Salsa & Coentros

Incredible local restaurant hidden in an area near airport. Recommended by local friends, 0 tourists inside the evening we visited. One of the best local cuisine that suits the lover of local foods. No fancy appearances but the food there just amazing. Friendly service with chill atmosphere. Reasonable and affordable price for those who is fed up for big name of restaurants. Worthy of visiting and will definitely come again when around.

Incredible restaurant. Totally under the radar but if you’re looking for a truly authentic Portuguese dining experience with impeccable flavours, outstanding service and a calm atmosphere, please do not go anywhere else. I recommend the Blackened Pork Jowl and Cheese Pie - undoubtedly the best food I’ve ever had in Portugal

Super yummy food, great service, bacalhau com natas was AMAZING. 😻

Here’s your Google Maps–ready review: ⸻ Salsa & Coentros is old-school Portuguese cooking hiding in plain sight. Tourists have no idea this place exists, and that’s probably for the best. The menu is a greatest hits album of Portuguese classics — no “modern takes,” no foams, no drama. Just the real deal, done right. Portions are generous, flavors are spot on, and nothing feels rushed. Service is formal in that “we’ve been doing this for decades” way, but not stiff. The clientele? 100% locals, mostly old-school men who look like they’ve been coming here since the 90s — and probably have. If you want traditional Portuguese without the tourist gloss, this is it.

Overhyped and Overpriced – Not Worth It This restaurant is all hype with nothing to back it up. The food was underwhelming: the octopus was just okay, and the porco preto with house sauce was closer to an appetizer than a main course. The french fries were good, but again, nothing special. The service was cold and purely transactional, adding nothing to the experience. Ambiance? Just okay—nothing memorable. To top it off, the wine selection by the glass was shockingly limited (one red, one rosé, one white), and all three were mediocre at best. With so many better options in the same neighborhood, there’s absolutely no reason to go back. Avoid.

The food here is tasty but nothing special and does not warrant the expensive pricing. But the bigger issue is the service and atmosphere. The restaurant has a TV with no volume and does not play any music. The result is a very awkwardly quiet restaurant, especially if you are one of the first people there. Also the waiters are not knowledgable about the menu. When we asked the difference between two white wines, the waiter responded “they are different wines”. Very helpful. Service was very quick, we left within 40 minutes. For a “high end” dining experience, this is sad. Also, all the tables had the starters ready to go under a napkin. I expect that at any basic restaurant, but at a fancy one there should be more effort. The octopus and the bacalhau were presented in exactly the same way, same garnishes and seasoning. Overall a disappointing experience.

Delicious food with a good selection of wines.

This restaurant indeed gets my rating too. I would call it a quality Portuguese restaurant in all aspects, food, service, atmosphere and wine choice. Nevertheless, the dishes are a bit small and also not very cheap, but they are of an outstanding quality, which for us is the most important. In any case we will be back.