MAKE THE MOST OF THE MINHO
Bars & Restaurants
People eat well in the Minho region. The green, fertile land provides an abundant supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for cooks to work with. Many of the local wines are not known outside Portugal. The usual explanation is that production from individual vineyards is too small for export but after tasting the dozens of excellent wines produced in the region you could be excused for thinking the sensible Portuguese keep it for themselves and their guests. Our list of favourite restaurants grows every time we go back to the Quinta but here are some of our highlights.
Bars
EATING IN
Book a Local Cook
Local chef Marta and her husband Carlos will come to Quinta de Agriboa to prepare a meal for your group. They create a menu, do the shopping, cook, serve the meal and clean up. The food they prepare is of a very high standard and a great opportunity to pick up some tips for cooking authentic Portuguese meals at home.
For larger groups the cost per head for 3 courses with 2 choices is around €35 per head. We usually have enough food left for lunch next day. This experience has proved extremely popular with guests and can be booked through Sergio and Diana. During high season they are extremely busy and should be booked well before you go to Portugal.
Restaurants
The “Red Door” is an extremely popular tapas bar across the bridge and about 200 yards up the hill from the main square in Ponte de Lima. Run by a husband-and-wife team, it is one of our favourite places to eat in the town and caters for every taste. They also have an excellent wine list.
Take the motorway in the direction of Viana and the exit at Estaraos. Beira Rio is next to the church that dominates the village. The house speciality is caracois, or snails, and beer. The beer is served in metal tankards that come straight from the deep-freeze. For the less adventurous, they also serve other local dishes but we would recommend tasting the snails. There is a river beach about a hundred yards from the bar, which is a popular spot for a BBQ or picnic.
This is one of the most traditional restaurants we have found, specialising in a dish called sarabulho. This delicacy of the Minho region includes every edible part of a pig and is accompanied by salad and rice cooked in the pig’s blood. People come from all over the north of Portugal to taste sarabulho in Ponte de Lima. The restaurant is located behind the main square. Best to book on Sundays
Overlooking the Lima River on the opposite bank from the centre of Ponte de Lima, Acude never fails to impress. The food and the service are excellent. Specialities include cabrito or roast goat. Acude is on the north side of the river and is sign posted about 100 metres before the roundabout that leads to the bridge. Excellent wine list.
Down a narrow lane in the oldest part of town, superb food and wonderful service has seen this restaurant double in size in 2023 when they took over an adjacent building. There has been no loss of quality. In the summertime it is an absolute joy to sit outside in the shade of the lane along from the historic cathedral. The owner, Sylvia, is professional and friendly and chats effortlessly with guests in five languages.
This is another high quality restaurant within a few kilometres of Quinta de Agriboa. Drive straight through the roundabout after the BP filling station and Cozinha Velha is the first building on the right hand side. We were impressed by the character and relaxed ambience of Cozinha Velha as soon as we stepped inside the door. The décor is simple – the owners have laid out hundreds of bottles of Portuguese wine in antique boxes around the room. The speciality is suckling pig, which can also be ordered as a take away. Best to book in advance.
The “House of the Earth” has become a firm favourite. The owners pride themselves on selling the best of produce from the Minho and they also do a mean gin and tonic – we like Nordes gin, which come from across the border in the Gallician region of Spain. The Casa is the former jail in Ponte de Lima and enjoys good views over the river. It is a lovely place to sit in the sunshine and people watch.
By car, turn right on the main road and you will find Carneiro about 100 yards from the first junction on the right. By foot will take about 15 minutes. Walk up to the small church across the vineyards from the Quinta, take the narrow road to the right of the car park. Follow the road back to the main road. This restaurant specialises in traditional Portuguese cooking – so lots of pork, beef and seafood – and is excellent value for money.
Their main trade is during the day, which means you can pop in for lunch, but evening meals should be booked.
This is a gem. Situated across from the stunning beach at Ancora, north of Viana do Castello on the Atlantic coast. If you park the car at either end of the town and stroll along beachfront Verdes Lirios is about halfway along the street. Specialities include lobster rice and an amazing langoustine and squid kebab.
This tapas restaurant, which is down a lane from the main square, regularly tops the Tripadviser list for Ponte de Lima. Family run, it is also one of our favourites offering a superb range of food and wine. All of the staff speak excellent English and are very happy to offer advice about the menu and some of the more unusual dishes e.g. Moelhas or chicken gizzards. We were not sure about this the first time but now order them on every visit. The walls are adorned with photos of the annual bull running that still happens in the town.
John Matos learned his trade in New York and it shows. His pizzas are excellent. Drive towards Ponte de Lima and take a right at the roundabout across the bridge towards Darque/Corella. After 3 km turn right at the 2nd petrol station and the pizzeria is at the end of the road. Takeaway orders can be placed in advance by telephone: +351 258753200. Alta Donna is less than 15 minutes from the Quinta.
This is a famous landmark restaurant near the historic centre of Viana do Castello. It specialises in all the local dishes including cabrito (young goat) and excellent marisco (shellfish). Maria de Pere has a great atmosphere. Relax and listen to Portuguese families discussing the issues of the day.
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