O Colmo

The coffee was good, and the staff were friendly. I went fairly early for lunch and didn’t encounter the slow service others mentioned. The food was okay but didn’t wow me. My espetada was well seasoned, though the meat was a little salty and fatty. The sides were the bigger letdown: the fries were cold and didn’t taste fresh, and the corn was undercooked for my liking. They were out of the drink I wanted and my second choice too, even though both are common soft drinks in Portugal. This is about the restaurant only, as I visited Santana for the day and didn’t stay overnight.

The staff spoke excellent English, and the €10 meal deal was good value. It’s a beautiful restaurant with plenty of choice.

Service was quick, and there were plenty of sides, which was nice. There isn’t much in town, so good luck. The meat was cured rather than fully cooked from raw, and it was tasteless, with barely any meat, goat wheel or bones, or even ego paper. There were also so many flies that it was hard to focus.

The staff made my 50th birthday special, and they were wonderful. Breakfast was good, varied and well looked after, and both the restaurant food and service were great. We especially enjoyed the Espatada, and the takeaway pizzas were delicious with loads of toppings. The hotel is in a quiet town with plenty of good food and shops nearby, a perfect base for a hiking holiday. We spent three nights here. Our large, nice room had a great balcony and a good-sized bathroom with a bath and shower. There’s even a friendly, chatty Parrot.