauty - could it be jealousy? In February 2017, a storm with 12-meter waves destroyed part of the building, which has since been refurbished.

Address: Rua Da Barca, Carmo, 9950-303, Madalena

Ancoradouro

Ancoradouro has earned its status as a food landmark in Pico, and the truth is, its fish and seafood dishes are unrivalled.

Address: GFG7+VH Madalena, Portugal

Ti Choa

Terceira is known for its alcatra, a local, slow-cooked pot roast made with wine and spices within a traditional, unglazed clay pot. Try it at Ti Choa, a cosy restaurant managed by the Cardoso family with hospitality that is as a generous as the portions. If you're in need of a sweet after all that meaty action, try the creamy 'doce de vinagre', another Terceira specialty that's made with milk, vinegar, cinnamon and fennel. 

Address: Grota do Margaride 1 Serreta, 9700-661, Angra do Heroísmo,Terceira

Caneta

If you like fish, you’ll like Caneta - a temple of Terceira gastronomy on the north coast, in Altares.

Address: Rua As Presas 13, Altares, 9700-308 Angra Do Heroismo, Terceira

Boca Negra

An authentic place in Porto Judeu, which serves a famous octopus meant to be eaten with bread - for you own good, don’t order the side of baked potato and never, ever question the veracity of Portuguese football team Sporting’s 22 titles.

Address: Largo Sto António 1, 9700-368 Porto Judeu, Terceira

Central Pub

Central Pub is the meeting point for locals and tourists in Vila do Porto. It’s been on the island for more than 50 years and mainly serves pizzas in an English pub atmosphere.

Address: R. Dr. Luís Bettencourt 9580, 9580-522 Vila do Porto, Santa Maria 

Pôr-do-Sol

A meal at Pôr-do-Sol (above) might be a tricky trek, but you'll be rewarded with a wonderful meal under a lush landscape. This traditional Azores restaurant is located on top of a hill, with of great view of the sunset (hence the restaurant name). The atmosphere inside is welcoming with a stunning terrace on this side of the Atlantic. Try the homemade sausages, the seaweed pies, the fennel soup or the pork stew.

Address: CPPV+FC Fajãzinha, Portugal

Caldeirão

Barca cabbage, Corvo-style grilled beans, seaweed pies and liver sauce are all typical island dishes, but you will rarely find them on the menu of Corvo’s (few) restaurants. If you want to try them, make some local friends and wait for them to invite you to dinner - it’s easier than you think. And while you’re waiting for those bonds to strengthen, check out Caldeirão, right next to the aerodrome.

Address: Aeródromo do Corvo (CVU, Corvo - V. Corvo - Flores, 9980-000, Corvo

Corvo: BBC Lounge

The busiest spot on the island is BBC Lounge (picture above), with nights of bingo, quizzes and karaoke, as well as francesinhas (Porto’s famous meat and gravy sandwiches). Fun fact: BBC is an acronym for “Bar dos Bombeiros do Corvo” (Corvo’s Firemen Bar).

Address: Av. Nova, 9980-039 Corvo, Portugal