If you're in Sintra, do NOT miss Tascantiga. It was easily our favorite meal of the trip. It feels like dining in someone's Portuguese family home, with mismatched plates and charm in every detail. The sangria (by the glass or in a clay jug) is a must.  We went all in as a group of four diners, ordering the sardine sandwich (incredibly fresh and layered with flavor), fried fish, octopus, scrumptious pig cheeks, and the most delicious chicken wings. Honestly, I could've skipped the steak sandwich, but everything else was outstanding. Didn't make it to dessert, but the plates we saw heading to other tables looked good. Even the bathroom adds to the experience, decorated like a home, complete with fake hanging "laundry". We walked in during a busy lunch time on a weekend day. Indoor and outdoor seating is available depending on the weather. read more

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This was the first spot we visited on our second leg of our Portugal trip. It was easy to find and was very casual. The tapas sized food was perfect for what we needed as a simple appetizer as we ate through Sintra. We coupled it with wine and beer. Service was fast and friendly. It was the only spot that had a lot of people - speaks to its superiority in the area perhaps. I'd definitely recommend - get the seafood salad! read more

Tascantiga - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

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Our local tour guide recommended this restaurant to us for lunch. It was a great recommendation! We ordered several tapas to share. The food came out quickly. The octopus and pork cheeks were served similarly with fried onions on top. Both were tender. My favorite was the fried cuttlefish with ink aioli. We also ordered mushrooms with roasted vegetables. We were quite full afterwards. Upon leaving, we noticed a line outside. It's definitely a popular place. read more

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Enjoyed this family style restaurant in the heart of Sintra square. Friendly staff. Generous portions.

This was a homey yet eclectic tapas bar. Jared and I split several plates - prawns, pork cheeks with a mustard sauce, beef cubes with fried shallots, a beet and apple salad, and a cabbage soup. The cabbage soup was very stringy and kind of hard to scoop out of the bowl they provided us, but the flavor was nice, while a little bland. My favorite was the pork cheecks - I loved the tanginess of the mustard sauce and the cook on the meat. The prawns were also delicious - albeit a little messy to eat with your hands! Love the chic / antique feel of the decor and ambience inside - it's definitely a popular place as it was pretty filled up shortly after it opened for lunch. Would 10/10 recommend! read more

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My waif and I were in Lisbon for a week and decided to take the train to Sintra, lots of cool castles to see and I would recommend the city bus to see them. We wee ready for some lunch about noon and we found Tascantiga on Yelp and it was a little up the hill from the town square. It looks like a large house and has a cozy feel inside. Our servers were great and I ordered a big beer and perused the menu. Lots of younger people here, it is a good date lunch place, I thought. I ordered some octopus and a charcuterie tray and some fried cuttlefish. The charcuterie was great, lots of great meats and cheeses and some good bread. The octopus was perfect, not too chewy and super flavorful. The winner was the fried cuttlefish. Flash fried and came with a perfect dipping sauce. A little tangy. "Beer number two please!" Way too much food, but a WONDERFUL lunch! read more

Tascantiga - Fried cuttlefish. Delish! - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

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Tascantiga opens at 12:15 but people line up before so if you can, I would get there around 12. It's the perfect lunch spot for a post Pena Castle visit. The staff are friendly, the vibes give authentic Portuguese (from what little I know) and the food is excellent. We overdid it on the cheese but all the cheeses were mild and delicious and paired well with the meats and breads and marmalade. We also ordered the sausage lollipops, cod balls, olives, garlic shrimp, cuttlefish, beet salad, and a mushroom dish with prosciutto. The garlic shrimp is a little salty and the cuttlefish is like calamari but a little tougher so I don't think I would get those again but everything else was delicious. We also got a pitcher of sangria which was delicious! Highly recommend Tascantiga if you're in Sintra! read more

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What's food. Absolutely delicious food. Great service and wonderful atmosphere. Anyone coming to Lisbon, Portugal should try this. It's closed to Peña palace and the historic places. We loved to food and the beer read more

Hiked down here from Moorish Castle and was a cozy spot for a late lunch! We went with the Octopus (flavorful and not chewy at all), Mushroom Goat Cheese (must be a goat cheese lover to like this as the flavors are very pungent and strong), Garlic Shrimp (includes the head so you'll need to peel it), and the Pork Belly. Food came out pretty fast and service was great! read more

