Best restaurants in Faial island

I know a lot of people will not like to read this, but here goes the truth: on Faial island there is no restaurant that is absolutely fantastic. In addition to that, as in all the Azores islands, restaurants are quite expensive when compared to continental Portugal (which is something I do not understand, because on the islands they pay less VAT than on the mainland… moving on!).

However, there are good places where you can eat reasonable meals. Here is my list of the best restaurants in Faial island – I hope you enjoy it and if you spot a place that should also be on this list, write in the comment section below!

Best restaurants in Faial island: what you need to know

There are basically two things that you need to be aware:

1. Faial is a tiny island and yet, it is the third most visited island in the Azores. This means that there are few everything – few restaurants, few hotels and few rental cars – to accommodate everyone. Therefore, I highly highly recommend you to book everything in advance and yes, this also applies to restaurants. Last summer, a lot of restaurants were sold out 2/3 days in advance.
2. As a Portuguese person, I find the restaurants in Faial island to be quite expensive. So if I were you I would do a combination of on the go meals, especially when you go hiking, home cooked meals (if you stay at a place with a kitchen) and eating out.

These are the best restaurants in Faial island:

Cantina da Praça

Cantina da Praça opened relatively recently and is considered by many to be one of the best restaurants in Faial island.

The menu is quite small and changes according to the seasons (which is a great sign), incorporating local fish (the braised tuna is delicious, as well as the fish cataplana) but also aged meat.

The desserts highlight the flavors of the season (I LOVE the chestnut pudding, served in autumn) and, to go with it, order a cocktail.

There are, however, two things I don’t like about Cantina da Praça in Faial:

– the space itself – I find the decoration rather sterile, and it bothers me to be eating on a ground floor surrounded by glass windows, where everyone passing by on the street can see the interior of the restaurant.

– the price, which is quite steep even by local standards.

Medalhas

Medalhas must be the restaurant on Faial island where I go most often because I feel immensely comfortable there. It is a small and cozy restaurant, reminiscent of a Hobbit hole from the Lord of the Rings. 

The staff is quick and extremely friendly, knowing how to advise you on the various dishes on the menu.

Personally, I love the Regional Plate (with several meats and local sausages, served with fried egg and sweet potato) and the stewed quails.

O Atlético

Whenever I asked someone which is the best restaurant on Faial island to eat fish, the answer was always, invariably, “you have to go to Atlético”. And off I went!

I was immediately impressed at the entrance, where I came across a pleasant little terrace, full of plants and furniture made by the owner.

When I entered the restaurant itself, an employee immediately came to show me the fresh fish on display, and he was able to explain to me the differences between the different fish available, their expected texture and taste as well as how to pair them with wines.

If you don’t like fish, there’s also a good selection of seafood and good cuts of meat. 

To top off the meal, a delicious slice of grilled Azorean pineapple with a scoop of ice cream.

this restaurant is VERY popular, so make a reservation, but if you don’t make it, show up as soon as Atlético opens because it fills up in no time.

Mar Sushi Terrace

Mar Sushi Terrace initially opened on Pico island and, two years later, it also opened at the Internacional Azores Boutique, which is one of the best hotels on the island of Faial.

So I was already familiar with the concept before going there, and I knew that Mar Sushi Terrace would quickly become one of the best restaurants in Faial island. The idea is simple: serve sushi made with as many local fish as possible. So, when I am in Faial I always make sure to go to Mar Sushi Terrace, as I will be tasting fish that I don’t have access to when I am nack home (in Porto).

The formula is foolproof, so I come back here over and over again when I feel sushi – sickness 😛

Boca Santa

From the outside, Boca Santa looks like just another small cafe inside a small local market. But what sets it apart from any other cafe in the island is that all the products it serves – the burgers, sandwiches and salads – are made with local products, like the famous São Jorge cheese.

The sweets section is even more dangerous: pumpkin muffins, homemade donuts and other fresh cakes that you will eat and cry for more.

On Saturday mornings, Boca Santa serves brunch and hurry up, because this is another one of the best restaurants in Faial island where there is ALWAYS a queue.

Restaurante Rumar

From the outside, you can’t believe that a small café next to the main road hides one of the best restaurants in Faial island, with a splendid view over the ocean and the Fajã beach.

There you will find honest and uncomplicated regional dishes, like sausage with yam and black pudding (we call it morcela) with sweet potatoes, but also fresh fish and the best limpets in town, so fresh that as soon as they arrive at the table you can smell the sea. Sooooo good.

The servings are plentiful, the price is fair, the owner is friendly and the service is efficient. What more can you ask?

PS – if you decide to have a meal at Restaurante Rumar, don’t forget to check the amazing viewpoint a few meters above, as it is one of the best viewpoints in Faial island.

Peter Café

The first time I visited Peter Café Sport, by far the most iconic place on Faial island, was over 20 years ago. Even back then the presence of hundreds of flags, stickers and other nautical objects made it clear that Peter Café Sport was, for years, the point of reference (perhaps the only one?) for sailors who arrived at the island.

So I was a bit anxious when I returned to Peter Café Sport more recently, as I was afraid that it would have lost its essence over time.

Fortunately, Peter is still the same. It is still a cozy café where people from all over the world meet, to eat one of their wonderful steaks or just to have a drink.Once there, make sure to visit Peter’s small museum, as it is one of the best things to do in Faial island.

Local tip: if it’s full when you arrive, don’t stress! Order a sea gin and drink it outside while you wait for a table.

Cantinho das Provas

Cantinho das Provas is the place where I always return when I go to Faial island because it is the ONLY wine bar on the island, with special emphasis on the excellent Azorean wines, most of which are produced on Pico island.

It’s a small bar with vintage decor, where you can pair wines with delicious tapas, which change according to the seasons.

They also make good sushi (even though I still prefer Sushi Mar Terrace when I am feel like having sushi in Faial island!).

Gastro Bar Príncipe

Gastro Bar Príncipe is a small restaurant, with a small menu of fusion food, where everything is basically delicious. It is also one of the few restaurants on Faial island that serves good vegetarian dishes, such as a cauliflower steak.

The chicken steaks are good, the fresh fish served with coconut purée is excellent but what makes me go back there is the iced Gorreana black tea tart, produced on São Miguel island.

Restaurante Praya

Praya may be the most beautiful restaurant on Faial. Located in a fully glazed building right in front of the beach of Almoxarife, it has an excellent view of Pico island. Inside, a wall lined with wines and a ceiling made of braided wood await you, which I think is the best.

Starters are king at the Praya restaurant, and they are all delicious: homemade olive butter, rump croquettes served with mint mayonnaise, tuna steak in bolo lêvedo (a traditional sweet, fluffy bread from the Azores)… the main dishes (meat, fish and vegetarian) are more traditional, but quite good nonetheless.

To finish off, a chocolate mousse made with gin from Peter Café Sport.

Local tip: if the weather is nice, go early and take the opportunity to swim on Almoxarife beach, which is well worth it, before having lunch at Praya restaurant.

Canto da Doca

Canto da Doca is the most unique spot on this list of the best restaurants in Faial island, as all dishes are cooked by the customer on a hot lava stone. I am personally not very fond of the concept (I hate smelling like food at the end of a meal!), but it’s a very popular low key restaurant in Horta, both among locals and tourists alike.

You can choose two or three fish or meat options individually, but I advise you to go for one of the mixes already available on the menu, which is simpler (and probably cheaper).

Whichever you choose, the side dishes are always the same: French fries, salad, bread and various sauces.