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Unlike some other Azores islands (like Pico island), there are some pretty good restaurants in Terceira island, where you can find terrific local dishes like Alcatra. So if you’re a foodie and already read my guide on what to eat in the Azores, save this list of the best restaurants in Terceira island and plan an invasion of them once in the island 😀 Enjoy!
Enough talking. These are the best restaurants in Terceira island in the Azores!
Tasca das Tias
This restaurant combines the warmth of a traditional tavern with a subtle sophistication that can be seen in the good wine list and impeccable service. The food is excellent – and perhaps the dish that brings the most fame to this pastry house is the Alcatra Açoriana – a stew made with rump, lard and a lot of black pepper from Jamaica. If you’re not that hungry, you can go for one of the snacks, which are delicious.
Another great thing about Tasca das Tias is that, unlike most restaurants in Terceira, it is open every single day of the week.
Local tip: on Tasca das Tias’ menu it says that it only serve Alcatra Açoriana for 2 people, but ask for half a portion if you’re eating alone and they’ll provide it!
Beira Mar
Beira Mar is not only one of the best restaurants in Terceira island but also one of the most famous for those who REALLY enjoy eating fish like me (I am a fish snob, and yes, that is a thing!).
It is a restaurant with a simple decor and where grilled fish dishes (including fish skewers) stand out, and where you can order, for starters, fresh seafood such as barnacles, limpets and lobster.
Local tip: Beira Mar is located in the small fishing village of São Mateus, and all windows face the sea. Take the opportunity to have lunch at this restaurant or book an early dinner to enjoy the sunset here.
O Pescador
Close to the airport I found one of the best restaurants in Terceira island, which for me really stood out among the competition because, even though there are other restaurants with fantastic food in the island, there are very few with such an efficient, fast and kind service as O Pescador. Moreover, the staff mostly consists of women, something I really appreciated.
The menu of O Pescador has great suggestions for both meat and fish, but my favourite dishes are by far the grandmother’s soup, made with red beans, fennel and pork meat, and also the codfish cataplana with “Portuguese sauce”, as they call it.
The wine list is very extensive (even including great sparkling wines) and, at lunch time, they serve wine by the glass at very affordable prices.
Local tip: the base for O Pescador’s famous cataplanas is cream and bacon, but why on Earth would you spoil a nice fish with dairy products?! Instead, follow my advice and ask for the Portuguese sauce, as it is to die for and much healthier and lighter.
Caneta
In the north of the island, we find one of the best restaurants in Terceira island for meat lovers, Caneta. And it’s no wonder: the Dias family, who have owned the restaurant for 20 years, also raise cattle, serving, among others, the traditional rump dish I told you about (alcatra) as well as a skewer of aged Black Angus meat. For starters, the grilled black pudding and the beef marrow are delicious.
The desserts are also EXCELLENT, of which I highlight the cinnamon pudding, the vinegar cake (yes, vinegar – don’t turn your nose up!) and the cheese pudding.
Local tip: go to Peneta on a sunny day because it has a BEAUTIFUL terrace!
Boca Negra
At the far east of the island is Boca Negra, the best restaurant in Terceira island to eat the famous alcatra dish, but this time, made of… fish. True story! We are used to eating only beef alcatra but this restaurant makes a DIVINE fish alcatra and no, it has nothing to do with cataplana. It’s a great dish, served for a minimum of two people, and it’s worth going to Porto Judeu just to try this unique delicacy of the Azores island.
To top off the meal, a wonderful pumpkin cheesecake.
Ti Choa
For those who need help choosing a restaurant, at Ti Choa you will find everything that is becoming increasingly difficult to find in a restaurant: excellent service, delicious food, fair prices, and the certainty of having a great time.
I particularly like the tasting of pork rinds, fried corn, black pudding, chorizo, rojões in liver and sweet potato sauce and stewed rump meat… and for all this food festival, you pay €12.50 / person.
For dessert, order the sweet vinegar (weird name, I know) – you won’t regret it.
Local tip: as you may have realized by now, Ti Choa is very meat centered, so if that is not your jam I recommend you to choose another restaurant on this list.
A Canadinha
A Canadinha is not only one of the best restaurants in Angra do Heroísmo but also one of the cheapest, making it a very popular spot with the locals (AND tourists, that gladly follow our steps 😀).
This is a traditional restaurant with a typical decoration and with a very welcoming ambiance, which makes it an excellent place to chat with the locals and get to know the culture of Terceira island.
Canadinha has a vast menu of traditional and local dishes, slightly more focused on meat dishes, in well-served portions and with a lot of flavor.
Local tip: A Canadinha is always packed with people, so make sure to book in advance.
Taberna Roberto
Taberna do Roberto is one of those places so good that you want to keep it just for us, but I like to share everything with you :)
As the name implies, it is a small restaurant that belongs to Mr. Roberto and his wife, who are exceptional hosts, as they really know how to make you feel special and cared for.
Roberto will graciously share with you all the details of the menu, as well as how he started the restaurant with his wife when it was just a bar.
The menu is extensive and the dishes I most enjoy are the duck “escabeche” and limpets (for starters); grilled octopus, brazed tuna and fillet mignon for main courses, and an AMAZING cinnamon ice-cream dessert.
Moreover, it has an amazing selection of red wines, so it is definitely one of the best restaurants in Terceira island for wine lovers.
It is not a cheap restaurant, but oh boy is it worth it :)
Local tip: Taberna do Roberto doesn’t accept a lot of international cards, so I’d make sure to bring cash!
Adega São Mateus
I love this type of restaurant so much: small, familiar, unpretentious and with lots of delicacies to choose from, among which I highlight the regional seafood: limpets, barnacles, crab, chips, lobster.
Because yes, you’ve guessed it: Adega São Mateus is one of the best restaurants on Terceira island in the Azores for those who enjoy eating fish and seafood. If you’re not a fan, bet on the pork with chili, you won’t be disappointed.
The staff is very attentive, quick to serve and able to make good wine recommendations.
At the end, order the cinnamon liqueur to round off the meal.
Local tip: When you call to make your reservation, ask for a table by the window in the back room.
