On our last night of vacation, my friend and I were looking for a good restaurant for dinner. One of the chefs at a neighboring restaurant suggested A Tasca, so we decided to check it out. So let's start with the good. The decor and ambiance of this place is great. It has an old-world, rustic feel to it with its wood-beam ceilings and wine bottle decor. The crowd was mixed, but mostly families and small groups of travelers, many English-speaking. The place was lively, but not too noisy for conversation. The waitstaff were all very warm and friendly. And finally, and maybe most importantly, the house wines (red, white, and green!) were cheap and delicious. Unfortunately, our meal wasn't as impressive. For starters, we had the collard green soup and the Lapas Grelhadas (grilled limpets). The soup was tasty, but lacking substance; it was little more than broth with a few tiny pieces of greens and meat. The limpets had generous amounts of garlic and butter, but were not purged well and had tons of sand in it. For my entree, I had the Bife de Vazia Novilho (sirloin steak), which turned out to be, hands down, the absolute toughest piece of meat I've ever had (TWSS). The impressive amount of connective tissue in the steak made it feel like I was cutting through a bundle of rubber bands! Either they need to find a new meat supplier, or do a better job of tenderizing their steaks... either way, dinner shouldn't be a jaw workout. read more

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I didn't mind waiting for an hour and I typically don't mind eating on the street/outside, especially when indoor seating is limited but after waiting for an hour and with 2 tables available inside, they took us to what looked like an alleyway with plastic tables and chairs under the guise of "it's cooler outside." I kindly refused the table and asked to be sat inside then to my surprise, it actually wasn't that much hotter inside - it was a cool day. When it was time to order, I mentioned that I like dry red wines and would love to try some wine from the region and he even suggested a bottle from Pico, given the two I wanted were not available... it turned out to be the worst mouthful of regret I have ever experienced and he said "well, if that's what you like then you shouldn't have red wines from here because they are young." He could have told me that at the beginning but to his credit, he brought me 2 others to try and I settled for a glass of one of them, more for his efforts tbh... Maybe I just got unlucky but I do not recommend any of the regional red wines from the region offered at this restaurant. For food, the breaded octopus was oddly soft though the onion chutney it came with was great and the fish (of the day) could have been made by anyone but the Acorda de Camaro (Portuguese bread, egg and shrimp dish) and the salad that came with the fish were absolutely delicious. I would order that salad as a side if I could and definitely recommend the bread dish. The only reason I'm not given this a 1 star is because of price point, our total for 2 appetizers, a main dish, a bottle of wine and 2 glasses of another came down to under €60. However, given the hour wait and reputation of the restaurant, I expected so much more on every level. Maybe I was just unlucky but based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend going to A Tasca. read more

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Came here on a walking food tour of Sao Miguel. It was great to get in without a wait! The food was fantastic and would not hesitate on getting back there again to be able to choose from the full menu. Other than the limpets (good, not my thing) we were all very satisfied with the experience. read more

We were very glad we tried A Tasca while in Punta Delgada. They were very busy and we almost bailed as our baby was getting pretty rascally while waiting for a table. The service was friendly but rather scattered- we had one waiter take our wine and starter order then no one came for a long time so we flagged down someone else who ended up taking care of us for the rest of the evening. We ended up ordering a variety of items from their extensive snack section to give us the opportunity to try a variety of dishes. There was some we didn't end up getting everything we ordered and we got one item we didn't order, but considering that we don't speak Portuguese and had to rely on our waiters excellent English and that everything was delicious anyway and that we got more than enough to eat it wasn't a big deal. We especially liked the fava beans and the cheese and sausage plate. Of course the bread was fantastic too! We finished our meal with a slice of pineapple cake that was to die for. read more

