We happened by this restaurant through our tour with Sao Miguel Tours. We've had some amazing food…read morewhile in Portugal and Azores and this was fantastic. As our guide mentioned, the buffet was larger and more special due to it being Valentines and we were in for a treat! Four offerings of fish including baked and fried cod, a delicious local dish made of shredded potatoes and cod (similar to a casserole) and swordfish. For the meat they had out chicken, pork, braised turkey legs and a stewed like beef dish. With an assortment of cheeses and Salumi and the best mussel salad I've ever had. I swear that was the star of the meal! The mussel salad was mussels cooked in salt water, then mixed with sweet red and green peppers, onions and left to marinate in olive oil and lemon. Heaven! I could've just eaten that and been happy! Local fruits were also offered, try their pineapple, it's a hit. There were about seven desserts offered and all were amazing. The Portuguese love their custards and I have to say I love them, too! Capped off with a bottle of house wine, we left stuffed and happy from that known Portuguese hospitality. This location will also pick you up and take you to their restaurant and back to your hotel free of charge. That's damn good service! They have two other properties on the island that we will be checking out as well. Such a great food experience where you can have a little bit of everything. I highly recommend it!

BOTTOM LINE: As local as it gets and an extremely well-priced buffet (10€)!…read more There's less resto selection on the west side of Sao Miguel compared to the central and east sides, so Raiao is certainly a place you'd want to check out. There's a sign on the main road to point out where you turn in. There's street parking. They accept Visa. It's a family-style buffet for only 10€ and there's plenty of food to choose from. You'll be directed to the basement, where most of the seating is, though it's definitely a bit warm down there. Staff will serve you from a selection of soup, salad, chicken, beef, goat, blood pudding, fish, potatoes, and taro. Most of the dishes are slowed cooked, tender, juicy, and on the bone, which only adds to the flavour. Definitely worth checking out.

The best meal I had during my recent 6 day visit and second time visiting Sao Miguel. My family and…read moreI did a quick google search for nearby food options and stumbled on this hidden gem. The staff were incredibly warm and welcoming. Buffet style Portuguese food that tasted just like my avo's cooking that I grew up with. Incredibly clean and high quality cooked foods. I can't recommend this place enough and for the price it's a no brainer. I will be back next time I'm on the island.

Excellent, excellent, excellent all around! We were looking for late night dinner (10pm) and…read moredecided to check out this restaurant next door to our hotel. They had a good menu and were able to accommodate us without a reservation. The staff were warm and friendly and great at answering all the questions we had. We had bread with the different spreads and a massive cheese plate, which weren't expecting and filled us up. Our entree consisted of octopus rice (seasoned extremely well) and the triggerfish with rice. All amazing food. Unfortunately, they don't offer to go plates, so plan accordingly so you can finish your food. I couldn't! Had no room whatsoever for dessert but definitely slept well that night.

My wife and I ate here with a pre-booked reservation on the night of the 29 December 2024. The…read moreatmosphere and the service were first rate. Food pricing is a little bit upscale, but that seems to be the trend in Ponta Delgada currently. We had a steak for two along with good wine and good dessert. Steak and seafood are generally the strengths of the Azores, and this restaurant has good options for both. I recommend it.

This is a really great relaxed restaurant. The waitress and cook are very friendly and willing to…read moreexplain items that may be foreign when one is a tourist. Great service! Definitely get the limpets if you enjoy oysters. They're fresh! The baked cod will no doubt satisfy your hunger. As a vegetarian and non-fish eater, you may be disappointed. Salads are on the menu, but I'm not one to buy a salad. I opted for the cheese sandwich thinking that it would be layers of delicious local cheese. It was scraps of cheese on bread. Plain and simple. Save your money and make it at home. There's a good variety of beer and alcohol. There are also delicious fresh baked goods. I'm not sure they're made here.

