Smoking is still generally accepted in all eating establishments. There have been requests in Parliament to introduce no smoking zones.  If you see the sign “Proibido Fumar” (no smoking) you can make your choice.

One of the main problems in Portuguese restaurants is obtaining and paying the bill. The attitude of every waiter seems to be that once you have eaten you should sit and digest your food. Remember this is a Latin country and the pleasure of eating is taken seriously! A suitable remedy maybe to stand up as though you are leaving………... or sit there and enjoy the evening!

Somewhere a long time ago, a tip was used for good service. When tipping at the
table the Portuguese tend to leave either nothing or 5% as a reward. It is generally expected for a foreign tourist to leave 10%.There is no law stating what percentage you should use as a tip. When tipping, bear in mind that the sum of 1 Euro does not buy very much and good service helps to make the meal.

Throughout Portugal there is a variety of shapes and sizes when it comes to restaurants.

It can be:

- a lowly “tasca” (tavern),

- a “casa de pasto” (a set three-course tavern meal),

- a “cervejaria” (beer house with food),

- a “restaurante” (offering a choice of dishes),

- a “marisqueira” (specialising in fish and shellfish),

- a “churrasqueira” (spit or grilled food).

Depending on location and style, prices are very reasonable when comparing with other European countries and the servings are normally plentiful!

Place: 

Choosing the Place is sometimes confusing until you require local knowledge…which of course we will be happy to give… You may see smart businessmen eating in what appears to be a scruffy “tasca”, but they are there for the quality of the food, the price and the friendliness of the owners ... not the décor!

In a large city like Oporto you can of course find restaurants from other countries… for example Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Japanese to name but a few.

The Super Stores have many types of restaurant available, including the fast food of today, like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC.

We are lucky to have in some of these stores up to 18 different Cinemas open during an evening, so the fast food comes in very handy sometimes!

Hours of Eating:

Generally speaking, lunch is eaten between 12.00 and 14.00 hours. However it is not uncommon to see a small group of people arriving for lunch at 14.30 hours, as they know the owners and what they are going to eat.

Dinner is from about 19.30 to 23.00 hours. In the cities in smarter restaurants it is advisable to make a prior reservation.

In the tourist areas it is usual to see restaurants offering a “ementa turística” that is a three course meal served with a drink and all at a lower price than the menu.

Also, in tourist areas you will find that the menu has been translated into more than one language…. We will give you anyway when you arrive in Portugal, a translation of the main words used in a menu to help you. 

As soon as you have taken your seats it is normal in Portugal to be served bread, olives and often some assorted appetizers. You may pay for what you eat but often it is used as a form of cover charge. There is good reason for these items to be placed in front of you.

In all Portuguese restaurants be prepared to wait… the chef will only start cooking after your order has been placed using fresh food.

Vegetarians are not particularly well catered for although there are in major cities a limited number of specialized restaurants. However, as the vegetables grown in Portugal can be excellent we recommend some careful directions to the chef may produce very satisfying results.

The Beer:

We could take up many pages talking about this, but let us simply say the Portuguese beer is excellent, and has a number of different brands, suitable for you tastes … and the price is very good compared to European countries.

Don’t worry, we also have the Irish Bar where you can get live music and a pint of Guinness if you want!