Hotel do Elevador

We didn’t stay overnight, but the place was spotless. The three of us Canadians had lunch with a view, and Joao and Nino helped us choose just the right meal. They were funny, too. The hot food took a while, but it was worth waiting for, especially with local wine.

Head back down the stairs and eat somewhere else, maybe a more traditional spot downtown. We waited more than an hour and forty minutes for our meals, and nobody warned us about the delay. We had to keep asking. When the food finally came, it wasn’t worth the wait. A disappointing visit to Restaurant panoramic, and I’d save my money.

We only came for dinner, not to stay at the hotel. The views were lovely, and both the food and service were good. Nuno was attentive throughout and gave us helpful suggestions for what to eat and drink.

That view and location deserved a much better meal. We were a group of 16 with a reservation made about a month ahead, and later learned the appetizer had been replaced by soup. It tasted like nothing. We asked for black pepper and got strange white pepper instead, which didn’t suit it at all. After sampling the dishes, we couldn’t believe what had been served, and many of us left food unfinished. In our 11 days travelling around Portugal, this was probably the worst meal. The quality didn’t justify the price, and the whole experience was disappointing.