Fortaleza do Guincho

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.

We had the pleasure to have our vacation in Portugal at this hotel and it was a great experience. Since the arrival everything was as it should be. It is a very cosy place with all the food made in house. Michelin star restaurant was another great experience added to the hotel one. Everyone working there deserves the best appreciation for the quality of service they provide. On the plus side I can mention the balcony which is the best place to have a coffee with a view in the morning. Definitely is one of those places where you don't feel like leaving when it is over.

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!

I had the pleasure of being served by , a trainee” Virginia Freire” from Cape Verde, and I must say she is truly exceptional. Despite still being in training, she provides service with the warmth and professionalism of someone very experienced. Her genuine smile makes you feel welcome immediately – it’s not pretentious, but sincere and full of kindness. She has a natural talent for hospitality and goes above and beyond to make clients feel comfortable and valued. A wonderful person and a great asset to the team! a worldwide traveller Zayar

Hotel Fortaleza do Guincho is truly a magical place—an ideal spot to come/go from for a Lisbon vacation. The coastal views are absolutely breathtaking and bring a sense of peace that’s hard to describe. The hotel itself, housed in a beautifully preserved 1700s fortress, feels like something out of a fairy tale. The property is both historic and charming, with a unique character that makes your stay unforgettable. The staff went above and beyond, with Victor & Alexander standing out for their warmth and attentiveness—always ready to help with any request and doing so with genuine care. Francisco did a great job in the casual dining room from food, wine selections to good conversations while making delicious after dinner cocktails. I highly recommend this incredible hotel for anyone looking to blend history, charm, and exceptional service in a stunning seaside setting. My wife was in Portugal/Spain for 3 weeks and she said our 10 day stay at Fortaleza do Guincho was her favorite experience.

Some of the best hospitality we’ve ever experienced in our life. Beautiful location and incredible staff. One of our favorite stops on our first trip to Portugal and would recommend to anyone. We will be back!

We recently booked a two-night stay at this hotel, but unfortunately, our experience did not meet expectations. Upon arrival, we found that the area surrounding the hotel is extremely windy—so much so that it was difficult to enjoy being outside. This important detail was not disclosed during the booking process. While the landscape is scenic and looks great in photos, there is very little to do either at the hotel or in its immediate vicinity. In fact, you can appreciate the views by simply visiting the area during the day without needing to stay overnight. The hotel itself appears quite dated, especially when compared to other hotels in a similar price range. Regarding dining, there are two restaurants on-site. We tried The Spot restaurant, and the food quality was disappointing. There was a surprising repetition of ingredients, such as the same croutons appearing in both the seafood soup and the ceviche, and identical potato gratin served with different main dishes—even when it did not make sense with the meal. Some dishes appeared to be reheated rather than freshly prepared, which was unexpected at this price point. We raised our concerns with the front desk after the first night and requested to check out early with a refund for the second night. The response was unsympathetic; management refused our request without offering any flexibility. As a result, we spent the remainder of our stay outside the hotel, mainly in Sintra, and returned only to sleep. The strong winds persisted throughout our visit, which, according to locals, is common for most of the year—something the hotel does not mention beforehand. In summary, I would not recommend this hotel, especially for those looking for comfort, good food, or on-site activities. Be aware that the wind can make your stay unpleasant for much of the year, and management is not accommodating in the case of dissatisfaction.

I have never left a review before so this shows how frustrated I was with the place. My experience here was disappointing. I have stayed in many 5 star hotels and plenty of relais & chateaux ones that is why I was excited for this place. I was even fine with the hotel itself, given its old interior and low quality upkeep. It’s a shame because the historic architecture and location is charming. However, the service is not of 5 star or even 4. I don’t know how they even maintain this, maybe the Michelin restaurant helps. But they were disappointing in helping us when we realized we didn’t have cash to pay a taxi, that they called for us. I had asked if we could drive back to the hotel and they can cover it and they could charge it off as our expense for the stay. They refused and claimed it’s illegal- but I wouldn’t have asked them this had I not already had experience where hotels were willing to help when it came to transport and just billed me at the end. Mind you I already willingly paid extra for our room to have a better view, because the supposed room with sea view initially was a view of the parking lot and half with sea view. They said if we wanted a proper sea view it’s another upgraded room. So we decided we’ll pay extra. I guess they have to sell their poor view rooms somehow but this is deceiving and subpar. Other hotels I had stayed at were always willing to help and find solutions. This one did not. There was barely even people at the reception half the time. I couldn’t even reach them to connect me to room service. The waiters and other service people at the hotel were fine, it was more the management or head managers that failed this hotel. It does not deserve to be among the Relais& Chateaux group. It’s a shame because the place has potential but I must say this was a very poor experience. My last evening here was tainted and I can’t wait to leave.

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!