7 Irresistible Delicacies to Try in Comporta

7 delicacies not to miss when eating in Comporta: here is our pick of the incredible food you can find in the region

There are no sophisticated restaurants in Herdade da Comporta – there are good or bad recipes, there’s good or bad service, there are acceptable places or less pleasant ones. There are petiscos/flavors/dishes not to miss, which are worth it and make up for the many gaps that there are in the dining universe of this national paradise. Here are 7 warming recommendations to try in the best Comporta restaurants in such a cloudy summer.

1. Samosa

This Indian delicacy has a premium version in Pica Peixe, a restaurant, snack bar with a terrace in the center of Carvalhal. There’s nothing beautiful about the place, it’s a passageway to the beaches and to a nondescript town – despite having the best newsstand, the ATM and decorator Jaques Grange’s fancy shop right in front of it. In the kitchen, Mister Augusto’s mom (who’s a Mozambican of Goan ascendance) deep fries the samosas upon request, be it meat, fish, or vegetarian ones. There’ very good indeed.

Pica Peixe

Avenida 18 de Dezembro, 21

Carvalhal – Telephone 265 490 277

2. Cuttlefish rice with ink and shrimp

It’s one of the most comforting/flavorful/richest dishes in the region... cuttlefish rice cooked with its ink and enriched with shrimp (with or without clams) is to eat and to die for. There are summer days when the restaurant runs out and there’s great disappointment when we hear that they’re out of it at dinner.  Because of that it is worth booking and making a special reservation for this delicious dish!

On the beach, Luis Carvalho’s Comporta Café (whose owner is the best cook and RP it could have) has other dishes that are worth it. This one, though, is worthy of a commendation and is enough to make us go there and come back.

Comporta Café

Praia da Comporta – Telephone 265 496 652

3. Leitão Assado

Cooked the Bairrada way, this porker served in a very austere roadside restaurant is an unexpected phenomenon. In the center of Muda, a place that doesn’t even make it to a town, Café Taipa’s porker is the work of a charming couple that found out they had a talent for cooking. The porker (with incredibly crisp skin) is served with orange, crisps, salad and, above all, a delicious and wonderfully rich sauce. It’s served with sparkling cold wine, just like it should be. In fact, nobody would guess that on that road and in that café, there could be such a delicious, well-cooked and so wonderfully served dish…

Café Taipa

Estrada Nacional 261/1, Muda – Telephone 967 915 615

4. Rotisserie chicken

There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to rotisserie chicken in Herdade da Comporta but there’s one that stands out – Mário’s chicken in Possanco. It is always a good idea to call the restaurant for them to save you some because they sometimes run out. There are some other resources in this café/restaurant but only the chicken is worth the trip there. Another family company that stands out and comforts us with its recipes at an affordable price. 

Mário - Café Restaurante

Rua do Café

Possanco – Telephone 265 497 143 /  917 168 157

5. Coriander rice

Honoring the rice fields just across the road, Dona Bia’s coriander rice is as wet as it is tasty. This dish can side any fish or seafood of the day and can even be eaten solo. There are two obstacles to overleap though if you want to try this amazing dish: the difficulty in getting a table in the summer months and the not so nice service. Dona Bia is one of the most successful, most attended restaurants in the estate, but it is also the one with the unfriendliest staff. Having overcome these two obstacles… tasting the coriander rice is a triumphant moment.

Dona Bia

Estrada Nacional 261

Torre – Telephone 265 497 557

6. Fried cuttlefish with coriander

Good and cheap, that’s what the generous portion of coriander fried cuttlefish at Gervásio is all about. Like everything in this family-run restaurant, the price is quite reasonable for the quality of the dish. And this recipe is quite different from the usual fried cuttlefish that thrives around Setubal and Comporta. This one is cut in small pieces, seasoned with coriander and served with what you will (Gervásio’s white rice is delicious and so are the chips). Coriander fried cuttlefish is one of the many dishes that are worth having at this simple yet competent restaurant that’s just a couple steps away from the most beautiful houses in the region.

O Gervásio

Brejos da Carregueira de Baixo – Telephone 265 497 111

7. Delícia de Leite

It’s difficult to qualify this extremely fine, delicious, succulent, elegant and also beautiful sweet. Eucalyptus’ owner Célia’s delícias de leite are to be tasted calmly and to be enjoyed underneath a bushy eucalyptus tree. The most known and most sought-after café in Comporta is the meeting point for many of the foreigners and the delícias de leite make them come back often. Note that these aren’t always available because it might be the case that they have run out or weren’t simply made on that day, which may be a cause for frustration, made up for with other sweets which are very good but not as special.

Pastelaria Eucalyptus

Rua do Comércio, 1

Comporta – Telephone 265 497 577