We are here twice while in Ponta Delgado, amazing food-we had a bunch of small plates as well as some of the meals. Everything we had was delicious and the service was great as well! Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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This was our first meal in Ponta Delgada and it did not disappoint. It would remain one of our best meals during our trip to Sao Miguel. We strolled in around 2pm on Tuesday and had to wait a bit for a table, but it wasn't too long. Their menus look a bit like a newspaper and I really enjoyed the novelty of it. We opted to try their grilled limpets, which I've never seen anywhere else. They kind of taste like a cross between mussels and small abalones? Anyways, this was one of the best things I have ever eaten on the island. My sister and I shared their fish of the day and it was amazing. In retrospect, I should've asked what the fish of the day was...but I forgot. It was really good though - another "best" dish from our trip. Services was spotty, but I think that's just what it's like everywhere on the island. Dishes came out hot and quick, so all is A-OK. While our waiters were sometimes absent, they more than made up for it in enthusiasm when they were at the table. Honestly, if you're in town, give A Tasca a try! read more

Came during our vacation here and was not disappointed. Like others have said, you should try to get a reservation for this place as it fills up quickly. Service was prompt and friendly. 1. Sardines - Crunchy, tasty and plenty! 2. Kielbasa - Put in flames in front of your eyes but overall salty and we could've passed on this. Overall, good to try at least once as they have an extensive menu and not too expensive! read more

A Tasca - Menus come as newspaper! - Mediterranean Near Me - Ponta Delgada, 20

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This is a review based on service because we had been turned away TWICE. They don't take reservations. Look, I'm more than willing to wait for great food, but the host was rude and uninviting. Two hour wait is what he told us. He did not take our names - there was no kind of cue and in fact, he looked bothered that we were there at all. With so many other wonderful choices around - don't waste your time. They need a better method and a more welcoming atmosphere. read more

My wife got seafood poisoning from the tuna steak last night on our honeymoon. Careful eating here.....

A Tasca is where I got to try my first and only Francesinha in the Azores. I had researched the legendary Portuguese sandwich and heard that it might only have been available on the mainland, specifically the North near Porto. I am so glad A Tasca put their own spin on this regional classic! By far one of the best sandwiches I've ever had! The charcuterie and cheese board were also great, some of the hams were smoked to perfection and you get a nice mix of soft and hard regional cheeses. The pineapple cake and potato chips weren't that great but there's a very decent selection of regional and mainland wines. We were lucky they accommodated us, like many places in Ponta Delgada this establishment gets busy early. Make sure to show up at dinner opening or make a reservation in person the day before. read more

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We had such an enjoyable meal here! Recommended to come here earlier, we came closer to 12 and by the time it was around 1-2 all the tables were nearly full. A great local spot, lots of Portuguese people and also tourists like ourselves having a great time. They have special fishes of the day, we had Bonito, Barracuda and also ringer fish--all very different and great in their own way. I had tried several of their appetizers to get a taste of the local food, and really recommend the rice balls and also the seafood soup. The beer and wine is also a definite must anywhere here, but it just pairs really well with the meal. The prices are extremely reasonable and the staff is so friendly (but just sometimes a little busy catering to all the tables). The place is quaint and the menus are actually printed newspapers that have all this info and the menu baked into it, so original! A great experience overall, recommended for a stop if you're in the area. read more

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I can see why this is one of the most popular places on the island. They said on yelp they don't take reservations but they seemed to since other people did. The fried sardines were delicious-fried crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We had the grilled fish of the day (trigger fish). It was soft and tender. It came with this nice cabbage. I didn't think the "spicy shrimp" small plate was spicy but I think spicy on this island means something different than hot spicy. The limpets here were also good. They were grilled and served with lots of garlic butter and the garlic was chopped so fine it seemed like it was puréed. Try the bean pie. The crust is that slightly burnt caramelized sugar crust. I've never had this dessert anywhere else but it was wonderful here. We came during a weird time (3:30pm on a Wednesday) so we were able to be seated quickly but I've heard there can be a long wait for dinner. read more

Amazing food! Service was great and the ambience was what we wanted. It was busy and getting there early is best. Definitely a spot to eat when in the Azores. read more

