What’s new in Cascais

Does the idea of lying on a sofa for therapy put you off? What if it came with a table full of healthy food instead? That’s the concept behind The Therapist in Monte Estoril. After opening in Alvalade and LX Factory, Joana Teixeira’s project has now landed on Avenida Sabóia. It stays true to the foundations laid over eight years ago, but with a refreshed mantra: Eat With Purpose. Bright and laid-back, the menu is designed to be inclusive, with each dish labelled according to its function – detox, power, immunity, mind or beauty.

Anyone walking into Pow Chicks unprepared might think it’s a long-standing American franchise – but it’s actually a homegrown concept with a very recent story. After two years serving chicken burgers from a dark kitchen in Alvalade, the first physical space opened in Campo Pequeno in 2025, followed by a second in Estoril, right by the Casino gardens, in 2026. The look is retro, with a vibe straight out of 1950s and ’60s American diners. The menu keeps things focused, with five chicken burgers, all made from deboned thigh, seasoned, hand-breaded and fried to order. The Pow Chick’s stacks cheddar, bacon and pickles with a house sauce, while the Hot Honey Chick’s plays on the contrast between spicy honey and pow mayo. On the side, expect fries and a line-up of snacks – cheese balls, chicken bites, jalapeño cheese and mac and cheese balls. Drinks lean into milkshakes, while dessert is all about cookies, from red velvet to classic chocolate.

At Dona Ana Baiana, Ana Coelho brings a slice of Bahia to Cascais with homely, comfort-driven cooking – now in Galerias do Estoril, after six years at Mercado da Vila and a stint at Casa da Guia, which was destroyed by Storm Martinho. The new space is smaller and more intimate, with a focus on personal service, and Ana remains the sole cook in the kitchen. On the menu are Brazilian favourites like banana moqueca, shrimp acarajé, couscous with egg and queijo coalho, and cassava chips. For dessert, don’t miss the mungunzá, a traditional Brazilian sweet.

Looking for a spot where you can sip an ice-cold beer while listening to Interpol or The Strokes and catching NBA highlights, the Super Bowl or a football match? It’s a pretty specific brief –but if you’re in central Cascais, we’ve got just the place. Crow’s Bar has had a second life. Once a rock bar, it’s now a sports bar, with five screens and tables arranged to create a proper stadium feel. Alongside the cocktails, there’s now food too: a menu inspired by American classics, with snacks ranging from salted peanuts to nachos with guacamole and, of course, BBQ chicken wings. After something more substantial? Go for the Philly cheesesteak, a 200g Angus cheeseburger or slow-cooked BBQ ribs.

Think shopping centres are all about pizza, burgers and fast food? Think again: in Cascais, you can tuck into ramen with centuries of tradition behind it. Wang Shifu Lamian has opened on the first floor of CascaiShopping, with one speciality front and centre: lamian noodles. Typical of northern China, these wheat noodles are made entirely by hand – lamian literally means “hand-pulled”. The magic lies in the technique: twisting, stretching and folding the dough again and again until it forms fine strands, with the thickness and length determined by how many times it’s folded. The menu is short but focused, designed to let the quality of each dish shine. Highlights include the Lanzhou Lamian – Original, with noodles, broth, beef, pickled radish, Chinese cabbage, egg, spring onion and coriander (optional, if you’re firmly in the anti-coriander camp), and the Lamian with wonton, pairing noodles with a rich beef stew.

Right in the middle of Mercado da Vila, there’s a spot that’s both Roman and Rio-born: Pizza do Gagau. Created by Edgar Dieckmann (aka Gagau) in Rio de Janeiro, it started out serving frozen pizzas with a thin, crispy base, designed to combine quality, flavour and convenience. Made with 00 flour, a 24-hour fermentation and a pre-baked base, the menu covers the classics as well as Brazilian-leaning options – think calabresa with onions, chicken with catupiry, or the catuperoni, which brings together catupiry and pepperoni.

On Rua Amarela in Cascais, a new spot opened at the end of December, blending restaurant, butcher and grocery store, with Portuguese meat at its heart. José Ignácio focuses on high-quality national cuts, crafted with care on the grill and through careful ageing. The ambition goes beyond the table: bringing the same curated products into customers’ homes, strengthening the connection to local territory and meat culture.

Entrepreneur Viviane Rocha has brought a historic Cascais space back to life, with a menu rooted in Portuguese cuisine and Mediterranean influences, all centred on top-quality ingredients. The project preserves the house’s traditional identity, with reworked classics, chef Benjamin Villaças at the helm, and a setting designed for long, leisurely meals.