I'm in Castelo Branco for one night only so I urgently wanted to have a memorable dining…read moreexperience, especially given that I got my Portuguese residency just today. I consulted Yelp and noticed this restaurant was at the top of the list with 5 Stars so off I went. I was really in the mood for Tapas and when I was seated there happened to be a lovely layout of Tapas on my table. My mouth starts watering but out of discipline I decided to review the menu. The selections were tantalizing to say the least and I really had a tough time making a choice. In the end I remained disciplined and went for the Tapas sitting right in front of me. Iberico Ham, Sheep's Cheese in local honey and shaved almonds, Portuguese Olives, a basket of bread and a bottle of local Wine. I sat there and devoured everything nice and slowly while soaking in the superb ambience. My young Waiter Joao was seriously attentive without being overly so. At the end I was served a shot of the restaurant's home made Aguar Diente, a secret recipe developed by the owner's Grandmother. Bliss is what I tell you! I'm definitely making the trip back just so that I can finish my unfinished business, trying out one of those delicious entrees. Please put this one in your bucket!

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at Cabra Preta. Our server, Pedro, ensured we had a wonderful local…read morered wine pairing (Quinta da Arrancanda) with our 3 dishes. We had venison w/potatoes, the cod (whole fish) for two, accompanied by little cucumber and bacon wraps, and the prawns with a red mildly spicy coconut milk sauce and rice. Everything was beautifully presented and very tasty. The servings, excluding the cod, are quite large, so plan to share or take leftovers home. Pedro provided port, or local "moonshine" which had a lovely finish for our meals. Great plated presentation and terrific service, with a nice atmosphere in the second floor dining area. It's a bit challenging to find the restaurant entrance, so look for the maroon colored gate, which is located within the building exterior.

You know how sometimes you walk by a place and you think twice about going in? Well that was what…read moreit was like here but we are so glad we went in! They were expecting a large group inside the restaurant and it was a beautiful day so we got seated on the back porch in the shade. Our waitress did not speak English and was so adorable - she was trying to tell us what was on the menu! We ended up with the most delicious grilled chicken and grilled pork and french fries to die for!

Wow, this is the place in Castelo Branco. Be sure to get off the A...Everybody is packed in here…read moreat lunch time, even closer to 2pm. You must try one of the traditional items. I loved the pork with mussels. And the local red wine. My partner really liked the fried squid! The server forgot the soup starter and in the end they just charged for the items which turned out to be cheaper somehow than the daily special. See the photos which don't begin to do justice to this special neighbor place!

This is one great restaurant! Stopped in for a beer in the late afternoon on our first day…read morenavigating Castelo Blanca in September. Decided to try it again for dinner. What a good decision! On our return we were given menus in Portuguese but one of the waiters, who turned out to be the son of the owner, was able to help us order. The menu was full of authentic Portuguese dishes so a couple of us ordered a beef dish with gravy, which was really good. The wine, like the rest of red wines in Portugal was also great and not expensive - as was the entire meal. Even though we were visiting the town for only a couple of days we all agreed to return the next night. Unfortunately, on the second visit, our translator was absent - but the owner called home and had him come back to work to help us order. Is that service or what! My only regret was that we had to leave the next day to continue our trip around Portugal. If you visit Castelo Blanca, this is THE RESTAURANT to try.

Good food. A bit pricier than surrounding restaurants but reasonably worth it. Recommended.read more