33 Best Restaurants in Estremadura and the Ribatejo, Portugal

Considered one of Portugal's best traditional restaurants, whose eponymous chef was in 2022 decorated by the country's head of state, "Aunt Alice" is in an inconspicuous house with French windows across from Fátima's parish church, just over 2 km (1.3 miles) from the shrine. The famed arroz de pato (duck rice) and bacalhau gratinado (baked salt cod with béchamel sauce) each serve two, but there are several other fine dishes worth trying. A flight of wooden stairs inside leads down to an intimate dining area with stone walls.

"The Old Woman" is named for the owner of the tasca (cheap eatery) that once functioned here; it is now a smart, modern restaurant that pays homage to that tradition and retains many traces of its past (literally, in the case of sums chalked up on the walls), such as the seasoned tremoços (lupin seeds) you can nibble before your meal. The menu---devised by Michelin-starred chef Rodrigo Castelo---features delicious starters such as partridge escabeche and oxtail croquettes, as well as fresh fish from the Tagus River or its tributary, the Zézere, and slow-cooked meat dishes---all with tasty accompaniments such as creamy lemon rice or pickled red cabbage. For dessert, don't miss the velhoses---a classic fried sweet, here served with salted caramel and crisped cured ham.

Live sea creatures crawling around in an aquarium shaped like a blue-and-white fisherman's boat gives you an idea of what you'll find on the menu at this renowned seafood restaurant on the coast road north of Ericeira. Pick out the fish or shellfish of your choice to be prepared especially for you, such as a sapateira recheada (stuffed crab) brought to the table in its shell.