This place is very popular with the Sintra tourists. There was a line when I got here. Luckily, the wait wasn't very long. I got the sardines sandwich and the caldo de verde. Both were very good! I think if I were to come back, I would try the tapas. These were popular with the large groups. read more

Tascantiga - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

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Came here just for drinks after a day exploring Sintra. As a note, the kitchen does close early, so we didn't try any of their food. We were drawn to place because of the incredible views it has of Sintra, and had a fabulous time watching the sunset and drinking gin & tonics (made with local gin- and they were discounted for their happy hour between 17:00-19:00). Great place for a round of drinks before ultimately heading off to dinner elsewhere. read more

Tascantiga - Sintra gin & tonic - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

Despite being located in a prime tourist spot, Tascantiga served some impressive tapas. The wait can be long (up to an hour) during peak season, but we were lucky to wait only 10 minutes for a table. Their table turnaround time is quick because the food comes out pretty fast. This is a great place to get lunch during a day trip to Sintra and Pena Palace. read more

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Really popular tapas restaurant in Sintra, expect to wait in line! However, the line moves quickly! After spending time in Lisbon, I found that Sintra food was somewhat of a let-down. However, Sintra's saving grace is Tascantiga and this restaurant remains my favorite in this small area. The menus are English-speaker friendly, and there were a lot of tourists dining here. My table of three ordered seven tapas and a dessert, which was the perfect amount of food for us. My favorite was the roasted chorizo, it was deliciously juicy and came on sticks so the presentation was quite funny. Many of the foods were served in small dishes that resembled flower pots. I thought it was a very cute touch. Some of the other tapas I thought were just okay. For instance, the cheese with figs and ham lacked, well, figs and ham. The pieces were small and baked into the cheese which had a strong taste that overpowered the ingredients. Two of the dishes we ordered kind of blended together because they both had crispy onions on top. The tapas just tasted like crispy onions lol. I suspect that many of the tapas may have this crispy onion topping. The fried cuttlefish, though cute in presentation, was dry for me. Do not skip dessert and DO try to get a seat outside to enjoy the beautiful Sintra weather! read more

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This was a great little place for a good meal and really good prices. On our last night in Portugal we decided a small low key meal would be good and this place was perfect. I had the fried chicken, bread, and a medium sized beer. My wife had beets with goat cheese and the mushrooms with ham. Everything was cooked just right and was a great ending to our vacation. read more

Tascantiga - Mushrooms and ham - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

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This was my partner's favorite meal in our entire trip. We ordered 4 snacks/tapas to share between the two of us and we were absolutely full. Our favorite dish was the octopus. ImMy partner kept raving that they cooked it so well. We arrived around 1:30pm on a Saturday (off-season) and was lucky enough to only wait around 5ish minutes. It's also a quick 10ish minute walk to Regal Palace. read more

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this place is AWESOME! I couldn't not recommend more. the views are amazing, the food is delicious, the staff was kind. Got to enjoy the beautiful views of Sintra, while eating delicious food. Could find less expensive food, but it was reasonable and the view makes worth paying a bit more read more

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Easily one of the best meals we have had in Portugal. We esp enjoyed the tuna steak sandwiches the most! I still remembered it as i am writing the review now that i am home :P Skip the beef dish if I may suggest...but then again, I am spoiled by the american/midwest beef...so i found the beef in europe is generally on the chewy/lean side. :) Be sure to get there early. There was a line before it was open. read more

Tascantiga - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

This place has amazing tapas and the service is so quick and speedy. After a long morning at the Pena Palace, I cam here starving and this place did not disappoint. There was a bit of a wait because it was so popular but the line moves so quickly and they are able to accommodate alot of people. I ordered five different tapas to split with someone and I really enjoyed my experience here. I got the shrimp, the chickpea cod salad, the octopus, the caldo verde, and the pork cheeks. I thought the octopus was a bit chewy, but the overall experience was really good and I really liked how flavorful the pork cheeks were. It was super tender and pairs perfectly with the sangria and the vibrant atmosphere of the tavern was really amazing. Would recommend this place to anyone in the area. read more

Tascantiga - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

Excellent lunch here! We had the hot soups, the rolls, beef cubes, and octopus and all was amazingly good. Great staff and cute decor. Highly recommended! read more

