Fortaleza do Guincho

We picked Fortaleza do Guincho in Cascais to end our Honeymoon in Portugal early September. After all the walking and sight seeing in bustling Lisbon and Porto, spending last part of our honeymoon by the ocean was the best way to unwind and recharged. This chateau is located right at the end of the cliff and it has the most breathtaking sunsets and scenery. There is few restaurants within walking distance and is remotely away from everything on purpose. It is a popular spot for surfers at Guincho beach. Cascais downtown is only within 15mins drive away. The chateau gives a beautiful charm of history and it only has 27 rooms, giving you the exclusiveness and attention you deserves. Upon our arrival, we were greeted before entering and to our wonderful surprised we were upgraded to an ocean view room with balcony (what a nice surprised since I did not indicate it was our honeymoon when booking). All staffs are friendly, and we enjoy our many chats with the staffs at the bar during cocktail hour on our 4 nights stay there. We had our dinner on our last night stay at their Michelin Gastronomy Restaurant. A meal of art, flavors on your palette pair with wine, give you a lasting impression you won't forget! Thumbs Up 👍 Thank you for an unforgettable experience.

Last week, my partner and I had the privilege of dining at the Fortaleza do Guincho restaurant, a truly special experience. The restaurant is just a short drive from Cascais, between the beaches of Crismina and Guincho. We arrived just as the sun began to set, and the staff greeted us warmly, making us feel valued from the moment we stepped in. We were seated by a window overlooking the sea. We went with one of their tasting menus, which they kindly adjusted to accommodate my dietary restrictions, and each course was more surprising and thought provoking than the last. We learned about the Chef’s upbringing, and some more unusual ingredients that he uses. The sommelier’s excellent wine suggestions were a perfect complement. We left grateful for being able to experience it, and hoping to come back soon.

Great hotel with lovely building itself, amazing view of the Atlantic, also walking distance to the beach as well as the natural trails. Services are excellent, wonderful breakfast and an outstanding restaurant. We had their tasting menu on the first night and it was sensational. Beautiful ten plates of food with fresh ingredients, full passion and a story about this land and the Atlantic.

When we arrived there was a glitch with the room we reserved, but hotel management quickly stepped up and went above and beyond for the mistake to ensure an excellent experience for the night. The staff were exceptional, dinner was top notch and the location and views were breathtaking. We appreciated the care management gave us despite the room glitch/issue.

We came with friends to watch the sunset and drink cocktails, but they couldn't seat us for a long time, even though the place was empty. After we were seated, the waiter completely lost interest in us and didn't come over once. It's a good thing the sunset happened!

We absolutely loved our stay at Fortaleza do Guincho: it felt like stepping into a movie. The hotel’s unique setting, perched above the ocean, offers breathtaking views and a sense of calm that’s hard to find. While it’s a bit removed from larger cities like Cascais, that seclusion was exactly what we were looking for. The staff were incredibly friendly and offered great local recommendations throughout our stay. Breakfast was a true highlight. Everything was homemade, fresh, and beautifully presented. The Michelin-starred restaurant on-site is a culinary experience in itself, not to be missed. Our room was clean, comfortable, and tastefully decorated, perfectly in line with the hotel’s charming and historic atmosphere. The nearby beaches are easily accessible, and for a bit more adventure, bikes are available for rent, it takes about 30 minutes to cycle to Cascais along a scenic route. We will come back!

Stayed here for a couple of nights in the ocean facing room. Pros: - being by the beach - quiet - excellent customer service - good breakfast options - large room - comes with a number of complimentary drinks (Cola, water, beer) - not too far from Sintra (took a 14 Euro Bolt one way and less than half an hour to get to Sintra) - lots of parking if driving to this hotel Cons: - being that it is a quiet area, walking some distance to Cascais, cycling or ride share is needed to get to the main part of Cascais - plug options not always the most convenient but understandable given that this building has been around for awhile and required retrofitting. There was plug options and USB available. Highly recommend this hotel.

Had an amazing lunch here, had the octopus dish, my partner had the sandwich. The octopus was the star of the show, with two different sauces poured on the sides and crunchy sweet potato crisps on top. Lovely setting with a view of the beach. Stayed at the hotel a few days later, lovely hotel, the architecture is unique, the staff, the views, the breakfast, the views are all top of the line compared to any other accommodation in the area (also stayed in Cascais center and next door at Muchaxo). This is a review of their casual restaurant, not the dinner restaurant across the hallway.

The chef came out and greeted us which was awesome. Such a nice man and as our waiter Joel who was fantastic. For each course he explained a little bit of history as well as some of the flavor profiles. Of course being so close to the coast. This was a very heavy seafood based menu which was good. I wasn't totally blown away, but I still did enjoy some of the flavors. My favorite included the sardines and the frozen yogurt! When we started our dessert course Joel could tell that I was getting stuffed and he in smart weight or form asked us if we were from the United States which we said yes. He then said there's a song from Journey that's making me think of you. It's called, "Don't stop believing " and I laughed out loud. He was absolutely delightful and was a fitting companion to the meal.

I expect Michelin-starred restaurants to innovate by mixing flavours that usually are not cooked together while making it delicious. Often, some Michelin restaurants make delicious food, but they play it safe and their cooking, although delicious, is unoriginal. Others try to aggressively explore new flavours, but the end result is interesting, but not especially good. This restaurant succeeds in both: you get introduced to original flavours that taste amazing. This is what you pay for and it's worth it. The restaurant is nice, the view of the ocean is great, and service is competent.

