I'm not very prone to hyperbole, but this place deserves to be a Michelin rated restaurant. It's…read moreabsurd that this place is under any sort of radar. It should be up there with the best of them. You should be travelling to Terceira just to eat here. I'm about to go re-rate, and lower the rating on every other restaurant I ate at on this trip because nothing was comparable. Had I eaten here on my first day, everything else would pale by comparison, and probably ruin the vacation. So I guess by that measure, it's probably a good thing that I ate here on the second to last day of the trip!
Okay, so let me start by telling you where we failed, so you can do better. Call and make a reservation the morning of the day BEFORE you plan to eat here (so approx 36 hrs ahead). The reason being, there is no menu here! You just tell them what you want, and they'll tell you what's possible given the farm/supply situation. If you call too late (like we did), you'll be limited to the a la carte options (which were still amazing), but the other way is much more intimate. Roberto or his wife will have a discussion with you on the phone to plan your party's meal. Some of the exotic options include goat, duck, rabbit, a whole roasted pig, but again... Depends on what's available. If you screw up and are too late, upon arrival, Roberto will invite you into the kitchen and show you what's fresh and available right now. The options seem to usually include grilled fish, pork ribs or steak. Your appetizers are cheese or lapas.
Though we missed out on the curated menu option, the a la carte experience was still out of this world. The fish was the best we had on the whole trip by far. The cheese was also the best as well. Their desserts were decadent. And all the while Roberto or his wife would check in on us, stop to chit chat, and it just made the whole evening that much more personal. As with other places we found, tables do not turn over here. Your meal will take at least a couple hrs, and no one is in any rush.
The personal touch here is phenomenal. It's an experience you won't soon forget, and for sure, the next time I come back here I'm going to plan well ahead so we get the full experience. I sincerely hope they can keep it going this way! Bravo!