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Amazing tapas! Tascantiga kept coming up as a must-visit restaurant in Sintra when I looked for lunch spots in the area, and I was so excited to go. I only waited in the queue for about 10 minutes before being seated. I ordered seafood salad, green cabbage soup, a glass of sangria, and bread - it was just about €15 for a super satisfying meal. I feel like I only scratched the surface based on all the options available, but it was exactly what I needed. There's a fun, buzzy atmosphere, and it would be nice to come with a group, although the wait will probably be longer. Either way, worth the visit! read more

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Found this place on Google and Yelp so we set out to find it. We happened to walk up to the entrance at the same time as another party. The gentleman came outside and let us know he only had one table that would accommodate only one party and ask who was there first. It was a hard one because we literally both walked up at the same time from opposite directions. We had four and they had three. We stood outside for a few seconds conversing about it and either party was willing to walk away. Just as we offered to test our luck and flip a coin the gentleman came back and said he made room for all of us. We were ecstatic! Not only because we were hungry but because the adventure it took to get there.... Following Google Maps, we drove past the restaurant and only noticed as we pass it by. We went right through the spot and realized that once you pass it, there is no turning back. You have to go all around the town, about 17 miles and 26 minutes of a windy road. It was a quite an adventure. Nonetheless we had time because the place didn't open until 7PM. So now the food, we'll it's amazing. Everything was great. But the desert is fantastic!! get all of them.! Staff are so welcoming and attentive. You won't regret this place. read more

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Excellent restaurant in Sintra. We enjoyed an amazing lunch of many small plates which I love to get a sample of several dishes. Super affordable and delicious. Cute dining room was very cozy. Staff super friendly and fast. Loved the pork cheeks, mushrooms with goat cheese, prawns, and awesome wine! Skip the tourist spots on the square and take a quick walk up the hill behind for this gem. You will not be disappointed! read more

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I had bookmarked this place while doing my research for Portugal. We came here for lunch after doing some sightseeing in Sintra. At first we were told that they had no space left. Another group went to the restaurant across the street but we were pretty determined so we asked if we could wait. There wasn't a sign in sheet so we didn't know if there was a wait list. The staff seemed surprised that we wanted to wait but he went into the restaurant and a few minutes later he ushered us in. I'm so glad we waited! We got a variety of different tapas including grilled octopus, bacalao fried balls, and pork cheek. Everything was very flavorful and unique. It was like a modern spin on traditional Portuguese food. I loved that the portions were small so that we could try a bit of everything. read more

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My family and I went in to order a couple small plates and drinks. They said we weren't ordering enough and asked us to order more food or leave. Read all the good reviews about this place & really wanted to check it out. But we just weren't too hungry! So we left sadly read more

Came here after the hike down from Morrish Castle. Great ambience and the food was fantastic. The steak sandwich was stellar and the bread was some of the best I've ever had. Just make sure you don't think it's closed cause of the rope lol. 12/10. read more

Aaaaamazing! After visiting Moor castle and Peña Palace in Sintra, do yourself a favor and eat here! Fresh, high-quality food. Everything tasted amazing. Was packed when we went. Shared a table with two French tourists so we could get seated sooner--brilliant. They enjoyed all of their dishes. Pulpo with fried shallots was absolutely delicious! My second favorite after the ones I had in San Sebastián. Mushroom vegetable medley (burger?) was fresh. Soup was yum. Sardines were fresh and good. French couple loved all their meat dishes. The pumpkin dessert was bomb. Everything was so good. Super friendly. Love the decorations and homey feel/ambiance. Definitely recommend! read more

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Wow. The shrimp here left us speechless, the shrimp was cooked perfectly and the sauce it was cooked in was soo good. It had flavors of lemon, garlic but also was so rich. We ended up ordering two orders of shrimp. Each order of shrimp comes with four large shrimps because it's tapas style. Other than the shrimp, we ordered potato wedges, charcuterie (the meat slices were so generous and thick) and the azetiao cheese with smoked ham and figs. All of their food was good, but only the shrimp stood out. We ate this meal as an afternoon snack between castle hoping in beautiful Sintra. The outdoor patio area is nice! read more

