Where to eat on Terceira

Following on from our top tips on Where to eat in Angra, we’ve cast our net even wider – across the whole island for our guide on where to eat on Terceira…

Let’s begin on the outskirts of the capital Angra. In the unlikely event  you’ve exhausted all of the excellent possibilities within the city centre, it’s a short five-minute taxi ride north to the Taberna Roberto. It’s very much a locals’ place: warm and welcoming, where you can turn up tired and dusty from an all-day hike, and treat yourself to Roberto’s amazing slow-cooked pork paired with a bottle of wine from their excellent selection.

If you’re staying on the western outskirts of Angra, (at Quinta das Merces or the Terceira Mar Hotel),  the Restaurante QB is a fifteen-minute walk away. Daytimes, the ground floor snack bar is ideal for a light lunch, pizza, salads and soups. In the evenings, the first-floor restaurant has a mixed menu of Azorean classics and more European-style cuisine. They’ve been introducing more veggie options recently, and it’s worth a visit just to sample their desserts, cakes and chocolates.

Heading clock-wise on a foodie-tour of the island: the west coast village of Serreta is home to the Restaurante Ti-Choa. Blink and you’ll miss this unassuming, one storey building: it’s a cosy, family-run restaurant serving big portions of home-cooked Terceiran food, and is one of the best places to sample alcatra, served with sweet potatoes and a freshly baked massa sovada bread.

From Serreta, the road brings you up onto Terceira’s more-rugged north coast. As you approach the village of Altares, lookout for the Restaurante Caneta on your right. It’s another great restaurant for alcatra, for locally-sourced steak, grilled limpets, and fresh water clams from the neighbouring island of Sao Jorge. And they’re typically big portions once again: visiting any of the more traditional-style restaurants is a non-starter if you’re on a diet: it’s better to just give in and go with the Azorean-flow. Caneta’s service usually runs from 12pm to 3pm and you can usually pop in without a reservation during the week, but you’ll need to reserve in advance on Saturdays and Sundays.

Biscoitos is well-known and well-loved for its natural swimming pools, but you could argue it’s been lacking a good restaurant. Now there are two: Por do Sal is closest to the pools – we haven’t had a chance to dine there yet, but their Azorean menu looks great and it’s become a popular spot for pre-dinner sunset cocktails.

Mar & Vinhas is also a new addition, on the Caminho Canto do Feno (just before the turning down to the pools). Theirs is another excellent looking, modern-Azorean menu, perhaps with more of a seafood slant.

Inland from the pools – one of the Terceira’s hidden food-gems is Senhora Delia Martin’s bakery. Delia and her family opened their padaria around seven years ago, converting an old wine storehouse into a wood-fired bakery. It can be a bit tricky to find – take the first left after the Banif Acores and Post Office – but it’s a perfectly placed lunch stop or a good take-away, and their cakes and pastries are faultless…

…and if you’re staying close to Biscoitos at the Caparica Azores Ecolodge – Casa de Pasto o Pedro and the diminutive Restaurante O Raul are your closest options. They’re restaurants where you’ll eat like a local with the locals: more generous portions of unpretentious Azorean cuisine.

Coming around to the east coast, you’ll arrive into Terceira’s second city: Praia da Vitoria. Praia’s home to the island’s main fishing fleet and the Restaurante o Pescador: one of the Azores’ oldest restaurants. If you’re staying in Praia at either the Varandas do Atlantico or the Atlantida Hotel or if you’re a big fan of fresh seasonal seafood, o Pescador should definitely be on your list.

You could call Sabores do Chef the young pretenders to o Pescador’s long-held crown – they have a similar menu and their grilled swordfish and the octopus stew are both particularly good, and the decor has a more contemporary-Azorean feel. It’s also Terceira’s most well-hidden restaurant – they’re located way over on the main harbour so a taxi or car are recommended.

Restaurante Neandro’s is closer to town – formerly La Barca, their steaks are excellent – and the floor-to-ceiling windows make the most of the sea view across the harbour.

Mundo a Mesa is a new addition, in a residential area of Praia, (at the top of Rua Conde de Vila Flor). We’ve heard great things from friends on the island – they have an imaginative, high-end menu so it’s high on our list of must-visits for the coming year. It’s a fairly small restaurant and you might have a wait at busy times – but it sounds like it’ll worth it.

Taking the coast road out of Praia, you’ll come to the Restaurante Búzius in Porto Martins. It’s a quiet little enclave and popular swimming spot amongst locals, which is reflected in the menu: a strong Azorean menu with reasonable prices.

Take a left turn at the pretty municipal gardens in Sao Sebastiao, and the Restaurante os Moinhos is just down the hill on your right. It’s a lovely rustic space – open-plan with a real atmosphere when they’re at capacity – and another excellent purveyor of alcatra.

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 in Horta

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

We specialise in personalised holidays to the nine islands of the Azores.

Call our team on 01768 721020 to begin planning your own adventure.