Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
We've compiled the best of the best in São Miguel - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
The original chef from Louvre Michaelense, Hugo Ferreira, helms this charming eatery focusing on modern versions of petiscos, Portuguese tapas. Ingredients from the islands steal the show in both the veggie dishes, showcasing seasonal produce and greens, and the tasty grilled or smoked seafood plates, ranging from octopus to arroz de peixe, rice flavored with the freshest fish.
Though the menu is small and the modern space is tiny, the carefully prepared, market-fresh Azorean plates punch way above their weight. Tasquinha Vieira’s focus is on a “cuisine of proximity,” using top-notch ingredients and innovative techniques while respecting the islands' culinary culture, and you can’t go wrong with any of the shareable tapas-style plates of fish, meat, and vegan options.
This charming all-day café-restaurant-cocktail bar dates from 1904, when it sold products imported from Paris; today its glass cases are piled high with Azorean creations from tea sets to hats to jewelry, most available for purchase. Stop by for a healthy breakfast, small plates of local cuisine with a contemporary twist for lunch or dinner, or just to take a break with some local tea or an inventive cocktail or two—and don’t bother trying to resist the house-made desserts calling your name from the countertop.
An authentic yet welcoming locals' favorite—and Ponta Delgada’s oldest restaurant—serves up a handful of simple and well-prepared dishes along with rotating daily specials in a bare-bones space. The communal tables at this old-school eatery encourage friendly chats with your neighbors as you dine on fried dishes like sardines, horse mackerel, and moray eel, all washed down with house-made Concord grape wine or moonshine.
