25 Best Restaurants in Estremadura and the Ribatejo, Portugal

The "Old Donkey" may be a relative newcomer to downtown Batalha, but its recipe of traditional dishes and an informal, modern ambience has won over locals and visitors alike. All ingredients are fresh and organic when possible, and there is a range of house-made breads, as well as an excellent choice of wines. Try any of the fresh fish dishes or a hearty meat option. 

This charmingly rustic restaurant just outside Tomar owes its fame to chef Maria do Céu's creativity—and the huge portions, which are enough for two. At lunch on weekends there are usually delicious hearty dishes such as cabrito assado (roast kid) and cachola (pork rib and loin, served with cabbage). Most of the main dishes take time to prepare in the wood-burning oven, and even regulars must book ahead. For dessert, there are fluffy fatias de Tomar and a delicious leite de creme.

Don't be fooled by the simple green-and-white tiled interior: this former tavern inspires inventive cooking by Chef Rodrigo Castelo, who uses often overlooked local ingredients to craft sumptuous and surprising dishes. The à la carte menu is a good value, with updated traditional fare such as oxtail gratin and chargrilled octopus, but it's worth splashing out on a tasting menu (€75, plus €45 for wine pairing). One features more than a dozen different species of fish from the Tagus; the other showcases both fish and locally sourced meats. All bread, olive oil and charcuterie is made in-house, along with an amazing range of pungent pickles and fermented foods that are used to bring extra flavor to the chef's creations. 

About 5 km (3 miles) south of Leiria, O Casarão occupies a large country house surrounded by gardens where you may take an aperitif before your meal. Try the ensopado de peixe (fish stew) or, if there are two of you, maybe split an espedata de carne com gambas (skewers of beef and shrimp), which comes with migas de nabiça (fried bread crumbs and turnip tops).

This is Almeirim's most popular traditional restaurant, thanks to its excellent grilled meats—lamb and pork as well as steak—and of course the sopa da pedra, which O Toucinho claims to have reinvented back in the 1960s. It is run by a former forcado (one of the bullfighters who literally grab the animal by the horns)—as the bull's heads and bullfight posters will remind you.

Tucked away on a side street far from the touristy seafront, this tavern attracts diners from far and wide with delicious fresh fish and meat dishes cooked in its wood-burning oven. There are changing daily specials, but regular dishes include bacalhau à tasca (fried codfish with onions and potatoes) and rice-stuffed cuttlefish.

Considered one of Portugal's best traditional restaurants, whose eponymous chef was recently decorated by the country's head of state, "Aunt Alice" is in an inconspicuous old house with French windows across from the parish church, just over 2 km (1.3 miles) from the shrine. A flight of wooden stairs inside leads down to an intimate dining area with stone walls. The arroz de pato (duck rice) is among the many meat dishes worth trying, as is the bacalhau gratinado (baked salt cod with béchamel sauce), which serves two.

The date on the sidewalk out front reads 1922, which was when the Sousa family opened this attractive little restaurant next to the old arched bridge. Carrying on the family tradition, the kitchen turns out great quantities of hearty regional fare. Try the fritada de gambas (fried prawns), filetes de pescada (hake fillets in batter), cabrito assado (roast kid), or arroz de polvo (octopus rice stew). For dessert, there's the local specialty, fatia de Tomar, made in-house with only egg yolks, sugar, and water.

Noted for bacalhau and octopus dishes as well as more traditional local meats, this restaurant's dishes are an excellent value. On Saturday there is a hearty buffet (€20), and on Sunday, people come from far and near for the cozido de carnes bravas à Ribatejana (stew made with meat from local bulls). 

With a name that is Portuguese for "fireplace," this elegant, spacious restaurant is nestled in pinewoods between Caldas da Rainha and the Foz do Arelho beach; it's a favorite with locals for special occasions. Try the tornedó de novilho tenderloin with one of various sauces. Seek assistance to get the best from the 300-strong wine list. Note that weekend meals are more expensive than the €12.50 set menu on weekdays.

This bustling tavern in the delightfully named village of Imaginário is no place for fussy eaters: it is renowned for regional dishes such as polvo na telha (octopus grilled on a roof tile) and morcela de arroz (a type of blood sausage). Leave some space for the eggy desserts, which are all homemade and delicious. Note that reservations are only accepted by phone, not by email.

Near the town's bullring, this typical Ribatejo restaurant is decked out with bullfighting memorabilia. The ensopado de borrego (lamb stew) is renowned, as is the mangusto com bacalhau assado (a garlicky bread-and-cabbage concoction accompanying roasted codfish). Consider accepting the couvert, featuring cornbread with chouriço and orelha de porco (pig's ear, cooked with herbs). For dessert, ask for the celestes Santa Clara (almond cakes) or arrepiados de Almoster (almond meringues)—among the many local sweets invented by medieval monks and nuns.

