7 Best Restaurants in Estremadura and the Ribatejo, Portugal

Perched on rocks overlooking the open ocean, on the site of a former shellfish nursery, this fashionable restaurant offers some of the best seafood in the area. As you'd expect, the day's menu depends on the sea's bounty, but it might have salmonete (red mullet), pregado (turbot), robalo (sea bass), or linguado (sole). Alternatively, opt for a cataplana of fish stew for two, or even a juicy steak. The starters are worth sampling, too, such as octopus salad or a dish of fresh amêijoas (clams).

Behind a vintage tiled facade is a widely acclaimed restaurant that has long been among the country's most popular destinations for Italian food, where everything is homemade—from the bread and pasta to the ice cream. Among mouthwatering starters are vitello tonnato and goose liver with stewed figs and port wine sauce, while delicious main dishes include shrimp pansotti with a mascarpone and dill sauce, and breast of duck with port wine sauce and tangerines. For desserts there is the ever-popular baked raspberries with lemon sorbet and a sinfonia de pêra Rocha (featuring a local pear variety, three ways).

In an old house with rustic furniture, this eatery with its second-floor dining room sits in a village that has long been a haven for gourmands. They bake their own bread on the premises—including a delicious pão chouriço (with sausage)—and there's a series of tasty starters, brought out on a board that is weighed before and after you partake. Trademark dishes include a noteworthy bacalhau com natas (codfish with cream) and duck rice; for specialties such as roast capon that must be ordered in advance, check the menu (ementa) on the website. Leave some room for a mixed dessert platter or for a brisa do Lis, a local yolk-and-almond pudding.

If you're a fan of hearty meat dishes, it's worth making the trip two kilometers (1.5 miles) south-west of Batalha to this famed purveyor of suckling pig---a regional favorite; its also offers a range of other traditional meat and fish dishes, and some vegetarian ones, too. There's a kids' menu, too. If you want to do as the locals do, order some Portuguese sparkling wine to go with your tender leitão assada.

The main draws at this smart restaurant in Pederneira, on a hill south of town, are the stunning ocean views and the octopus---grilled, roasted, stewed, or prepared in several other ways. There is also a wide range of other fine seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes, with another favorite of regulars being the veal loin tataki served with ponzu sauce. For dessert, choose from a large tray of homemade sweets.

"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.