Possibly the worst meal I've ever experienced. Abominable service and flavorless food. Though repeatedly noticed, stood at the entry sign for 10 minutes before being engaged. Another 15 minutes before someone came for a drink order, which they got wrong. Cheese board had 5 hunks of cheese and a spot of marmalade - it was fine. Chips were soggy with grease; the requested condiment was never delivered to the table. Tuna steak sandwich was overcooked and utterly flavorless. Waited 20 minutes for someone to bring the check. After server inquired about the barely eaten tuna, it was comped. And *that* was the highlight of the experience. Just avoid. read more

Great fun and fine food. Just don't order too much. The caldo verde and chourico were really good. The house red wine was easy to drink and the staff was great. Get there at 11:30 am when they open. read more

The menu is large. Most of the tapas is on the first few pages and there are a ton of options. It's not daunting but it is a challenge not to order too many things. We got: Fried chicken wings with hot sauce 5€ There were 5 wings, they were dry and over cooked Garlic bread 2€ burscetta style. Tuna carpaccio 3.5€ they were seasoned with soy suace. Breaded octopus rings with a sweet chutney 4.8€ Shrimp fried in olive oil and flavored with chili peppers and wine 9.5€ one of the highlights! Sautéed Mushrooms 4.2€ (amazing with Pancetta and cheese) Grilled tuna steak in a sesame seed crust, sautéed with vegetables and sweet potato or taro. 9.5€ Apple danish 3.8€ Pork filet sandwich and frech fries 3.5€ The place is dark and chill, no complaints about the ambiance, the service was slow. Funny, why is the service slow? Because the food is prepared when you order it and it's not rushed. It's great, just be prepared to have a long meal. read more

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The absolute best restaurant! We had to wait about 30 minutes to sit, which is always a good sign-- crowds mean high quality food! The restaurant was cute and homey, which was also special. Once we sat, I had the best sesame seared tuna of my life. My friends had the tuna sandwich, which they also enjoyed. If we had more time, we would've gone back in a heartbeat! read more

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I came to Tasca on two separate occasions during my time in Ponta Delgada. Although it is listed as an absolute must, I'd have to say that I was not impressed with their service...and the food was just okay. On my first visit, I tried the Arroz de pato (a pretty traditional dish) which was not terrible. I've had it before so in comparison it was just okay. Unfortunately the bacalhau was way too salty. For dessert we had arroz doce with the chocolate mousse...I highly recommend eating them together...very delicious! For my second visit, I had to make reservations on a Monday for Thursday evening (8:30pm). We were seated right away, but unfortunately it took our waiter about 30-35 minutes to approach us just to take our drinks and appetizer order. We started with two bottles of wine (a red and a white from Faria's Vineyards), garlic bread (delicious for real garlic lovers!), and the chorizo (too dry!) We also ordered some olives, but for some reason they never made it to the table. For our main course, two of us had the Sesame crusted tuna and one of us tried the Sirloin steak (Bife de Vazia Novilho). The tuna was delicious and I think the sesame seeds added much flavor. Although it was very filling, I probably would not order it again. The steak was just okay--overcooked for my friend who asked for medium-rare. Since the dinner took so long and the food was rather heavy, we decided to skip dessert this time. The entire dinner process took about three hours and during this time I realized that although they are indeed busy every night, the staffs' lack of attendance to dinner guests contributes to delays and in difficulties finding a table. Finally, the restaurant itself is adorable. I love the set up; has a very cozy feel to it. I wish the TV screen wasn't there though! Wish I had taken more photos! read more

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Food and service is good. This is our 4th time back. We go every time we are in Ponta Delgado. It appears it is no longer a locals restaurant. The cruise people have now found it as well. So make a reservation. They get busy quick. Have patience and you will be rewarded for some really good local food. read more

This is a popular spot in town! We could not get a reservation for dinner here. We lucked out on giving it a try for a late lunch, and got in! This is a great restaurant with great food and very good service. If your ever in the downtown area of Ponta Delgada give it a try, you will not be disappointed!!! read more

