O Vicente

We arrived on a Wednesday and found the restaurant closed. The young woman who welcomed us and checked us in was delightful, though. She told us about nearby places to eat, and the food at the spot she suggested was magnificent, with large portions!

The town and valley views were the highlight. The food was high quality too, from the generous bacalhau and bife portions to the arroz doce and leite creme. I had the house wine with the beef, and it went well with the meal. They have plenty of traditional Portuguese options, including their specialties, cabrito and bacalhau com broa. Service dragged a bit, especially when we were ordering and paying, though we weren’t in a hurry. I’d come back and recommend it, but faster service would be welcome. I also thought 1.40 per takeaway container was a lot, since I’m usually not charged for one.

The waiter was nice and recommended the daily special, but even that took an hour to arrive. The food tasted good and the portions seemed fine, though our four dishes were served together on a tray, adding up to almost three pieces of meat, which felt like a small portion. It was also a bit expensive. What we ordered is usually one of the cheaper restaurant dishes, so paying close to 20 € per dish felt unexpected for this kind of place.

My friend’s toasted milk cream dessert, something in the crème burley family, was better than the chocolate mouse I chose. The service was amazing and very friendly, and the costeleta de vitela I ordered was wonderful and a really full-size portion, easily enough for two. Don’t leave without getting a lifetime supply of honey. I’m so excited to get home and try it.