Maria Portuguesa

Get here early as the tables filled up within 15 minutes of opening (seems like they may accept…read morereservations). This was our best meal visiting Portugal five days in. Not to say we didn't have alot of good food, but here each dish received high marks. The chanfana is the local special, so would highly recommend you get that. All of the meat was done well... Crispy outside and fall apart, fork tender on the inside. The staff were also very friendly and personable.

Went here based on yelp review. It more than lived up to the recommendation. It was small and…read morequaint and very Portuguese. Our waiter, Raphael, was courteous and helpful with the all Portuguese menu. We ordered the house white wine and a bottle of still water. The wine was very good but very inexpensive. We started with soup, my wife with vegetable and me with seafood. While hers was good, mine was rich and flavorful and excellent (I had others in Portugal but this was the best). Then we had salad and chorizo sausage. Salad was adequate, but the sausage was done to perfection. Then came my wife's entree of pork cheeks with potatoes and a delicious cabbage mix. I had their goat, served in a pot with a luscious gravy that was perfect for dunking your bread in. With it were boiled potatoes and spinach. The spinach was pan seared with oil and garlic. The potatoes went well with the abundant gravy. Topped it off with the home made almond cake with a side of ice cream. All this for 75 euros. We came back to our hotel stuffed and satisfied. The only problem was yelp has the address wrong. I have included in the photos their card with the correct address, about a half block from the old one. By the way, they do take credit cards. Enjoy!

Inside

Pes em bainha (fish of the day scabbard fish)

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Zé Manel dos Ossos

4.4(26 reviews)

•€

Excited to try this local 7 table gem while in Coimbra. Lisa E. (always right) suggested lunch…read moresince dinner cues start an hour before opening and waits can be another hour or more. We arrived at 12:05 pm, second in line behind a group of 8. Seated 20 minutes later in cozy quarters. Fresh rustic bread on the table. Menu difficult to decipher but we had a translated copy on our phones. We ordered a jug of house tinto, and half orders of aporcolhados mushrooms, roasted wild boar and grilled ribs with special sauce. The kind waiter said we ordered too much, we didn't agree until a huge crock of rice and beans hit the table with the 2 meat dishes. The mushrooms were cooked with bits of meat and bone as well as slices of traditional and blood sausage. Fabulous! I loved the tender boar slices accompanied by roasted cabbage and potatoes. Lisa favored the slightly charred ribs in a spicy vinegary sauce. Oh, and that rice, I promised her I wouldn't post the photo of her devouring the last bits from the serving ladle. So, too much food? Nothing a outdoor rooftop nap at our hotel wouldn't cure. Breakfast today was the leftover boar with the hotel's scrambled eggs.

This is a Top hole in the wall Gem in Coimbra and probably one of the best in Portugal overall…read more Quality- the pork ribs were my personal favorite. This is the type you spend a lot of time nibbling on and trying to get every last piece of meat out. It was incredibly flavorful with hints of bone broth, truffle oil, and various spices. I think I spent like 5 minutes on each piece trying to get every piece of meat out. It came out piping hot, the fresh aroma smelled like a mix of beans, thyme, garlic, and truffle and I smelled like it afterwards. The lamb stew was also delicious. I am allergic to lamb but had to try it this time and was not disappointed. This is the only time I've actually liked a lamb dish because the gamey flavor was not there. It was cooked very well. The vomit dessert was not too sweet and unique. It cut through the savory food I just had here. Quantity- all of this for 25 euros. Totally worth it. This would have easily gone for 70-80 dollars back in the states. We get a lot in each dish. Atmosphere- loved the college town vibe here. The place was cozy but had enough space so we weren't cramped. Service- awesome waiter. He was funny and gave great suggestions on what to get. Tipped him a lot for the fantastic service.

Walls are covered with doodles and reviews from prior patrons, on scraps of the paper they use for tablecloths

Traditional Portuguese dish: goat in a wine sauce

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The food.

Rio Mondego

4.9(10 reviews)

The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The…read moresquid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. The squid. Oh, did I mention the grilled squid?

Had a wonderful lunch here today. Started with a tropical salad topped with a half dozen fat boiled…read moreshrimp sitting on top of of mixed fruit and veggies, all of which tasted very nice after some vinegar and olive oil was sprinkled about. Main course was a nice big sole cooked in olive oil and garlic and accompanied by potatoes and onions. The sole was absolutely great! It's an unassuming place, but the waiter was quite pleasant and friendly to just the right proportion.

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Pic of restaurant from outside.

DUX Taberna Urbana

4.7(25 reviews)

0.7 km

Delicious food, amazing service. Get the red sangria, so yummy. Also get the dessert with chocolate…read moresalami, trust me, amazing!!

Delicious tapas! Servers were very attentive. Tuna tataki was some of the best we've ever had. The…read moreoctopus with black rice was so good!

Inside Restaurant

Crème of Brûlée

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Street view

LUCA

5.0(3 reviews)

Stopped in Coimbra and all the top rated spots TripAdvisor recommended were closed. Found this spot…read morea few blocks away on Yelp and it was perfect. We sat outside in the beautiful plaza. They had a few gluten free options but I ordered the Brie and sun dried tomato burger with no bun and it came beautifully presented with lettuce and tomatoes. My husband got the grilled chicken with potatoes and broccoli that was also very good. The server was very friendly, spoke English and everything came quickly. Saw the inside when I used the restroom which had a lovely atmosphere as well. Highly recommend!