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Now here's a meal I'd like to strike from the vacation record books. Again, maybe part of this is our fault. 1) we again made no reservations, so were left wandering the streets of PDG for any restaurant that would take us. 2) we might have ordered all the completely wrong things. The table next to us certainly looked like they were having a good time and a good meal. So let's start with the positives: despite being completely slammed, and having no reservation, they made room for us, and all the servers were friendly. That's like 4 stars. Now let's get to the heart of this: the food was just terrible. So if you decide to give this restaurant a chance, just skip every dish I mention below: - the chicken sandwich. With a big burger culture in the Azores, I thought I'd finally found my chance to try a chicken version. Wrong. It was just dry and bland. I'd avoid chicken on this island altogether. Only "O Miroma" in Furnas made a decent meal of it. - the shrimp tapas with the egg in it. Not the worst thing that night, but just not interesting. - finally, the worst thing we had that night: the beans. They were awful. The aftertaste tasted like that smell you get around cow manure. I'm not joking. The initial bites are good but when the aftertaste kicks in our faces turned white (and for those of you that know me, you'll understand that's no easy feat). It was a tough way to end an otherwise solid culinary trip, but I guess there always has to be one place. I feel bad leaving this review because they really did go out of their way to accommodate us, but I can't let bad food go unreviewed. Do yourself a favor: make your reservations well in advance elsewhere and avoid this one. read more

The place is located on a cute side street in a historic building. The fish menu allows to Choose the fish and cook style. There are 2 vegan options for Dinner and I recommend the chick pea stew and the fruit salad without cheese. However make sure you mention multiple times that you do not eat meat or cheese as when we ordered mushrooms they cake with a bacon and cheese mixture (that was I listed on the menu). There are a few local Azores wines to choose from which are delicious. The food quality is high and service attentive. You will Need to book ahead for dinner. read more

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Quick review: Food is awesome, service is sparing because of how busy there are. Longer review: We had stopped by on Friday evening hoping to get in. No joy, the place was packed. We returned Wednesday for lunch and were immediately seated. They serve the same extensive menu all day. We opted for the cheese and apple wrapped in puff pasty as an appetizer. A tip of any diners, be sure to order an appetizer, you'll be waiting a while on your entree. I had the seafood stew with puff pastry and my husband had the fish of the day (trigger fish) grilled. The portions were so large, we skipped dessert. The wine list was also extensive but we didn't partake. read more

A Tasca - Cheese and apple wrapped in puff pastry appetizer - Mediterranean Near Me - Ponta Delgada, 20

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This restaurant was one of my favorites while traveling in the Azores. It is recommended to make reservations, my boyfriend and I just walked in and were seated but most tables were marked reserved. The restaurants menu is printed on a newspaper, and listed an extensive amount of apps and small plates. There really was something for everyone. My boyfriend and I split the lapas and veal bruchetta - both were delicious. We also enjoyed our main courses; however, the real star was the pineapple cake and local liquor which is a must try! If visiting the azores definitely check this place out. read more

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Very good all round place. You won't be disappointed. The portions were good and the flavors were as expected. This place fills up so get here early. Favorite items? The fresh cheese and The pineapple tart. read more

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Perhaps the highest rated restaurant in Ponta Delgada, we had the hotel front desk make us a reservation here as soon as we landed, 4 days ahead of time, and even then she was concerned we wouldn't get in. No issues though, and we secured a table for 8pm on a Saturday night!! I was a bit over the red wine at this point so I selected some bubbly and shared with the group. We then followed up with a white wine as well. The menu here is pretty good, with a lot of tapas, and then some bigger entrees. Fresh caught fish options are displayed on a board for all to see. One thing to note is the menu itself. I wouldn't normally comment on how nice a menu looks or anything like this, but this one is literally a newspaper and is pretty interesting visually! We knew from others than we had to try the limpets here. These are an Azorean staple and I loved them. We had them again elsewhere, but these were by far the best, and were big and plump. For sharing we did quite a few tapas, notably the Tuna Carpaccio which was fresh and served in soy and reminded us of Japanese food. The Beef Carpaccio was also very good. By this point Jessica G. and myself were starting to crave vegetables, salads, anything green, so when we heard one of the entrees came with salads we instantly requested we get side salads as well lol. They hit the spot for sure. Another notable - the veal bruschetta, a bit hard to eat, but delicious! I also tried a bit of the rabbit (very good), of course olives (we're obsessed), and the fava beans, which looked weird, but were pretty damn good! The grilled shrimp were probably the only thing we didn't like, which came with an amazing spicy sauce, but were overcooked and hard to get out of the shell. Personally, I'd skip the deviled eggs as well, though the others seemed to like them. We ended the evening with the dessert pajama. Ok, it's probably not called that, but it sure sounded like it lol. Described as a dessert board with a little bit of everything, this made it easy since we pretty much wanted one of everything lol. And I specifically requested the panna cotta be on it. Definitely amazing. The Panna Cotta was the best I've ever had. The Honey Cake was phenomenal. The Pineapple Cake was the best one we had on the trip, by far!! GREAT DINNER!! read more

