Where to eat on Sao Miguel – the north coast

Following on from our top tips on Where to eat in Ponta Delgada, if you’re exploring outside of the capital we have a handy series of guides on where to eat on Sao Miguel.

Here’s our guide on where to eat on the north coast…

#01 – If you’re staying at one of our houses at Casa do Monte in Capelas (Casa Lareira, Casa do Pompal or Casa Granel) – you’re close to one of our favourite north-coast restaurants. The 4 Platanos restaurant is in the nearby village of Santo Antonio – when reserving, request a table on the top floor terrace; the view along the Sao Miguel’s north coast is outstanding:

#02 – Heading onto the north coast…hidden in the small town of Rabo de Peixe is the Alves Devine chocolateire. Pastry chef and chocolatier Tiago Alves is combining Sao Tomean chocolate with a wide variety of local ingredients to create fifty-seven (and counting) unique Azorean flavours: Gorreana green tea, fortified Lajido wine from Pico, and Sao Miguel pineapples to give a few examples. If you have a sweet tooth, it’s well worth making a detour for coffee and cake:

#03 – One of the island’s best restaurants is a five-minute drive inland from Rabo de Peixe. Quinta dos Sabores is a fabulous ‘farm-to-table’ restaurant, growing their own organic produce in the quinta’s fields and polytunnels. The parents of owner Paulo own a vineyard on the mainland, and their excellent wines are paired with a fixed six-course menu of imaginative and simply-prepared dishes which allow the excellent produce to shine. Take cash (currently no card payments) and I’d recommend booking well in advance – they only have nine tables and they’re becoming increasingly popular:

#04 – This next recommendation will often initiate a heated argument amongst Azorean friends. The Restaurante da Associação Agricola (also in Rabo do Peixe) is renowned for it’s steaks – some say the best steaks on the island. That crown was once undisputedly held by the Restaurant Alcides in Ponta Delgada – that’s where the argument begins. For me: the steaks are better at the Associação but there’s a more-mellow atmosphere to the old stone-architecture of Alcides:

#05 – Taking a short detour down to the surfers beach at Santa Barbara – the Tuká Tulá Bar is another great sea-and-sunset location, and perfect for lunch if you’re planning a day at the beach:

#06 – Heading west along the coast, you’ll come to another of our old favourites: the Restaurante Cantinho Do Cais in Sao Bras. Owner Jorge is famous for fish soup (sopa da peixe) and his stews (caldeirada de peixe):

#07 – We’ll often recommend a visit to the Fábrica de Chá Gorreana – the tea planation at Gorreana,  the oldest tea planation in Europe (founded in 1883). Less well-known is their excellent café where you can eat lunch overlooking the planation – there’s also a gift shop where you can pick-up some of their excellent Pekoe teas:

#08 – Hidden away in the far north-east corner of Sao Miguel is the Parque Natural dos . On the lower slopes of the Serra da Tronqueira, this protected park with it’s waterfalls, botanical gardens and preserved 16^th Century water mills is a lovely spot for picnic lunch – or there’s an excellent café overlooking the Ribeira do Guilherme valley:

Our Where to eat guides are based on our first-hand experience of visiting the Azores and our love of great Portuguese cuisine:

Where to eat in Ponta Delgada

Where to eat on Sao Miguel – Sete Cidades and the west

Where to eat on Sao Miguel – the north coast

Where to eat on Sao Miguel – Furnas and the east

Where to eat on Sao Miguel – the south coast

Where to eat in Angra

Where to eat on Terceira

Where to eat on Flores, Corvo and Santa Maria

Where to eat in Lisbon

Where to eat in Funchal

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