A Foodie’s Guide to Alentejo’s Capital City
Regular readers will know that I’ve spent a lot of time in Portugal, and that’s probably because I’ve liked almost everywhere I’ve been lucky enough to visit in this country. But still, despite being on familiar terms with the vertiginous terraced vineyards of the Douro Valley, the sun-kissed cliffs of the Algarve and the Jurassic Park nature of the Azores, nothing quite prepared me for how much I was going to fall in love with Alentejo – and Évora in particular. The countryside is unassuming – flatter than many other regions, and fertile with vines and olives – but it has a humble charm that drew me in.
Food in Alentejo
More to the point, Alentejan food is simply joyous. The pig is king in much of the region (unless you’re by the coast, of course) and you’ll see porco preto (black pork) on every restaurant menu in every different form: hams, sausages, steaks and more. But pescatarians will also enjoy the region’s traditional sopa de cação (dogfish soup) and its many interpretations of the ubiquitous Portuguese bacalhau (salt cod). I can only assume the population of Alentejo ends up with a lot of leftover bread, because bread-based dishes seem to feature heavily: migas, a rich, garlicky mush of breadcrumbs fried with pork fat (which tastes more appealing than it sounds!); and açorda, in which stale bread soaks up a coriander-infused broth, often topped with an egg or fish.
Transport to, from and around Évora
Before you can start eating, you’re going to need to get to Évora – and your closest airport is Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado. There are direct flights to Lisbon with Portuguese airline TAP Air Portugal, Dutch airline KLM, UK airline British Airways, Spanish airline Iberia and German airline Lufthansa, as well as low-cost airlines like Vueling, easyJet and Transavia. You can compare times and prices among all airlines on sites like Skyscanner, Expedia and Omio.
From Lisbon airport, you can take the FlixBus direct to Évora, but there aren’t many buses per day. If you’re unlucky on timing, you can hop on the metro to Lisbon Oriente bus terminal and take a Rede Expressos bus from there – both buses take around an hour and a half. Alternatively, it’s an easy drive to Évora if you’d prefer to rent a car at Lisbon airport. The centre of Évora is compact, and parking within the city walls is tricky – so your best bet is to park outside the walls and walk into the old town on foot.
10 of the Best Restaurants in Évora, Portugal
There are surprisingly large number of restaurants in Évora, and I was only able to scratch the surface in the three weeks that I spent there. However, if you’re interested in wine as well as food, you can find more information about Alentejo’s wineries, wine bars and shops over on my Substack: The Wine Edit!
TascaTosca & Wine Restaurant
We found TascaTosca on our very first evening in Évora, while looking for somewhere we could sit outside with our dog (it was 12 degrees and damp, but we couldn’t leave the dog home alone on her first night). Then we saw the magic blue sign, whose words we couldn’t understand but whose symbol we could: dogs allowed! Fortunately, the food and wine were excellent too. We started with some cured pork neck, Alentejan cheese and a berry-laden salad while we settled in with a glass of rosé. We then moved onto a Petit Verdot from Dona Maria (nearby winery) with our asparagus migas. We had arrived.
Taberna Típica Quarta-Feira
Surely the definition of a hidden gem, Taberna Típica Quarta-Feira is tucked down a tiny side street but packed out every night (reservations are essential). There’s no menu – you’ll simply be presented with a series of dishes by the chef for a fixed price (€43 per person in March 2025). You’ll also want to arrive very hungry because the dishes just keep coming and coming. We were treated to a sheep’s cheese pie, crispy pork belly with sweet chilli sauce, pork pica-pau, beef tongue sandwich, feijoada (bean stew with chorizo and octopus), roasted pumpkins, more meltingly tender slow-cooked beef and pork dishes, spinach migas… I’ve definitely missed some of the savoury dishes here, and that’s not even to mention the three desserts!
The food is an Alentejan triumph, and Quarta-Feira truly deserves its place among the very top restaurants in Évora. Don’t be put off by the number of people speaking English/ German/ Italian/ Dutch/ etc. around you – these folk might be tourists but they’re in the know. Finally, be sure to ask the staff for their wine recommendations: all bottles cost the same but there are plenty of different styles to choose from. The Alicante Bouschet-Syrah red blend from Herdade do Sobroso that we drank was the perfect balance of acidity and body for the food.
Botequim da Mouraria
Just around the corner from Quarta-Feira, Botequim da Mouraria is only open at lunchtimes Monday through Friday, and only seats eight or so people around its bar-come-serving area. Several times when we walked past, there was a sign on the door saying “FULL”. So arrive on time (it usually seems to open at 12:30) or prepare to be disappointed! If you are lucky enough to bag a spot, however, the friendly proprietor will quickly furnish you with a glass of wine and some bread while you decide what to order.
We tried the famous quail’s eggs with cured sausage and the roasted peppers to start, followed by “Bacalhau à Casa”: Botequim da Mouraria’s own take on salt cod, in this case whipped with eggs into a sort of hearty omelette. We split that, a salad and a slice of sweet pumpkin and almond pie between two of us and were very satisfied. But we saw other local clientele (suited and booted like they were planning to go back to work afterwards!) ordering far more main dishes and entire bottles of wine. Colour me impressed.
