Sao Miguel has always been the most popular destination for visitors to the Azores islands. For foodies looking for locally-sourced seasonal cuisine, her capital city is home to many of the Azores’ best restaurants. Here’s our handy guide on where to eat in Ponta Delgada.
Historically, the islands are a rural farming community and the traditional Azorean cookbook is filled with rustic, hearty dishes: big stews with heaps of potatoes and capacious portions of meat. Islanders also eat an exciting range of seasonal fish: octopus, limpets, barracuda, tuna and the ubiquitous bacalhau. Both sides are well-represented at A Tasca – their dishes are a little more refined than their home-cooked equivalents but their menu has all the classics: queijo fresco, served with fresh bread and a pimento garnish, caldo verde soup, flame-grilled chourico a bombeiro, lapas grelhadas, morcela com ananas and the infamous, slow-cooked cozido.
A Tasca can be tricky to find – it’s on Rua do Aljube, which is a short walk from the Ireja Sao Sebastiao.
A Tasca’s a big, open-plan sociable space filled with families, friends and lots of chit-chat. If you prefer more peaceful surroundings, the Restaurante Alcides might be a better option. They have a similar Azorean-style menu to A Tasca and serve one of the best traditional steaks on the island.
The Restaurante O Giro is a team favourite and we all try to eat there if we’re visiting Ponta Delgada. Thanks to a recent renovation, their modern décor now matches their modern-Azorean menu – it’s tucked away just behing the Hotel Talisman.
A favourite destination for an elevenses coffee and cake, lunchtime soups, or for wine and snacks in the evening is the Louvre Michaelense (just next door to the Igreja de Sao Sebastiao). The original shop was a milliners and haberdashery importing French fabrics in the early 1900s, and there’s a lovely pre-war Parisian grocer feel to the interior of the building. They don’t accept advance bookings so you might have a short wait for a table if you hit the lunchtime rush.
Tending more towards the gourmet end of Azorean cuisine is Tasquinha Vieira (just behind the Teatro Michaelense as you head down the hill). Brainchild of Flores-born Chef Joel Vieira, they don’t currently accept bookings so you might have a short wait for a table at weekends, (avoid pre-theatre diners if you can).
They have a different mission at Supléxio on the Rua de Pedro Homem, : hearty homemade burgers (with veggie options), craft beers and homemade ice cream. It’s quite small inside, so you might have a 1/2 hour wait for a table – we just headed out into the courtyard to peruse the menu over a G&T.
Another departure from traditional Azorean cuisine is Otaka, (on the Largo Visconde Bensaude, facing Sao Sebastiao church). Owners and chefs Jose Pereira and Anna Teixeira opened their Nikkei-inspired restaurant in 2018 – Nikkei is a fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine, and their presentation is beautiful (as is the flavour). They usually have two seatings at 18:30 and 21:00.
Cais da Sardinha is on the main seafront Aveninda Infante Dom Henrique, overlooking the marina. Their floor to ceiling windows make the most of the view west towards the 16th century Forte de Sao Bras, and across the city to the east, with the mountains of Lagoa do Fogo in the distance. It’s also the closest restaurant to the Porto de Pescas where the daily catch arrives into the city, and that’s reflected in their excellent seafood menu:
The Restaurante O Baco is on the ground floor of the Hotel Ponta Delgada on the western side of the city centre. It’s open to non-residents and is also a good option if you’re staying at either the Royal Garden Hotel and the Vila Gale Sao Miguel. The menu tends to be more European than specifically Azorean, but the produce is fresh and local and the staff and friendly and attentive.
Arco 8 was a popular bar and music venue until its unfortunate closure a few years ago. It’s now been revamped and reopened by Chef Ricardo – if you ever sampled Ricardo’s cooking at his old restaurant Boca da Cena, you’ll know he serves some of the best food in the city. Arco 8 is located in the far west of the city in Santa Clara.
Where to eat in Ponta Delgada – vegans and veggies…
The Terra Verde Tea House (on the hill heading up to the Teatro Michaelense) is a bright, up-market cafe with a friendly atmosphere, serving excellent salads and sandwiches, wonderful home baking and a wide selection of Pekoe teas from the island’s own Gorreana plantation. It’s also an excellent option if you missed breakfast at your hotel.
Rotas Ilha Verde on Rua da Pedro Homem is a firm favourite of ours – a charming, homely vegetarian restaurant. It’s irrelevant that they’re meat-free; they just make delicious, imaginative, scrumptious-looking food. The wine list is small but perfectly matched to the menu, and the service is always super-friendly.
The Forneria Sao Dinis pizza restaurant isn’t exclusively veggie, but they have a nicely varied menu and their wood-fired pizzas are excellent. It’s also in Santa Clara, just around the corner from Arco 8. 
Where to drink in Ponta Delgada – our favourite bars…
The rooftop Whale Watching Bar at the Octant Hotel Ponta Delgada has a sweeping view across the Marina Pero de Teive and across Portas do Mar – the view inland towards the Faja de Baixo caldera is pretty good too. Finding the entrance to the bar from the entrance foyer is often a challenge, but it’s worth persevering as their cocktail menu is excellent – Max from our team tasted his first Negroni here (he also asked me to make clear: a Portuguese Negroni uses Tawny Port rather than Campari – these are important points). The A Terra restaurant on the 1st floor is also worth a mention – their menu has a strong focus on Azorean produce.
Cantinho dos Anjos is one of the city’s oldest bars, on the corner of Rua Hintze Ribeiro and Rua Machado dos Santos. It could be accused of being a bit spit-and-sawdust, but there’s always a nice atmosphere and it’s often the last of the city’s bar to close.
Outro Lado is a few doors down from Cantinho – great cocktails, open mic nights and DJs at weekends.
Baia dos Anjos is the sister bar of Cantinho dos Anjos, down on the marina front at Portas do Mar. When you can’t find Jake from our team, this is where he’ll be – it’s an easy to find meeting point and a nice spot to begin an evening in the city. It’s often busy at weekends and there’s usually live music or a DJ through until the wee small hours.
If you’re in need of an evening away from generous Portugese portions and prefer something a little lighter, the Reserva Wine and Tapas Bar is tucked-away behind the Portugal Telecom building (with the pointy tower) on the main avenida. It’s one of the island’s hidden gems: local charcuterie and cheeses, chestnuts and honey-roasted tomatoes – paired-up by owner Bruno with first-class wines from across Portugal.
Ta Gente is also a good option for petiscos and drinks as opposed to a full meal, especially if you’re a gin fan. Petiscos is the Portuguese equivalent of tapas – however, where tapas are distinct dishes in their own right, petiscos are usually smaller, taster-versions of existing larger dishes. Ta Gente is on pedestrianised Rua Manuel Inacio Correia, and bar tends to gradually take over the street on balmy summer evenings.
Our Where to eat guides are based on our first-hand experiences and our love of great Portuguese cuisine:
Where to eat in Ponta Delgada
Our Ponta Delgada Food Tour
Where to eat on Sao Miguel – Sete Cidades and the west
Where to eat on Sao Miguel – the north coast
Where to eat on Sao Miguel – Furnas and the east
Where to eat on Sao Miguel – the south coast
Where to eat in Angra
Where to eat on Terceira
Where to eat on Faial
Where to eat on Sao Jorge
Where to eat on Pico
Where to eat on Flores, Corvo, Santa Maria and Graciosa
Where to eat in Lisbon
Where to eat in Funchal
Our Funchal Food Tour
Where to eat on Madeira
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