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Tascantinga is a nice spot for lunch in Sintra - definitely consider a reservation as they get packed with day trippers. We didn't know that but the kind owner found us a spot (much appreciated). The menu is tapas style and full of delicious things to discover. We started with grilled Portuguese sausage which is sliced and skewered and presented in a cute flower pot. I opted for a steak sandwich and was surprised when 2 sandwiches and a pile of fries appeared. It wasn't the best steak sandwich of the trip (see Pregar in Porto) but it was tasty and filling. Service was quick and pleasant too. Definitely a better option than many of the more expensive spots in the center. read more

Tascantiga - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

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A bit of a tourist trap though good option for lunch in Sintra which doesn't have too many restaurants. - The service was extremely slow and we had to ask for our bill multiple times to different waiters. - They forgot our dessert and blamed us for not knowing how to order food... hahaha no we eat out more than we cook! - My husband and I are both pretty sure the potato chips are from a bag :( - Many items are really greasy. I don't think they drain the fried items... just dump everything in. - We did like the Portabella mushroom and the baked cheese though! read more

Tascantiga - Chips from a bag :( - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

my partner and I came here excited to try this food- we were the only people of color and other guests who came after us were getting seated before us. It was obvious we were getting ignored. When we finally got sat. Got our food and it was bland and nothing special. Definetly not worth the wait. would not reccomend or support this establishment. Their flat out racism is not to be overlooked. read more

Came here with my family of 6 including a 2 year old. They were very family friendly and service was fast. The food was great! We got a variety of tapas and our favorite was the octopus. I would highly recommend coming here but get here early for lunch!! read more

Tascantiga - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

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This is an excellent tapas restaurant in Sintra, perfect for lunch or dinner. Like other reviews say, they can get busy so expect a 10-15 minute wait, but they do their best to move things along so you get seated in no time. The outdoor seating and background is so perfect. You can also look at their awesome menu and pick out the many dishes you want to try. Even though it's tapas style and smaller dishes, they're pretty hearty and will fill you up! We tried so many different dishes but the octopus was delicious as was the pork cheeks. My only critique was that the food was a little salty but that seems to be the trend of most the restaurants in Portugal and I might just be more sensitive that the average person since my boyfriend thought it was fine. read more

Tascantiga - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

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By far -the best meal we had in Portugal. After exploring Quinta da Regaleira, we walked a short distance into Sintra to try Tascantiga. You walk up a staircase and will see their patio on the right. It was roped off since it was so busy. Just wait a few minutes and an employee magically appears to take you to a front room to view the menu prior to being seated. We were quickly seated in the small, charming wine room and greeted by the server to promptly order drinks. They give you a paper menu on which you check a box next to each item you want to try. They are all unique items that are shockingly well-priced. We paid under 7 euros for each option (many under 4 euros). The decor is charming with beautiful carvings, ceiling emblems, and tile work. We ordered: -Candied Pork cheeks: SO DANG TENDER. The sauce is amazing and the mushrooms are diced so small within the sauce that they provide flavor without that sometimes off putting chew for non-mushroom lovers. The crunchy topping adds a great texture to the dish. -Cheese with figs and ham: it looks like a small brie wheel with a ham surprise inside. We didn't taste the figs at all, but this was still tasty, albeit our least favorite of the bunch. The bread was a bit overtoasted, thus stale-tasting. -Roasted chorizo: perfectly hot with a delightful crisp on the outside and snap as you bite in. They are well-seasoned and bite sized fun. -Crispy potatoes and herb Mayo: Note that these are essentially homemade potato chips with an herb-y mayo dip. Tasty, but not super special if you were trying to decide. -Apple crumble: SORRY FOR THE CAPS BUT I CANNOT HELP MYSELF. OMG. This is it, y'all. Save room and dig in. A toffee crumble on top that you must break into to get to the amazing apple compote underneath. We both loved this and wanted to lick the cute flowerpot it was served in. -Caipirinhas: Arguably the best drink we had in Portugal. Perfect blend of tart lime and sweetness. This is the perfect spot for the indecisive and for any sized appetite. You are served small, cheap portions of incredibly high-quality food. I sure wish we lived closer to eat here monthly. Scratch that...DAILY. :-) read more