Recanto Restaurante
I think Recanto restaurant is relatively new, which is why I hadn’t read anything about it. Instead, walking past the archways of the old city walls, we spotted the terrace – which looked ideal for al fresco dining with the dog. We started with a nourishing bowl of caldo verde (kale soup, studded with chouriço) and then moved onto meaty mains of succulent stewed pork cheeks and seared duck breast with crispy layered potatoes.
We’d gone somewhat heavy on the meat because I wanted to order a bottle of the Mainova 2020 single varietal Castelão – which was forest-fruity and earthy. Recanto has two wine lists: a short, curated version and a longer version for wine geeks like me. If you’re lost when it comes to either, fear not – our server was very helpful in explaining the wines. In fact, the service in general was impeccable; we were even treated to a homemade digestif – licor de poejo – a fresh, herbal “pennyroyal liqueur” from Alentejo.
Tua Madre
Several people had recommended Tua Madre to me (and by people, I mean actual acquaintances – not the internet), despite it being more Italian-influenced than Portuguese. But I can see why: in an unpretentious environment, they’re elevating Portuguese produce (not that I’m saying it needs elevating!) with Italian flavours. Think bruschetta with the finest shavings of “Porco Malhado” ham, or green asparagus with papada (lardo di collonata).
Pasta dishes included a lip-tinglingly spicy spaghetti with ‘nduja and sea urchin, plus a hearty pappardelle dish with an artichoke and pork sausage sauce that was so meaty it tasted more like stewed beef. The wine list skews heavily local, and I was happy to see several bottles from Cortes de Cima make an appearance. We ordered their 2020 Chaminé: a blend of Syrah, Touriga Franca, Trincadeira and Alicante Bouschet that was far lighter and fresher than most people expect from the region. A deliciously different dinner – and bonus points for being dog friendly!
Vinho e Noz
Despite its location just outside the city walls, Vinho e Noz felt a bit more touristy than I expected. Its dark brick walls are adorned with various kitschy memorabilia, and there appear to be two sittings: 7 pm for foreigners and 8.30 pm for locals (not literally – that’s just what it felt like listening to the accents around me). That said, the food was fantastic – so if you can get past the first impression you’ll be well rewarded.
There was quite the array of cover dishes on the table when we arrived, of which we kept the olives, bread, roasted peppers and sliced chouriço – and sent the rest back. (If you’re not familiar with the Portuguese “cover” system, here’s a quick primer: all the unasked for dishes that appear on your table before the meal will be charged for – so if you don’t want them, just say so. It’s not rude and everyone does it.) After that, we only had room for two substantial mains, the first of which was “Bacalhau à Lagareiro”: salt cod braised in olive oil, with new potatoes and caramelised onions. My husband declared it to be the best he’d ever had (and it was, indeed, spectacular). The second was “Migas à Alentejana” (that porky bread mush I mentioned at the start) served with chunks of melt-apart pork rib. It was every bit as rich and delicious as it sounds.
Porta d’Aviz
I love a Portuguese snackbar. Often serving so much more than just snacks, they act as a meeting point, a cheap meal, a coffee in the morning or a beer after work. And in Évora, our closest proper snackbar was next to the city’s northernmost gate. Despite being within the old town walls, Porta d’Aviz is away from the tourist centre – so prices are still affordable for locals and you won’t hear much English being spoken. The menu is short and hearty: feijoada (bean and pork stew), ensopado de borrego (lamb stew), grilled pork steaks and a couple of fish dishes – plus the regulation bread and olives. Beer and house wine are cheap, and you can get lunch, dinner or takeaway for less than €10 per person (at the time of writing). Porta d’Aviz has about eight tables inside, but there’s a decent-sized terrace if the weather is good. This is not fine dining – but it’s absolutely what life in Portugal is all about.
Três Marmelos
Translating literally as “Three Quinces” (and less literally as “Three Idiots”), Três Marmelos is run by three friends who have breathed innovative energy into Portuguese produce. We especially enjoyed the big flavours of the tuna belly, served with spicy jalapeno-infused sweet potato purée, pickled fennel and beetroot crisps. And the sous-vide duck with butternut squash, tender-stem broccoli, pickled cauliflower and parsley was both greenly fresh and meltingly tender. But even the charcuterie and bread were excellent quality. We ate at Três Marmelos on our last night in Évora, and it was a fantastic end to a fantastic trip.
Portuguese baked goods and sweet treats
I don’t have a sweet tooth but I cannot resist pastéis de nata when in Lisbon, ouriços when in Ericeira, the list of Portuguese sweet treats goes on… And in Évora, while plenty of places serve pastéis de nata, you’re really here for the queijadas. There seem to be a few different types of these tasty little tarts: made with egg yolk, almond or ricotta fillings. And in my experience, the fresher (i.e. the more recently baked) the better.
On the main square, Café Arcada always has a queue of people, so you can be pretty sure their pastry turnover is high. Or wander a little off the beaten path to Pastelaria Conventual Pão de Rala – a beautiful, blue-tiled café whose traditional convent-inspired treats were superior to every other I tried.