The Best Food Experience in Nazaré, Portugal

If you have ever heard of Nazaré, you will know that it is mainly known for two things: World-class surfing waves and some of the best seafood you can find in Portugal!

Located just a few steps away from the famous viewpoint of Sítio da Nazaré is Sitiado, a restaurant that we stumbled upon by chance and that cemented itself as one of the best culinary experiences we have had during our travels!

Already from the start, Sitiado caught our eye with its inviting and classic exterior. 

© Sitiado

Once through the door, we were greeted by a very professional and friendly staff. They directed us to our table, that was properly distanced from other guests and disinfected in accordance with Covid19 guidelines. 

We very much enjoyed the warm and pleasant atmosphere of the room. The wooden details on the walls mixed with vintage and rustic decorations, make the space feel cozy and informal without detracting from its classy feel.

© Sitiado

After travelling to Nazaré from Lisbon and spending the day exploring the town, we were very much looking forward to having a nice meal. When eating in Nazaré, one can usually expect good food, but we were not expecting an experience of this level!

© Sitiado

In Portuguese restaurants, bread, olives and cheese are often brought to the table as an appetiser. These are not complementary, and you will have to pay for what you consume. 

In the case of Sitiado, we had to ask for them instead of receiving them directly to the table. Keep this in mind in case you’d like to have a small bite to eat while you wait for your main course. The olives and cheese were amazing, and we definitely recommend you try them!

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Because this restaurant is “Tapa’s styled”, we ordered several different dishes: 

Main

Lapas dos Açores | Limpets from The Azores

Polvo Panado | Breaded Octopus

Atum Braseado | Seared Tuna

Patarroxa

Side Dish

Casquinhas de Batata | Potato Peel Chips

Desserts

Doce da Casa | Sitiado’s House Dessert

Homemade Pavlova

You can take a look at Sitiado's menu here for more inspiration!

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We couldn’t resist and only took a photo after finishing the dish!

On recommendation, we first tried the lapas (large limpets) from The Azores, cooked in olive oil and herbs. It was amazing! They arrived quickly and were served in the cooking pot, which helped to preserve and intensify all of the already aromatic flavours. 

The taste was quite similar to that of clams and other shellfish, but much more powerful! If you appreciate this type of seafood, you’ll be sure to love it!

Pro tip: Be sure to order some bread with this dish so that you can dip it in the cooking sauce after you are finished! It really completes the experience!

© Sitiado

We followed up with the breaded octopus. It was fried and served with lemon and a vinaigrette sauce. When we took the first bite, we were very surprised by the soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture! This type of seafood is very easy to overcook, especially when fried, but this one was spot-on: tender inside and crispy on the outside thanks to the breading!

This was by far the best fried octopus we’ve ever had!

Pro tip: We ordered a portion of potato peel chips to accompany the meal. They were light and crunchy, and went especially well with this dish and the vinaigrette!

Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, the seared tuna arrived!

First, the presentation was beautiful. The fish was slightly seared on the outside with a crust of sesame seeds. The slices of tuna were accompanied by fresh avocado cubes, wasabi and soy sauce, all served on a rustic cutting board. This plate reminded us of a Portuguese interpretation of a classic Japanese sushi dish!

The taste was out of this world: the freshness of the tuna, combined with the smokiness of the sear, the nuttiness and sweetness of the sesame and avocado, made for an unforgettable experience!

Combine all of that with the sharp spiciness of the wasabi and the saltiness of the soy sauce and you have our favourite dish of the day!

Keep in mind: The tuna is served almost raw, so consider that before ordering this dish. For sushi lovers, order it and be amazed!

© Sitiado

We ended our main course with a traditional Portuguese dish. Patarroxa or Pata-Roxa is the Portuguese name for the small-spotted catshark, commonly fished in Nazaré and across the Portuguese coast.

This dish comes in a typical terracotta cooking pot. The fish is broiled with bell peppers and onions and is served with freshly toasted bread. We found it to be the heartiest dish, with the most intense flavour, and a close second to the tuna!

Pro tip: We recommend you top the bread with the fish and vegetables, and eat it like a giant toast. Like this you’ll combine the flavours of the fish with the crunchiness of the bread in one delicious bite!

To accompany the meal, we chose a Portuguese white wine, named Quinta dos Termos. It paired very well with the seafood dishes, and really helped to elevate the flavours!

And now, for those of you with a sweet tooth..

We finished our amazing meal with two different desserts. 

First, the speciality of Sitiado, a delicious cream topped with crumbled cookie and strawberries. The tartness of the cream went perfectly with the sharp sweetness of the strawberries, and the cookie added another layer of texture and flavour!

Next, we had a pavlova with strawberries, blueberries and mint. The combination of whipped cream, meringue and fruit was nothing short of incredible, and we loved every bite! The only thing to keep in mind is that the size of the portion is very large and, even though it is meant for one, it will be more than enough for two. We were kindly warned before-hand by our server, but decided to try it anyway!

Doce da Casa

Pavlova

Both desserts were homemade, which you could easily tell by the flavour and freshness of the ingredients. Along with a coffee they were the perfect way to end our culinary experience!

Our time at Sitiado was one of the best we’ve had during all of our travels.

Despite the prices being a bit higher than one would expect from the Portuguese average, it is worth every penny and we cannot recommend it enough.

If you happen to be in Nazaré or in the surroundings, give it a visit! 

We guarantee you will not be disappointed!

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Feel free to save or pin this image so that you can always look back on this blog post!

We would like to thank the Team at Sitiado for the wonderful experience. 

We hope to be back very soon!

Ana & Luca

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