We spent quite a lot of time roaming around Cascais. As can be expected we landed up stopping at a number of places to feed our hunger and our unquenchable desire for Portuguese food. That’s how we landed up in some of the best restaurants in Cascais.
One thing that you should know about Cascais is that it is very famous for its seafood. That’s why most of the restaurants in Cascais have loads of options of fish on the menu. One of the most popular dishes is grilled sardines served up with alcohol. It’s almost like an appetizer and since they are fresh catch of the day, they taste awesome.
Almost every place that we stopped at to eat was had some amazing fish dishes. I couldn’t help but keep ordering the grilled fish because they make that dish to perfection here. Just note that all of these restaurants in Cascais aren’t places that you will stop for a full meal.
Some of them are great places to stop for breakfast or a quick snack. Since we were in the area for just three days, the list is not very extensive. I do plan to expand on it when we head back in the near future. Irrespective which places you pick off the list you will quickly realize why one of the top things to do in Cascais is to enjoy the Portuguese cuisine.
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Table of Contents
Best Restaurants In Cascais For A Quick Snack
1. Ar Mar O Cafe
If you head to the Cascais Marina, you will find that there are loads of little places where you can catch a good meal. Some of these offer spectacular views of the bay. We however were passing through and needed a stop for the children to rest their feet for a bit and chose to sit Ar Mar O Cafe. This quaint cafe has a variety of different cakes to select from. It also has some meal combinations that you can check out.
What we liked was the terrace seating area with the umbrellas overhead that allowed us to sit outdoors without burning up in the sun. If you don’t want a coffee, you can also order a beer here.
It is also a pretty busy spot so there isn’t a guarantee that you will be able to catch a table there on
2. The Portuguese Bakery
From what I understand, the Portuguese Bakery is one of the chain restaurants in the area. It is a great place if you want a cheap eat and we stopped here for a bite to eat in the morning before we headed out on our exploration of the town.
The Portuguese bakery serves up all kinds of popular Portuguese baked goods including pasteis de nata, rissois, sandwiches, toats, croissants, cakes and more. If you take one of the baked goods, ask them to heat it up for you and they will pop it in the oven for a minute or so. Totally worth the wait because you will get it nice and hot.
The rissois were the best here and they disappeared off our plates as soon as they arrived.
3. Rocha Do Inferno
If you head up towards Boca Do Inferno and want to chill a bit, you will find that some of the restaurants in Cascais are located just outside its entrance. We were a tad bit hungry with all the walking and decided to stop at Rocha Do Inferno, a cute restaurant/cafe that has a very tempting selection of ice cream. It also serves up a number of different sandwiches including Bifanas.
There are a variety of pastries that are available too. These are available in both sweet and savory options which is great for people like me who just can’t decide. The best part however is the outdoor seating area where you can just chill and enjoy the summer sun while enjoying your meal.
4. Casa Portuguesa Do Pastel De Bacalhau
Now you’ve probably heard a lot about bacalhau in Portugal. Bacalhau is cod fish and it is loved by the locals. They put it in a number of different dishes. One of the popular ways of eating bacalhau is in a pastel. This is a breaded and fried version of it. In Cascais, Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau gives you an opportunity to try this delicacy.
You can order it plain or you can pair it with a glass of Porto wine. The store is very popular with the tourists. The locals on the other hand do not visit it. Neither Shawn nor I liked the pastel de bacalhau very much but our kids did. So I guess it is pretty subjective.
Best Restaurants In Cascais For Lunch And Dinner
5. Manjar Da Villa
One of the first restaurants in Cascais that we tried out was Manjar Da Villa. If you don’t know about this cute spot, you are likely not to pass by it. THis is because it is located a bit away from the touristy part of Cascais. You have to walk a bit upslope to get to it too. Now the walk is totally worth it because the food is great and service is quick.
This was the first place that I tried the grilled fish of the day. The skin was baked crisp and the fish was moist and tasty. Shawn tried the seafood feijoada. This is a dish made out of seafood and beans with a tomato base. It is served with rice. We all tasted it and I can say that it was cooked to perfection. The girls one the other hand had seafood rice and they polished their plates.
The vibe of the restaurant is also pretty laid back. You never feel rushed or like you have to move on. After walking all day, it was a great place to unwind and relax.
6. A Nova Estrella
If you ask me about the best restaurants in Cascais and I had to pick just one, I would recommend A Nova Estrella. I say this without the slightest bit of hesitation because this place is budget friendly and its food does not disappoint.
Its owners and staff got out of their way to make you feel comfortable. For those of you who are a bit hesitant because of the language barrier, don’t worry because they speak English and I also heard them speaking French.
The menu is pretty simple. I would recommend getting the grilled fish of the day. It is executed to perfection but the highlight of our orders was the shrimp curry. It reminded us of a Goan curry and is probably why we wished we had seconds but since the quantities of food are pretty awesome, we did not have place for more.
You may be tempted to skip dessert. Don’t! We had the cheesecake and it was a slice of heaven. We were given a polaroid photograph of our visit as a memory which was super cute. A glass of port wine made its way to the table at the end for the adults and the kids had little ice creams and balloons. The personal touch here was so nice that it had us smiling all the way home.
And there you have it. These were our all time favorite stops when it came to the restaurants in Cascais. I’ve omitted a couple from the list because they just didn’t pass muster. If you can pick just one of these cool places, I would recommend going to A Nova Estrela. That was definitely my favorite!
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