bailey6325

donna - DH and I had a lovely trip to Portugal last year and we thoroughly enjoyed the food and didn't have any problems with the drinking water. To learn about our restaurant experiences, I have a trip report that you can find by clicking on my name. Have a wonderful trip - I think you will love Portugal!

donnamb

Excellent Ireynold, Thank you.
You said,
"... the Adraga restaurant, on the very tiny Praia (Beach) d'Adraga is on the coast near Cabo da Roca."

Is this closer to Lisbon or Coimbra and how long by car?
Thanks,
Donna

Tere

Cherrybomb

It looks like you're somewhat new to Fodors forums and I have been here for years. I come here not to flame anything or debate on parasites. Have my own problems , don't want any more,and come here to unwind not to have debates or discussions ( that's not what this forum is about...) .

So I am not going on debates with you or anyone.

Regarding your 1st question: "Bica" is the current name for a coffee here in Portugal used by the locals. Anywhere in Portugal if you ask for a coffee you will get an expresso , not a large cup or glass of coffee.

I can't understand what you mean by the second question or if it is a question so I can't answer you that.

And for the records,you are wrong, I also don't recommend the " A Brasileira" in Chiado.

Tere

Forgot to add that besides unwinding I have always received GREAT help in these forums for my trips and I have also helped others with their doubts, it would a big miss not to say that.

lobo_mau

For those who are sensible to historical aspects of traveling and have been to Alcobaça, admiring the tombs of Pedro and Ines, I recall that Quinta das Lagrimas in Coimbra (literally the Place of Tears) is the place where Ines was killed. The killers were following the orders of Pedro's father in a plot that may be called the Portuguese 14th century Romeo and Juliet.

lreynold1

Hi, Donna,

To answer your question about the Adraga restaurant (reservations recommended on weekends and holidays 21-928-0028, it is not on the way to Coimbra, it's about a 40 (?) minute drive from Lisbon. You have to go around Sintra, then out to the coast (I remember an intersection on the coast after Sintra where we turn left for Praia d'Adraga and it's straight ahead for another beach, the Praia de Macas (there's supposed to be a sidilla there, my computer doesn't have one). When you turn left at that point, you are then heading south near the coast in the direction towards Cabo da Roca (beautiful rocky promontory, the westernmost point on the peninsula, I believe).

It's kind of a long way to drive just for a meal, but there are many lovely places to stop and walk, unbuilt, great views. Sometimes we did the trip in connection with a visit to Sintra, or to Cabo da Roca, or to the Convento dos Capuchos, a very unusual monastery (only 8 small rooms for 8 monks) with great views over the coastline.

To make a full day of it you could add on a visit to Ericeira, about 25 km north of Sintra. It’s an old fishing village, now surrounded by rings of new construction, but with a beautiful old core downtown and harbor.

As I'm sure you can tell, a good map or good mappy.co.uk directions would be a good idea! LR

donnamb

Hello IReynold,
I can't believe my good fortune, I'll have to thank my colleague at work for telling me about this site. The map site is great and I hope that I can make it to the coast for the restaurant. I don't think I will have a car while in Portugal but perhaps some of the other conference attendees can be convinced to visit the restaurant --of course I'll have the map so they will have to take me along
Be well,

Donna

SonOfLusus

Coimbra doesn't really have a wide range of restaurants that stand out, but there is a good and famous one called "Ze Manel dos Ossos" (it's close to the "Astoria Hotel&quot. It's a very small place but with an eclectic and funny decoration, serving home-style cooking. The most sophisticated restaurant is that in Quinta das Lagrimas (perhaps the most expensive in town).

In Lisbon I have many favorites, from the already recommended "PapAcorda" to
"Viagem de Sabores", to the Italian/Mediterranean/Portuguese "Imperio dos Sentidos."

The www.golisbon.com restaurants guide has an excellent list of recommendations:

http://www.golisbon.com/food/restaurants.html

donnamb

Thanks SonOfLucus, I especially appreciate the choices for Coimbra, and it sounds like Lisbon's "PapAcorda" is a MUST.

I am off in a few weeks so will let you know how it went upon my return.
Donna

DickM

Hope ya'll don't mind if I piggy back on the OP's question...anyone have a personal experience with a restaurant named Nariz do Vinho Tinto? Will be in Lisbon in a couple weeks.

Michael

We sent to a restaurant a few miles north of Coimbra for roast pork, said to be roast suckling pig but they're too bi for that. We also had a nice meal between Coimbra and Batalha, although we could not identify the place exactly. However, you could try what we did. It's described in this report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34875899

We also liked Pap'Açorda

lreynold1

For DickM

The New York Times review link (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...gewanted=print ) I posted earlier in this thread has a review of Nariz do Vinho Tinto. I've been there and thought it was good, just not as good as two of the others in the review (just my opinion), Tasquinha de Adelaide (one of my Lisbon favorites) and Stop do Bairro (not fancy, just good food in a great neighborhood). Nariz do Vinho Tinto is in a neighborhood outside of the regular tourist places, which has its definite advantages, if you like wandering around the embassy and ambassador home neighborhood, this is a nice place to eat after that.

While others have raved about Pap Acorda, I have to confess that in my group of five, only the one who ordered the acorda was really positive about the dinner. I must have hit it at a bad time, because everyone else thinks it's super. So I'll have to go back I guess!