Some Restaurants Around Obidos & A dos Negros

When in A dos Negros on holiday, the food is so good & the tariff so reasonable it is easy to eat out frequently!  If you all want a drink there are taxis in Obidos with a taxi rank & there are some taxi numbers in the house handbook (also in the house).  The English speaking ones have been tried & were found to be very prompt.

If you just want lunch out you can try walking up the hill from the house until you come to the church.  Carry on past the church to a Cafe on the left hand side. This cafe does the local dish of the day (“Prato do dia”), which is a fixed menu of a main course, wine or beer & a dessert. The menu varies a little each day & is very inexpensive at about €6-€7 per head. There are many cafes around the Silver Coast that provide “Prato do dia”.

When eating out in the Silver Coast we have found that most restaurants serve an hors dourves type course to the table varying from freshly baked bread rolls, butter, sardine paste, which is lovely, & regional cheeses, to the same with added dishes of pork loin, olives, octopus salad, prawn salad or other appetisers. If you don’t eat anything they will remove it & not charge you but in any case it is usually only a few euros.  We always say we will not eat the bread as it is so filling but invariably we can’t resist & then we can’t eat all of our meal. I am also told it is common practice in Portugal to order one serving & two plates to share if requested.  Many of the restaurants offer a children’s menu. Here are some of the places we have tried & are happy to recommend.

A Lareira (meaning Fireplace)

Distance from the holiday villa, about 20 minutes. On the road from Caldas Da Rainha – going out on the road to Foz do Arelho. We have been two or three times & the tariff for two/three courses with wine was very reasonable.  Both the service & food are excellent.

A beautiful & quite formal traditional Portuguese restaurant that is very popular with Portuguese families. Lovely for a special night out. Has an extensive range of Portuguese wines for you to try - ask the head waiter, to recommend one. A good place for a steak. The cooking is slightly more innovative than normal. The cover is particularly so. Booking not normally required but we have found it full so it may be worth ringing as an insurance policy (Tel No 262 823 432).

They also do a dish of the day at lunchtime, this is a fixed price limited menu, between 12:00 & 15:00.  They are closed on Tuesdays.

Petrarum Domus Bar

Obidos – distance from the holiday villa is 5 minutes by car.  Beautifully situated in the Rua Direita (main street within the walls). It serves a mixture of food but it is all very good. (Specialises in Pastas and steaks). Inside is a large wine press.  This a good place to try the local speciality drink, Ginja, served in a chocolate cup, which you eat afterwards. (Booking is not essential but may be preferable because it is small. Tel No 262 959 620).  I don’t think it opens in the evening until 19:30. We have had several evenings & lunchtimes here & all meals have been very good. A nice cosy atmosphere upstairs. http://www.petrarumdomus.com/

Sardine Restaurant (not sure of name) - in Citio above Nazare

We travelled to Nazare (about 40 minutes from the holiday villa by car on the coast road, less on motorway) & parked on the sea front for a walk.  Later on we travelled up to Citio (above Nazare beach on the rocks) in the funicular railway. On walking in the square & turning left, to walk past the ladies selling nuts & out of the square, we came across a small restaurant on the right, which has a dining area just past it & across the road, overlooking the bay of Nazare. Here I had the best Sardines I have ever had, cooked outside on charcoal. Very reasonable price & a lovely view as well.  We have been told the best Sardines are in September but we have been in July & September & both times they were lovely.

O SELIM in Caldas da Rainha

In Caldas da Rainha, find the old town square where the market is & when standing by the hardware shop in one corner of the square, face the furniture shop on it’s right hand corner & walk towards this then turn left down a little tiny street & the restaurant is on the right. Very small & unpretentious & rustic, it has a small freshly cooked menu & the restaurant is completely run by one Portuguese man.  His menu is not large but he has a lot of fish & his grilled squid is lovely. I am told his chocolate mousse is very good also.  The proprietor does not speak English but is very accommodating. Prices are very reasonable.  The contact details are Rua do Parque 17 Tel no. 262 84 11 22 2500 Caldas Da Rainha.

On the way to Obidos. (about 5 minutes) 

Drive down from the holiday villa to Obidos & as you approach the town on the left hand side there is a car park with a large municipal building, an estate agents & behind this a restaurant.  This restaurant was spotlessly clean & very Portuguese looking inside.  The small menu was very good & very reasonable as usual.  Run by a husband & wife team.

Restaurant Illustre Casa de Ramiro, in Obidos

Telephone 262 959 194 If going into Obidos you can park at the main car parks or on the way in from A dos Negros pull into Obidos by the Hotel sign & park in the side street. To reach Illustre you can walk up the hill from the car & turn right or if coming in from the main car parks, walk through the covered entrance to the centre of Obidos & straight ahead, then take the right fork downwards & along. You should come to another fork right where the Illustre is on the corner, just outside the walls of Obidos.

The restaurant feels like it is in an underground cellar, & underground it is as it was excavated under the garden of the house opposite. The cosy atmosphere is very welcoming with excellent service and an extensive menu.  This was a little more expensive that some of the places we have visited but was very good &, I think, worth the price. We paid about €35 a head in May this year (2010) for a tapas starter of bread, assorted meats, cheese olives etc., then a main course of which we can recommend the steak with ham, dipped in egg & breadcrumbs served with rice & chips or the chopped squid stewed in onions & tomatoes served with boiled potatoes. Followed up with a bottle of wine, bottled water & two coffee liquers.

Albergaria Josefa D Obidos , Obidos Hotel

Park up in the big car park at Obidos & walk in through the battlements & gateway. Take the right fork down to the hotel further down on the right. The restaurant is in the basement & like so many of the really nice restaurants nearly invisible until you get inside. This one was slightly more expensive but lovely food & as well as fish they cook a good steak. www.josefadobidos.com

[Home] [Inside the Villa] [A dos Negros] [Silver Coast] [Beaches] [Obidos] [Lisbon] [Dining Out] [Golf] [Cycling] [Surfing] [Availability] [Booking Rates] [Home page photo's]