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Great reward after you get to the top of the Sintra town! A beautiful outside seating "tasca" that offers small plates for sharing. The octopus and the shrimps were our favorites. For dessert we loved the pumpkin cake with ice cream. it is a masterful combination of hot and cold, it was very unique and delicious. We were lucky enough to had the best recommendations from Joao. His service was superb and the food recommendations even better. Thank you! I highly recommend this spot for your late lunch after touristing the 5 palaces. You won't regret it. read more

Tascantiga - Petit Gâteaux de calabaza con helado de requéson, miel y nueces. Don't leave without trying this one! - Portuguese Near Me - Sintra, 11

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awful experience!!!!! we sat down just wanting some small tapas and drinks, owner said we weren't ordering enough and told we had to leave (rudely), extremely hot inside as well, do not recommend at all!!!!! read more

This was a really solid tapas place with generous portions! We went for lunch during our Sintra day trip. What we got: Traditional green cabbage soup with chorizo (3.20€) - This came in a pitcher, and they gave us two bowls to share. This had a light, pleasant taste. There were two pieces of chorizo inside which were chewy, and added savoriness to the dish. Fennel, goat cheese, orange and crispy smoked ham salad (6.30€) - A solid salad to start off our meal! This was refreshing and went well with our other, heavier dishes. Base of greens, mixed with cooked fennel and creamy goat cheese, topped with crispy bacon bits which added a nice crunch. Fried prawns with garlic & coriander (7.60€) - This was my favorite. The shrimp was super fresh & flavorful, and the lemon garlic butter sauce was perfect - I wanted to dip everything in this! Octopus blades (6.70€) - Solid - this was quite hearty / substantial - each slice had more of a bite/chew and had a smokey / charred flavor. This was topped Candied pork cheeks (6.20€) - this was fall apart tender. The sauce it came in wasn't as savory and was more muted in flavor. Good, but I probably not my type of dish. For dessert - Pumpkin "petit gateaux" (4.90€) - This was delicious and beautifully arranged. The pumpkin cake was gooey on the inside and not too sweet. The ice cream was just OK; the accompanying honey & walnut was a nice touch. read more

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Beautiful views from this restaurant. There was a line when arrived but it moved quickly. The food was good and service was fast! The tuna sandwich was my favorite out everything we ordered. We also had the mushroom With goat cheese and the pork cheeks. My husband enjoyed everything. read more

Tascantiga is a nice tapas restaurant in Sintra -- great for lunch or dinner while you're visiting the palaces. The dishes could be hit-or-miss. The seafood salad octopus salad, and pork cheeks were fantastic (though some dishes had a lot of fried onions atop). Whereas the beef cubes were very tough, and the "fried potato peels" were just potato chips ("crisps" for the Brits). The ambiance is charming, and you can sit at the outdoor terrace on a nice day. read more

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My friend and I spent a day in Sintra from Lisbon. The weather was not very appealing and we were looking for a place close in proximity to eat at until it stopped raining. We picked this place based on reviews. Cute spot for authentic Portuguese tapas. Our server spoke English and we were seated right away. Right as we sat, we noticed our utensils and glasses had stains on them. We requested to exchange them for cleaner ones. My friend and I ordered several tapas to share, a great way to try multiple dishes. We got the seafood salad, fried prawns, roasted chorizo, fried potato peels, and pumpkin "petit gateaux." Even though the place was empty when we went, the service was quite slow. The presentation of the food was decent. I thought the seafood salad tasted mediocre. Everything else, I enjoyed and thought it was tasty. read more

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Right before Covid-19, we visited Sintra for the day and decided to take shelter here when it started raining. Fried prawns with garlic and corianders - shrimp was not fresh as it was mushy. The flavors were good though. Roast vegetables and goat cheese - super refreshing and one of our favorite tapas! Cod dumplings with olive purée and smoked ham dust - I thought it would be crunchier since it was fried but it was super mushy. It also needed more flavor. Candied pork cheeks confit w/ mushrooms - the pork cheeks were very tender and the sauce was good, but the pork cheeks were very gamey. The sauce could not hide the gamey flavor. Roastes chourizo - can't go wrong with chorizo. It had a nice crispy exterior. Sweeter than other chorizos I've had. Fried potato peels with garlic & oregano mayo - the garlic and oregano mayo was so good! Definitely one of our favorite tapas! read more

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