This is an incredibly authentic Portuguese restaurant! The design and detail make one feel that…read moreyou're in Portugal, with the waitresses dressed in traditional garb. The food is excellent, the service is excellent and the décor is really charming! I don't know why I waited so long to eat here, but I won't be waiting too long to come back! I really loved my lunch here! (Did I use too many exclamation points in this review ????!!!!!)

This is my favorite place to eat, or drink or just hang out in Lucena, without a doubt…read more Restaurante Manolo is located inside the Costa Brava Praia Resort Hotel, and Manolo is the owner of both. He's also the executive chef of the restaurant. Forget the beautiful view of the oceanfront of Fagundes Beach; forget that this is the ONLY hotel in Lucena (there are other B&B's, but they don't have restaurants and don't have the view that this place has). You can sit poolside below a palm-covered outdoor seating area and enjoy some Spanish dishes (like suckling pig, paella, fideuá and others), raclette, lobster and other seafood dishes as well as Brazilian dishes. Manolo is quite the character, and will visit each and every table during your stay (he speaks Spanish and Portuguese only), joking and entertaining guests. He's one of the main reasons it's worth coming here! The food is the second reason. You will not find another place in Lucena that serves the same dishes or has the same quality. Their wine list is extensive and their prices are incredibly reasonable. If you're in the neighborhood, I highly recommend snacks, or lunch or just a bottle of bubbly poolside while in this tropical paradise.

Ótimo restaurante português em Recife!…read more Arroz de polvo magnífico. Bolinho de bacalhau, sem comentários. Preço muito justo. Recomendo!

I think I have grown tired of dining at Oficina do Sabor. I wanted to dine here primarily for…read moretheir commemorative plate ("Boa Lembrança"). We called ahead and asked if we needed a reservation, and were told that we did not, but when we got here, almost all of the tables had "reserved" signs on them and only 2 tables were left and where we were sat was very hot. I felt really bad for the waitstaff, because in an effort to monetize his restaurant, Chef Cesar Santos has changed their uniforms, which now look more like a Formula 1 or NASCAR uniform, featuring Coca-Cola and Natto (the Brazilian equivalent of Purdue chicken) logos all over their shirts. We started with gratinéed oysters, but the béchamel sauce was grainy as if it had broken--not pleasant. My main course, shrimp and octopus (named "tico tico" after the music by Carmen Miranda) was served barely warm, and actually cold in parts. My wife's main course was a fish with a plantain puree. She thought the fish was forgettable and the puree was terrible. After not having luck with the appetizer or the main course, I decided not to have dessert. While the service was still very good, and the ambiance/décor continue attractive, the food quality seems to have fallen precipitously.

We loved this place. They have a great view on their back patio looking out over the city of Olinda…read moreand Recife. It was a bit expensive but we're told that we must go and try their shrimp stuffed roasted pumpkin which was as good as everyone said. It was plenty to split between the two of us.