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We came here for dinner on our last night and had an amazing experience! The food was amazing and the service was great. They don't take reservations so expect to wait or come for an early dinner (~6 pm). Highly recommend! read more

One of the best restaurants in São Miguel Island. Ate here in two different occasions. Cons: -ridiculous wait times, you DEFINITELY need a reservation a few days beforehand. We came in peak season in July and after lots of non availability the first few days we managed to snag seats toward the end of our trip on a weekday. Pros: Great food. Stick to tapas and and seafood. Our party thoroughly enjoyed the fried octopus and garlic shrimp. We also tried the pork ball, sausage platter, duck rice, tuna steak, cod fillet as well. Definitely a good meal in the azores if you have the ability to snag a table! Hint: they sometimes do outdoor seating on weekend that is non reservation and wait at your own risk. We did this and waited about an hour. read more

OMG...hands down the best meal I had in the Azores. So my friend picked this gem out from his online research and I was skeptical. If you are in Ponta Delgata, you basically need to make reservations because the waits can be horrible. We got luck and the host said a party of 2 did not show up, but we had to promise to be done within 2 hours. As Americans, we were like...no problem. Well we decided to order several small plates including the fried octopus, beef salad, garlic butter lampas, and ahi tuna. The Lampas were in this amazing garlic butter sauce with lemons and we ate it with bread to soak up all the wonderful juices. The fried octopus was the highlight and was tender and served with a sweet balsamic glaze that was to die for! The beef Salad and ahi tuna were good as well, but the highlights were clearly the Lamps and Octopus. We also saw a lot of people eating a fish stew that was prepared with a puff pastry top. It looked intriguing and wish I would have tried it. Unfortunately we only could eat so much given a big meal we had earlier in the day. So no doubt about it, if your journey takes you to Ponta Delgata in the Azores. Make this a stop and you won't regret it! read more

We stayed at the Hotel Sao Miguel Park and came upon this restaurant as we were taking a walk and exploring the area. The menu is extensive, and it's hard to choose just one thing because everything looks so good! We ended up going here a couple of times and trying a bunch of different options. Everything we tried was so good and the service was excellent! read more

3 for food and 4 overall once you factor in ambiance and service. Tasca was quite tasty. The place also fills up basically every night so you're highly advised to make reservations ahead of time. The pace of dinner is quite relaxed with ours taking close to 3 hours. A neat gimmick - the menu is printed on and made to resemble a newspaper sitting on the table. Most wine bottles are below 10 euros. For appetizers we had the cheese and meat plate (size medium), the octopus salad, and the pickled sausage with fried taro cake. Everything was decent, with no real stand outs. The pickled sausages had a good flavor but they also tasted quite dry, like they were cooked too long. The tuna steak was considerably better than the dry hockey puck we had the night before at Restaurante Nacional but the meat was more grey than red/pink. Not sure if that's the variety of tuna they catch here or if there's something else going on. Flavor was 'ok'. The seafood chowder is served in a large bowl with a baked dough top (like a pot pie). Once you break the seal, there's a large rush of steam as the contents are piping hot. There's an assortment of shrimp, clams, and 3 other kinds of fish inside. I think our server pointed out that sting ray (or skate?) was one of them and he was keen to tell me how good the flavor was. I think the chowder was tasty, but not a knock out. The serving size is substantial and you can choose to eat more or less of the top crust depending on how hungry you are. We were aiming for the honey pudding and pineapple cake as they came highly recommended however, by the time we got to dessert they were both sold out. Boooooo... (guess that means they're good?). As a consolation, we picked up the rice pudding and bean cake - I enjoyed both. While the food was "good" it wasn't amazing and I think it deserves a solid 3 star for food. However, the ambiance is warm and the pace is slow and leisurely, you get to enjoy your meal and your company. Our server was friendly and helpful. I'd rate the overall experience as a 4. Go check it out. read more

