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We've compiled the best of the best in Viana do Castelo - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
In a renovated mansion near the waterfront, this eatery is a prime destination for seafood; start with fish soup or sapateira recheada (stuffed crab) and continue with main dishes such as roast octopus or the unusual house bacalhau, which is fried and stuffed with bacon. Desserts include a pudim de Abade de Priscos (an especially rich crème caramel pudding) that some say is the best in the country.
You wouldn't know it from the bright, modern decor, but O Laranjeira is Viana's oldest pensão, and its restaurant serves some of the best traditional Minho cuisine around. The business is now in the hands of the third generation, who are innovating while respecting tradition and preserving the soul of the place. Any of the fresh fish dishes is a good option, but so is the roasted kid.
This smart dockside restaurant and terrace in a former warehouse is owned by a family of fish wholesalers (with their own boats) who since 2008 have been serving customers some of the best seafood around: the only meat here is on the kids' menu. Monkfish features most days, as do navalhas (razor clams), while the vegetables used are all organic. Start with a fish soup, bolinhos de bacalhau (cod cakes) or Galicia-style octopus, before moving on to fresh grilled fish or their spectacular cataplana stew. If you have a sweet tooth, end with a lindinha---a flaky pastry stuffed with sweet ground almonds.