First and foremost, don't even consider eating here unless you're a foodie and enjoy at least a leisurely 2 hour meal. If you have young children don't bother to subject them to this experience.  That said and out of the way, eating here is a truly magnificent event. Words can't accurately describe the experience, we were totally blown away. The location is superb, food is more superb, the presentation is even more superb and the service from all the staff is impeccable.  If you find yourself in the Cascais area and have time to experience one of the most innovative tasting menus on the planet, then book it up and get ready for the dining experience of your life. Bring your credit card but it doesn't need to be platinum or black.  5 or even 6 stars do not do this place justice in my opinion!

We had booked a hotel stay here and realized that it was also a Michelin star restaurant so we decided to give it a try. The service was exceptional. The food was wonderful as well. We started with a cocktail overlooking the amazing view and sunset. We had three children under age 9 with us and they were very accommodating for the kids. Each of the courses incorporated themes of the region. It was quite inventive even more so than some of the Michelin restaurants I've eaten at in Paris. I would suggest they update or renovate the decor as the carpets were stained.

For food, presentation and service, this Michelin star restaurant is first class. Very nice selection of wines and great views of the ocean.

Visiting this Michelin Star restaurant on the Atlantic coast near Sintra was one of the highlights of our 2 week Portugal trip. I ordered the 5 plate chef tasting menu, and since this was a trip over this past summer i honestly cannot recount all of what this was at the time (the menu has both changed and is not in English, so unfortunately i can't use that as a reference). So that being said, this review will have to be more of the experience overall. The restaurant's setting is fantastic: you are on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic, and just in case you need a brush up on your astronomy, keep in mind the sun sets west, so you will almost certainly catch an incredible sun set during your meal if you are here for dinner. The restaurant offers a unique menu, but not necessarily "Portuguese" food if you are looking for something local. The main dish of my tasting was pigeon, which was a first for me - it was tender, a little gamey, and would be a disservice to say it tasted like chicken. Top this off with an some excellent and artfully plated deserts and a nice selection of Portuguese wines, and you can be certain you will have a memorable meal here. Our server was very helpful but not overbearing as well. Bear in mind that there will be no 'tip' area on your bill, so if you feel they did a good job, throw them some extra (10% is usually good, as service charges are in the bill too). We forgot to do this and ended up tipping the next morning. Also - since if you are an American and you're reading this, this probably means your planning a vacation so you've got some time: make reservations now, the place fills up.

Not impressed at all. Arrived on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. We did not have reservations and were told that the restaurant was already booked. They offered lighter fare and sat us in the bar with a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the surfers off the beach. Did not see a servers or anyone else for that matter and after waiting 20 minutes decided to leave.

We stayed at the Fortalezo during a stay in Cascais, and decided to have dinner at the restaurant given it's reputation. When we went to look at the menu the day before they confirmed whether we had any dietary restrictions. They were very understanding and accommodating of those restrictions. The food was excellent. We opted for the smallest of the tasting menus. There are serval amuse that come out at the beginning. Even before we decided what to order. The whole fish head was tasty. The breads were good as well as the butters, except one of each was seaweed based and we didn't care for it. The rest of the dishes were superb. Fish soup and a crab dish as starters. The fish I had as a main was outstanding. The meats were both excellent as well. The desserts were great. And we were topped off with petit fours. The restaurant itself is the same where breakfast for the hotel is served. A lovely room overlooking the beach and water. We had a great table overlooking the water and saw the sunset. Highly recommend dinner here. Liked it nearly as much as I did Belcanto in Lisbon.

Set in what looks like an actual fort, and perhaps it is, this hotel and restaurant is right on the water, but since there is no beach directly in front of the property, there is no access to the water (that we could see). However, there is a very popular public beach (especially for kite surfers) about 200 yards away. The restaurant is fairly fancy and I believe it has received a Michelin star. We dined for lunch and were treated extremely well by the waitstaff and the sommelier, who understood what we wanted from the wine and he was extremely knowledgeable. We had a tasting menu which featured an amuse bouche to start. It was a cherry gazpacho that was actually our least favorite. The cherry flavor overpowered everything else and since it was served cold of course, it reminded me more of cherry juice than an interesting take on gazpacho. However, things improved quite a bit from there! We had foie gras to start. It was beautiful on the plate and accompanied by apple, hibiscus, herbs and other lovely bits. Then on to sea bass with a gorgeous rich broth and assorted vegetables. Then the "black pork" which I saw on other restaurant menus also. This version was absolutely fantastic. A blood pudding accompanied it but it was actually more of a mousse and was flavored with gorgeous spices including cinnamon and cumin. Two different kinds of figs adorned the plate, and the sauce was deep, rich and flavorful. The pig itself was succulent and quite good. Dessert was a chocolate concoction. Good but not memorable. The restaurant is described as modern European, but it is distinctly using Portuguese roots. Which I liked.

Great fortress with a beautiful view off the water. Great service & wonderful food. We ate at the Michelin star restaurant & it was amazing. I would stay at this hotel again, my only complaint is that it's very far from any kind of downtown so they should offer free shuttle services every few hours or so to accommodate guests that would like to leave to go downtown Cascais. Thanks for a great stay!