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Wonderful experience, great cheese/charcuterie platters, and authentic tasca tavern atmosphere. read more

A Tasca - Cheese/charcuterie - Mediterranean Near Me - Ponta Delgada, 20

I ate two lunches here because my Airbnb host recommended it. The first was awesome, I had the local soft cheese and barracuda which was well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The second trip I had wasn't as impressive- I had mediocre soup, the cheese again (which didn't disappoint) and some very over cooked shrimp. They have a lot of options and many small plates but if you're eating alone it's hard to get to try them all.. I know they get booked up quickly for dinners so I recommend going for lunch and with friends so you can try lots of things and not feel too sad about one not so great tapas! read more

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They don't answer the phone - ever. We couldn't get a reservation.... unlike the rest of the restaurants on the island, they are open all day. Arrive for early dinner and avoid the lines/wait. the food is fantastic! read more

Resturaunt made from refurbished metal containers. Sits on the west end of ponta delgado port with a beautiful view of the dock. I had the roasted octopus dinner while my husband had the traditional roasted beef call alcatra and creamed sweet potatoes. Definitely a place worth spending the time for a glass of wine your honey or casual dining with friends read more

A Tasca - Mediterranean Near Me - Ponta Delgada, 20

We came here three times in 24 hours and are considering going back again tonight. Interesting space, kind and welcoming staff, and a large varied menu with tons of delicious options. We had olives, cheese with honey and nuts, sesame crusted swordfish, clams, the franchescina sandwich, grouper, breaded octopus rings with sauce, sausage and cheese stuffed potatoes, chorizo, tuna carpaccio... I may be missing a few items but everything we had was delicious! So, so tasty. And the sangria is great and comes in large glasses. It is also extremely reasonably priced. They tend to fill up quickly - make reservations, come during slower hours and be prepared to wait a bit. We will be back - if not tonight, then on our next trip. read more

Good starters. I recommend Apple cake - delicious. I was missing the atmosphere and good service.

Yes, you do need a reservation here and every restaurant in the Azores. My group of 4 stumbled upon Tasca without a reservation but luckily it was 5p and the waitress made us promised we'd be done by 7:30p before seating us. 2.5 hours?! We told her it was no problem. Little did we know how slow everything works here and we were out just before our deadline. This was our first meal in the Azores and probably the best authentic Portuguese meal we had all trip. My friends ordered the cod and tuna steak and loved their dish. I ordered the octopus and slurped up every bite. My boyfriend unfortunately didn't like his steak. He said the cut was too fatty and just not cooked well. On top of our entrées, we also started off with the flaming sausage, limpets, veal bruschetta, and a shrimp appetizer. To top off the meal, we had a pineapple cake that I would highly recommend. The four of us also split a bottle of the house white and red wine which I believe were under 15 euros each! Our total bill came out to around 90 euros! What a steal. My only regret was not having enough room in my belly to try more appetizers. The appetizer list was extensive and interesting, more so than the entrée menu at least. read more

It was a cozy tapas restaurant that was open at 3:00 when everything else was closed! We read the reviews and agree this is a nice restaurant with good service and local flavor. We had four dishes and all of them we enjoyed, each had a unique flavor. Good wine and beer list. We would definitely return. read more

A Tasca - Mediterranean Near Me - Ponta Delgada, 20

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Please do not be fooled folks, this is a tourist trap. We ordered lapas which were like rubber tires; burnt, no flavour. The chicken wings tasted frozen and old, the octopus was very dry. Complete fail. Also rude servers. Complete waste of money and poor quality food. The best lapas we had on the island were in Ponta Garça. read more