From the upstairs dining room and terrace of this rustic tavern, enjoy a lovely view of the village's rooftops and the countryside beyond. This isn't a quiet hideaway—Alcaide draws many hungry patrons, especially from May through October—but the food  is always prepared and served with flair. Filete de sardinha assada em broa (roasted sardines on corn bread) is a tasty starter, and great main dishes include the requinte de bacalhau (cod with a cheese, chestnut, and apple stuffing) or the tornedó com queijo da Serra (steak with creamy rustic cheese). Desserts include a traditional toucinho do céu ("heavenly" almond cake) and an English-style summer pudding with mixed berries.

This restaurant is best known for showcasing regional cuisine, with dishes such as chicken or partridge na púcara (cooked in an clay pot)—many of which evolved in local monasteries. Fans of bacalhau should try the house version: baked with a crust of cornbread and farinheira sausage. The walls are hung with local memorabilia and photos of the family that has run the place since 1938.

In an old house with rustic Portuguese furniture, this eatery sits in a village that has long been a haven for gourmands. They bake their own bread on the premises—including a delicious pão chouriço—and there's a series of tasty starters. Trademark dishes include a noteworthy bacalhau com natas (codfish with cream) and duck rice; for specialties such as roast capon that must be ordered in advance, check the menu (ementa) on the website. Leave some room for a mixed dessert platter or for the brisa do Lis, a local almond pudding.

Serving beer, seafood, and other traditional fare since 1946, this lively local is a Torres Vedras institution. In addition to shellfish and octopus rice, favorites include squid kebabs, chargrilled meats, and roast bacalhau. For dessert, their classic caramel-covered pudim flan is hard to beat. The restaurant's trendier (and pricier) neighbor Taberna 22 has a wide selection of starters, grilled fresh fish and filet mignon, plus a range of fine wines.

The dishes of the day at this bustling second-floor restaurant are excellent value, and the house wine—from a local producers' cooperative—goes down well, too. Some tables in the main dining room have views of the monastery, but at peak times you may be seated on the covered terrace in back. Try the house bacalhau (fried with onions and tomato), roast octopus, barbecued squid, or lamb chops.

One of Fátima's longest-established restaurants (open since 1968), this place just outside the inner ring road is above all known for the quality of its grilled meat and fish. The vine-shaded esplanade is another big draw, creating a real family ambience. Leisurely lunches—either outside or in the wood-and-stone dining room—are made possible by the fact that the kitchen keeps going throughout the afternoon. Top sellers include tender vitela Mirandesa steak and bacalhau à lagareiro (cod baked with onions, potatoes, and olives).

Just across from the Palácio Nacional de Mafra, the Pastelaria Fradinho is a welcome respite from the rigors of sightseeing. Light, cheerful, and adorned with tiles, the café is famed for its delicious homemade pastries including the little egg-and-almond tarts called, predictably, fradinhos (little friars).

A big brick fireplace, wood paneling, and stone walls set the mood in this cozy hunter's lodge, where the food is simple, but portions are hearty and the flavors are tantalizing. This is the best place in town for fresh game, especially codorniz and coelho (rabbit), which comes casserole-style with rice or potatoes.

In this warren of stone-flagged rooms, authentic regional dishes are served with flair to well-heeled patrons. Specialties at the old town spot include churrasquinho de porco preto com migas de alheira de caça (grilled meats from the acorn-fed Iberian black pig, served with a bread-crumb-and-garlic-sausage mixture flavored with game sausage) and partridge rice. Braver diners might try cabidela de galo (chicken cooked in blood) or lamprey, when it is in season.

Photos of satisfied patrons testify to the popularity of this rustic restaurant run by the great-grandson of the original owner, offering hearty traditional fare at low prices. Specialties—in servings large enough for two—include toiro bravo (wild bull) and entrecosto com arroz de feijoca (spareribs with red beans and rice), but the menu is overhauled daily. The restaurant now has several offshoots in the region, one of them in the Santarém Hotel.

Gourmets come from far and wide to the village of Negrais, 15 km (9 miles) south of Mafra, to sample the suckling pig served there and wash it down with frisante (lightly sparkling wine). There are several local specialists, but "Aunt Alice" has led the herd for more than 25 years. Climb the stairs to the airy second-floor dining room, with its artsy decor, for a perfectly crisped roast, usually accompanied by round potato fries, orange slices, and salad. Fans of nose-to-tail eating can instead opt for arroz de miúdos (rice made with offal). There are also non-pork alternatives, such as bacalhau and steak.