10 Best Restaurants in Estremadura and the Ribatejo, Portugal

This charmingly rustic restaurant just outside Tomar owes its fame to chef Maria do Céu's creativity—and the huge portions, which are enough for two. Its weekend lunch offer invariably includes delicious hearty dishes such as cabrito assado (roast kid) and cachola (pork rib and loin, served with cabbage). Most of the main dishes take time to prepare in the wood-burning oven, so everyone—even regulars—must phone in advance to put in their order. For dessert, there are fluffy fatias de Tomar and a delicious leite de creme.

Restaurants serving fresh grilled fish are ten a penny in the center of Peniche. For something deliciously different, head to the northern edge of the peninsula, where the friendly staff at Marginal serve tartares and ceviches, marinated tuna pica pau chunks, sauteed squid, cuttlefish curry, and more in a second-floor dining room with views of the ocean and the Berlengas. Their bestsellers use the fish of the day, but there are also changing daily dishes, often featuring a riot of fresh herbs or even, where it makes sense, fruit. For dessert, the cream cheese and walnut tart is a fine old family recipe.

About 5 km (3 miles) south of Leiria, O Casarão occupies a large country house surrounded by gardens where you may take an aperitif before your meal. Try the ensopado de peixe (fish stew) or, if there are two of you, maybe split an espedata de carne com gambas (skewers of beef and shrimp), or roast bacalhau.

This bustling tavern in the delightfully named village of Imaginário is no place for fussy eaters: it is renowned for regional dishes such as polvo na telha (octopus grilled on a roof tile) and morcela de arroz (a type of blood sausage). Leave some space for the eggy desserts, which are all homemade and delicious. Note that reservations are only accepted by phone, not by email.

This restaurant is known for showcasing regional cuisine, with dishes such as chicken or partridge na púcara (cooked in an clay pot)—many of which evolved in local monasteries—but they also take pride in house specialties such as liver with onion escabeche or bacalhau baked with a crust of cornbread and farinheira sausage. The walls are hung with local memorabilia and photos of the family that has run the place since 1938.

Owner Dona Celeste likes to personally greet guests—who have included record-breaking U.S. surfer Garrett McNamara—at the entrance to her seafood restaurant on the Atlantic seafront. Among popular dishes here are espadarte à Celeste (swordfish with cream-and-mushroom sauce) and squid or monkfish on the spit. This coast is famous for its caldeirada (a Portuguese version of bouillabaisse with nine kinds of fish). Perhaps the most spectacular dishes here are the cataplana de peixe com camarão e amêijoas for two (fish stew with shrimp and clams, served with a flourish). In summer, it's a good idea to book ahead.

With fishing nets and baskets hang from walls, this Portuguese fisherman's tavern has a genuine feel, and the loud service adds to its character. Seafood is the only option, but it is renowned here—such as spider crab or rock lobster—and many diners come for the feijoada de marisco (bean and shellfish stew).

Photos of satisfied patrons vie with bullfight posters on the wall of this rustic restaurant run by the great-grandson of the original owner, testifying to the popularity of its hearty traditional fare at affordable prices. Specialties—in servings large enough for two—include toiro bravo (wild bull) and entrecosto com arroz de feijoca (spareribs with red beans and rice), but the menu is overhauled daily. The restaurant now has several offshoots in the region, one of them in the Santarém Hotel.

Tucked away on a side street far from the touristy seafront, this tavern attracts diners from far and wide with delicious fresh fish and meat dishes cooked in its wood-burning oven. There are changing daily specials, but regular dishes include bacalhau à tasca (fried codfish with onions and potatoes) and rice-stuffed cuttlefish.

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.