The best restaurants in Cascais

It is one of the most solid Michelin stars in the greater Lisbon area, with a cuisine that has evolved over time – curiously in a direction that is closer to its geographical location directly above the sea. It has German and French roots, with international chefs succeeded by a local; since 2018 the restaurant has been overseen by chef Gil Fernandes, who specialises in seafood and fresh fish, and there are always new items on the menu. In 2020 it opened a new outdoor area offering lighter meals. Two good ways to get to know this chef’s dishes.

As the saying goes “the prodigal son returns”. And José Avillez, a chef with two Michelin stars under his belt and more than ten restaurants in Lisbon, came home to Cascais to open a Cantinho do Avillez, the sister restaurant to those he has in Lisbon and Porto. Open since May 2019, it offers contemporary Portuguese food with influences from around the world and some links with the chef’s childhood.

Before introducing Estoril’s best artisanal pasta restaurant, it’s worth noting that a reservation is essential if you want a seat here. Lamassa has only six tables and it is in great demand, both with locals and with the Italians who live in the area. Portuguese Pedro and Italian Romina Lamassa are the people behind this venture. Romina brought with her from Italy her family tradition of making fresh pasta by hand, which she combined with traditional recipes like cacio e pepe and classic carbonara. Remember to leave room for dessert.

Few people call it Mar do Inferno - it is known locally as “Lourdes” or as “Dona Lourdes”. And everyone appeals to the family matriarch for a table on the terrace on summer days (just between us, it is better inside, but don’t tell anyone), and whom everyone thanks as they leave after filling their bellies with specialities from the nearby sea. If you are very hungry, then dive into the seafood platter, with sea bass, bream, prawns, mussels and side dishes. Or choose the Portuguese seafood stew (mariscada).

It’s a curious success story in Cascais – so much so that in mid-2017 they moved to a larger restaurant – a Neapolitan pizzeria, designed by a Brazilian couple who have lived in Portugal for 25 years, famous for creating the Marhum bikinis that for many years were worn by the town’s teenagers. Then the unexpected happened and Humberto, the family man, decided to change his life, to study the length and breadth of Italy, find suppliers in Naples (the burrata comes from Campania, for example) and open a friendly restaurant offering pizzas with fat edges and moist centres. Excellent for eating in the restaurant and for take-away.

Hake fillets with cockle rice. This speciality alone would make us very happy. But there’s more: an enormous menu with the finest seafood and fish, and where the red meat dishes are of the same high quality. The terrace is directly over the sea and the service is excellent.

This is one of the most authentic Chinese restaurants in greater Lisbon, serving the true flavours of the Kuong Tong region. Now it has a new look, complete with a glazed terrace. However, the menu remains the same, with more than 100 specialties. At lunch the mythical dim sums are the jewel in the crown and are always flying out of the kitchen, while at dinner the options are still hard to list, but let’s make it easier for you: the Peking duck and shark’s fin soup are something special.

Entering the Cimas English Bar is like travelling through a magical portal to another reality. In the golden years of the Estoril Coast, the spies and royal exiles, writers, and Portuguese and foreign politicians were regular clients of the Cima family. The menu is also a journey, this time to French (the seafood au gratin) and Galician cuisine, with an emphasis on game dishes. Two notes: the wine cellar has more than 20,000 wines and when it is in season, there is lamprey.

In 1950, an Italian countess became anaemic and asked the chef at her club to discreetly serve her raw meat. He created an exquisite dish with very fine slices of veal in mustard. The colours, reminiscent of a Vittore Carpaccio painting, were such a hit that other customers wanted to try it. La Contessa is a homage to this Italian countess and has served this speciality in all shapes and sizes since 2015. And don’t forget the tartars, ceviches and piadinas – the best has a roast beef filling. It’s best to book a table because the place is very small – except when the weather is good, when it expands into Rua Amarela.

It is one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in Cascais, going on for its 12th anniversary. A dozen years charming locals with its fusion-inspired cuisine that also has a place for some traditional dishes and one of the best salads in town (a legacy of the old French cafe that used to be there). You can choose a set order or order hot Philadelphia rolls, niguiri skin or gaijin spice.

If what you're looking for is a restaurant where you can celebrate the Portuguese "petiscar" style, i.e. order small portions of various dishes and divide everything around the table, then this is the right place. A group of waiters patrol the indoor rooms and terrace, carrying platters of potato skins, padrón peppers, eggs with asparagus, alheira croquettes, steak sandwiches, steaks, you name it. There is no better Portuguese flavour or more relaxed atmosphere. It has a younger brother in the Mercado da Vila and a more refined cousin on the road to Guincho (Páteo do Guincho).

Best known for the quality of its pastry shop – one of the best along the Cascais Line, in the region, the country, the world! – but it is an equally excellent restaurant. It only serves lunch, but everything is of the highest quality. From home-style food like omelettes and croquettes (three croquettes and a side of rice will keep the children (and the adults) happy!) to more complex fare, such as prawn curry and the famous Garrett steak.

Yes. Another seafood restaurant. But this is Cascais after all: the town of cold seas where the seafood is even tastier. Here the food can be seen on an ice display at the entrance to the restaurant – you just need to pick what you want and how much of each (200 grammes of prawns, 300 grammes of goose barnacles, 200 grammes of whelks and two tiger prawns), then your meal will be prepared and brought to your table. It has a terrace and is surrounded by the best fishmongers, for inspiration and to take some of the ingredients home.

Some people have lunch here just for the day’s specials, which are always Portuguese specialties; some enjoy going there at the end of the day, to eat some snails and drink some beer; and there are those who just want to sample the many petiscos on offer. Whatever the reason for your visit, remember to try the fried cuttlefish, the pica-pau and the crispy goat’s cheese with ginger and honey. It’s a good restaurant for sharing plates, with a good vibe, and you will need a reservation.

The location couldn't be more idyllic, right above Cascais Bay, and the concept couldn't be more appealing: a bar-restaurant where the food is for sharing. There are communal tables for groups (or not), there's a cocktail menu, there are dishes to share (or not) and there's plenty of traditional inspiration from Portugal and beyond in original gastronomic transformations. At the weekend the music plays until two. If you’re going on a date, ask for a table on one of the small balconies for two.