Within the old walls of Cascais’ citadel, there’s a celebration of the best Portuguese cuisine at the recently renovated Taberna da Praça restaurant, which combines tradition, friends and dishes that are just perfect for sharing.
The latest feature to be added to the Pestana Cidadela Cascais hotel, this eatery is dedicated solely to Portuguese cuisine with a contemporary and relaxed feel. The restaurant can be found in the Praça de Armas square and is impossible to miss, offering two interior dining rooms and a number of tables outside, where several interesting projects intersect.
Inspired by the spirit of old taverns, this restaurant in Cascais boasts an authentic culinary experience that focusses on local fare and sharing dishes. That said, this taberna also rubs shoulders with some long-standing establishments, whose history totals over 400 years, in addition to the 52 years the Pestana Hotel Group has been around. Would you like to know a little more?
Manteigaria Silva
Trading for an impressive 135 years, this place is a must for those interested in Lisbon’s best food shops. Remaining a specialist in charcuterie and cheeses ever since it opened its doors, it now has its own store in the Cascais Citadel, supplying Taberna da Praça – which explains why the cheese and sausage boards are a delight.
Garrafeira Nacional
Founded in 1927, this bottle shop soon became a benchmark for everything connected to wines and spirits. The Cascais Citadel is now home to a new branch, where customers can not only buy their favourite beverages but also taste and learn more about them at special events.
Santini
The first Santini ice-cream parlour was opened in Tamariz by Italian Attilio Santini, in 1949, where it quickly became the most popular producer in Portugal. This delicious treat is now available in the Cascais Citadel, in three forms: at its own shop, in the desserts served at Taberna da Praça, and at a pop-up kiosk on hot summer days.
To taste, to share, to remember
With the neighbours duly introduced, it’s time to present the Taberna da Praça’s menu, which essentially serves reinvented Portuguese petiscos (snacks), with fresh, high-quality ingredients. In addition to the cheese and sausage boards, oxtail croquette and game pie, other highlights include tender pork steak and cod à Brás, not to mention cod fritters, crispy suckling pig belly and tuna pica-pau with pear pickles.
To go with your meal, there’s an excellent list of wines, most of which hail from Portugal’s various producers. To finish off, there are some classic desserts, made with aplomb: chocolate mousse (with 100% cocoa), abade de priscos (traditional egg pudding) and Joaninha de Cascais, a convent sweet from Cascais that is well worth trying.
On the other side of the courtyard, we find the perfect complement: a 5-star hotel in Cascais that’s part of the Pestana Collection Hotels, which is even more attractive with Taberna da Praça next door. It’s a place that exudes freshness, lightness and a renewed taste for good food.
Visit the IG account: @tabernadapraca
