The food here was so good, I went back the next night for more.
On day one, I ordered the sea bass from their "catch of the day" display case. The fish here are tastefully displayed and preserved on ice.
The waiter, (I wish I'd got his name,) was very professional, and immediately up-sold me on the daily catch. I trusted his judgement and found the meal to be excellent. It came with a side of Portuguese style potatoes and some sort of warm vegetable salad/side. Despite the appearance of the latter, both were very tasty.
My only (minor) complaint had nothing to do with either the quality of the service or the meal. It was that the sea bass was so boney that I found myself plucking fish bones with every bite. Oh well, at least I got to savour it's delicious flavour!
Dessert was a pre-made frozen chocolate and mint ice cream layer cake. Every day is better with ice cream, and this was no exception.
Day two: The same server smiled when he saw my face (it probably helps that I sometimes tip excessively when it's warranted.) My guess is that tourists rarely stay for long ( as Ponta Delgada is mostly just a stopever flight for most on their way to mainland Europe...although they really should stay for a bit; it's nice there.)
This day's fare was identical to the previous one with the exception that the fish changed to Sargo. I found the fish to have an almost lemon-like taste, and, though well cooked, was not as tasty as the sea bass (although it was definitely less bone-filled!
My two day experience with Mercado do Piexe was a favourable one. The service was professional, the decor was comfortable, the food was excellent, and their house white was actually respectable. I'll definitely go back if I'm ever in the area again.
Five stars!
PS. I forgot to mention the starter salad that came with the meal. It too was fantastic! While it did have oranges, it wasn't much more complicated than the traditional house salad, but the presentation was attractive and the ingredients were fresh! It's now my profile picture. Well done! read more