The cods cake and the hamburgers were delicious. The waitress Teresa was great. Great place to have…read morelunch.

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Menu

Fangas Mercearia Bar

4.2(20 reviews)

0.1 km

Wonderful vegetarian place. I am not a vegetarian however this is a gem of a tapas place. Had the…read moreovo cocotte, figs w Vinho do Porto and beets with pistachios. It was all very flavorful and delicious . The place is small but cozy, the staff speaks very good English are friendly and welcoming Terrific place to try.

So if you haven't been here post-pandemic.... You're in for a surprise... This place has been…read morecompletely re-done is now a vegan only restaurant.... Having said that, the menu is solid and creative. The staff is also very accommodating... I particularly enjoyed the figs (fantastic) and the eggplant - which was to die for...!

Excellent wine selection...

The eggplant was top notch!

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Figs with port wine

No tacho

4.8(6 reviews)

0.3 km

What a wonderful small (reservation Must) Portuguese restaurant. Great service, only to be outdone…read moreby the excellent food. It's quaint but has full wine selection and bar. The octopus was a nice portion, so tender over sweet potato. Beef rump roast - no fat, so tender. Nice salad, cod croquettes with potato, very tasty. Don't miss this place, a but hard to find, on side alley, look for A frame sign. You'll be glad you dined here. There is outdoor seating. Nice port selection.

Very kind and friendly staff. English speaking. Excellent, traditional Portuguese food…read more Presentation was beautiful and each course was paired perfectly with different wines. I'd highly recommend it!

Bar

Port wine foam over rice pudding

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Front entrance

Alqueire Comes e Bebes

5.0(2 reviews)

0.1 km

We stopped at this funky restaurant because my husband liked the look of it. What luck! The food…read morewas incredible! We ordered the tasting menu which came with bread and olives, a cheese plate, traditional hunter's sausage (alheira de caça), a pastry with piglet, a mushroom stuffed with blood sausage (morcela), a choice between codfish with peppers or chanfana (traditional goat cooked in wine) dessert and coffee for 20€. My husband had the goat which was unbelievably tender. I had the bacalhau which was delicious. But the small plates were the best part of the meal. We were so delighted to get a delicious taste of traditional foods. The wait staff (possibly owner) was charming but unobtrusive. The food was times perfectly to our eating pace. We have had many delightful dining experiences in Portugal but this was the best yet!

Was looking for a place to eat that was past 11 pm and they were able seat us. Extremely kind and…read morehelpful waiter and the boss treated us to a special homemade wine on the house. The food was amazing, it's meant to be shared and my friend and I got to try so many delicious dishes! Cannot recommend this place enough.

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A Toca do Gato

4.5(4 reviews)

Hole in the wall in a charming alley, a few small tables outside, traditional cooking. Small menu,…read morespecials of the day on a chalkboard. We tried the goat and the octopus, cheese, bread and olives, and a couple of Super Bock beers for lunch. Muito bom!

JuanPedro & Anabella received us with a big smile, make us feel like family kitchen…read more Food is delicious. Portuguese kitchen enhanced Great time Thank you juan Pedro and Anabell's

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Restaurante O Trovador

4.8(4 reviews)

0.1 km

•€€€

Great food, ambiance and service. I had veal and my wife had mushroom risotto. Best of all, the…read morewaiter recommended an outstanding red that paired well with both our meals - not easy considering what we ordered. This intimate restaurant should be on everyone's list when in Coimbra.

Sometimes you just stumble into happiness. That was our almoço maravilhoso at O Trovado…read more 28SEP2017 Second lunch... Caido vinho braco regional Alentejo, 2015, €12.50 We each had one of the daily specials. Carne de Porco a Alentejo - pork ribs glazed with orange sauce, potatoes, rice. Another beautiful dish which Tracie devoured. Entracosto do Porco Prato com Amêijoas - chucks of stewed pork and many tiny clams, potatoes. A very traditional dish which looked spectacular and tasted great. I did leave a few small pieces of potatoes on the plate. Mousse de Chocolate - OK, not exciting. Desserts are a weak point here. Café and aguardente. €60.50 27SEP2017 It was afternoon and we had walked 8km (5 mi) around Coimbra and climbed up to its highest point: Penedo da Saudade. Tired and hungry, we seeking a relaxing lunch when we walked by this restaurant with 3 tables outside set with tablecloths and wine glasses. So, we stopped and walked inside to a quiet elegant dinning room. (We did not even check Yelp. We just entered.) Started with a light, refreshing vinho branco: Torre de Coimbra, Bairrada DOC 2016, €12.50. Tracie was dying for a salad so we ordered the Salad de Tomate which was a plate of red ripe sliced tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar and a sprinkling of dried oregano. Hit the spot. She had the Escalopes de Porco Champignons (€11). Pork cutlets with a velvety, rich mushroom sauce accompanied by rice and fries(!). Exactly what she wanted. I had the Rojões a Avorinho (€11). Braised, bbq, short ribs with potatoes, cabbage. Carmelized to perfection. I was very happy. Ate it all. Dessert was the house specialty of 3 custards and was the only disappointing item. OK, but bland. However, the coffee and aguardente made up for it. Out waiter really helped make the meal. + Cloth napkins + White tablecloths + Good Spanish flatware + Fancy wine glasses + Pleasent, upscale atmosphere + Spot on, friendly, expert service. + Wi-Fi + Credit cards accepted €54.50