Excellent food and staff,a golden gem in the island of green. The octopus is to die for and the…read moresquid is excellent

When staying in this area there are limited choices of restaurants.  This one came recommended from…read moreour food tour and the hotel. The menu was an offering of solid local fare and the views, especially sunset, were great.  Sometimes a bad waiter can be a buzz kill and cause me to rate the food or total experience worse than i should. We ordered the cheese appetizer, thinking we were getting the soft cheese and not understanding there was a choice between soft and firm cheese.  The waiter didn't not ask us which one we wanted and brought the one we did not want but ate anyway - its cheese! We asked for the tuna to be medium rare and it came out well.  We had no chance to tell him because we could not flag him down.  The sides were standard but but overcooked.  The steak au pouvre was well cooked and tasty.   The manager seemed intent on running a tight ship and I let him know about the bad service and he took it seriously.  For that reason alone, I would suggest giving it another shot if you are in town

We chose Alabote after a few other restaurants in the Ribeira Grande area were closed due to the…read moreseason and stormy March weather. The location is beautiful, and the patio looks like it would be wonderful on a nice day. The meal had some highlights: the garlic shrimp was delicious, the local Azorean red wine was excellent, and the wreckfish was tasty, though a bit bony. The potatoes were also very good. The limpets and desserts were just okay for us. Service was friendly and polite, but a bit confusing. We had multiple servers throughout the meal, and the timing felt off at times. Overall, it was a decent experience in a stunning spot. I'd return for a drink, some shrimp, and the view on a sunny day.

What a wonderful Azorean restaurant this is! Located in the city of Lagoa on the south coast of…read moreSao Miguel Island, this is a perfect stop after hiking around the beautiful Lagoa de Fogo or swimming in the nearby waterfalls and hot springs. Upon entry into this unassuming restaurant from the outside, we were greeted with port wine aperitifs and that was just a harbinger of a memorable meal in store for us. Inside the dining room is beautiful and the service Portuguese friendly! Cream of carrot soup was first on the agenda and a fresh salad course came after that. Then time for the tasty Azorean Caparau Frito accompanied by a traditional Azorean fish & pepper sauce. The main course was the Azorean Alcatra meat dish served on an Azorean bollo bread(especially well-known on the island of Terceira.) A sobremesa buffet ended this feast with a fabous selections of sweets and fruits. With a couple of bottles of Portuguese vinho tinto wine from the mainland, we were all truly impressed, refreshed, and thankful for such an amazing meal. Don't miss it!

Top notch! My wife and I arrived 5 minutes after they opened for dinner without a reservation and…read moreit's a good thing we did as we were seated. The two parties that walked in right after us were not so lucky and were turned away. You can order off menu as well as from the catch of the day, which are all on display and were more than likely swimming that morning. The hostess, and I imagine also the owner, explained what each fresh catch was and how many of each were available. We chose barracuda from the fresh catch and it was perfection. From the menu we chose limpets (which is a local shellfish cooked in garlic and butter) and the fried mackerel, which was mind-blowingly amazing! A complementary shot of a local liqueur is provided post-meal and was a perfect end to a perfect dinner.

Highly recommend you make a reservation as many people got turned away at the door. Call them up or…read morehave the hotel call. The family is very proud of their restaurant and very welcoming and kind. Lots of fresh fish! Will remember this meal forever

We've been to a lot of fish restaurants - and they're all ok. But O Alambique went WAY BEYOND OK…read more From the moment we entered, we felt welcome, and the menu and offerings were explained. We ordered the Espadarte Grelhalda and Bacalhau Largareiro. Both dishes were absolutely delicious as was the house red wine. As pretty much everywhere in Sao Miguel, we were treated to lightning fast service, friendly staff, and an immaculate dining area.

Had dinner hear was 92euros for 2 people food seafood rice was bland no flavour, had an apple…read moresoaked in port wine for desert was very good but my date had a chocolate cake that was so dry and old and when we complained they said you ordered it you pay for it she also ordered a cappachino that came out cold, don't recommend bad food and bad experience and way overpriced for the quality of food!!

Had the seafood rice special. Delicious. The view was almost as wonderful as the captain. Hope…read moreto return to this restaurant in the future.

Yummy! Shared a seafood risotto for 2 with hubby today. Huge portions with lots of fresh fish,…read moremussels, and shrimp. The risotto is more of a soupy rice but very delicious. Service a little "island pace" but very good and personal.