Leiria Restaurants

just across the street from the "institutional" Tromba Rija this small restaurant is a preciosity, and my favorite in Leiria's area, when I have time for a good meal.

Everything is delicious, it's easier to find places (but also advisable to reserve), and the prices are reasonable. A very good choice.

Favorite Dish: Grilled Bacalhau leading the whole list

This is, no doubt, one of the top five Portuguese restaurants in popularity. So:

- First of all, be prepared to pay it.
- Second, if you don't want to take risks, you better reserve in advance.
- Third, forget weight control.

If you pass the three conditions, you will face an enormous list of starters, main courses and deserts, with the best of Portuguese popular cuisine, in a typical house, with gentle service.

A place not to rush, not to concern about anything, just to enjoy the pleasure to eat.

A must, for all gourmets visiting Portugal

Well located in the centre of Leiria, this restaurant, owned by my friend António, is specialized in pizza (strong, too rich in cheese for my taste) but also in some other dishes, included a great stake.

Several kinds of bread and pastries make it a all day round selling place.

1 more image

Needing a quick lunch I entered the closest restaurant, thinking by the external look that it would be just one more pizzeria. Wrong!
This restaurant, located in the modern area of town, almost in the outskirts of it, was a very good surprise.
Sitting in a pleasant room, we received the printed menu, and a handwritten sheet, mentioning six or seven "dishes of the day" which use to mean ready to serve, or almost. It was the fastest solution, and all the mentioned dishes were interesting, so I didn't even open the formal menu.
Fernanda choose codfish, and I preferred a steak with mushrooms. To drink, Fernanda ordered a soft drink, and I demanded a branded small bottle of wine. The waiter suggested me the cheaper "vinho da casa", and brought me a glass of it, to taste. It was good, so I changed, and she brought another and larger (very large, indeed!) glass of wine, leaving the other in the table.
The food (plenty of it) came in few minutes, and it was well presented and tasty.
Fernanda had a desert, and we both had a coffee, and, in about half an hour we had a very good lunch.
The price?
Well... that was the best surprise: we paid 16.20 €. Both! Less than 9 € for each lunch! Unbelievable!

Favorite Dish: Steak, with the choice of four different sauces.

To eat in style, in a typical scenery, with a big or small group, this restaurant is excellent. I appreciate mainly the starters, a large basket with several kinds of cheese, fruits, smoked meat and sausages, complemented with the constant approach of the waiters offering small delicacies of all kind.

It's not cheap, but it's worth what you pay.

Favorite Dish: The entrances and grill.

2 more images

3 Km south of Leiria, in IC2 and in the way to Batalha, this is a really good restaurant.

Very large, it has several rooms, accepting with comfort small and big groups, and supplying excellent food at reasonable prices.

Favorite Dish: Espetada mista com arroz de feijão e migas

Medalhões com gambas

A terrible restaurant and our worst experience in eight years in Portugal.

Having been to the aletejano and loving the food there, we were excited about the fact we could get some of the taste of that area without being there. We were staying in Sao Martinho do Porto (about 30 miles or so away from Leiria) so thought we'd make the journey one night and have such wonderful dishes such as Porco Aletejano and other delights.

The rough guide had made out this was a hole in the wall type affair without phone and was a cheap but great spot - just up our rua! We thought.

On arriving we discovered a much more stylish looking place who seemed to try incredibly hard to publicise lots of good press with framed reviews and the like all over the place, there was evidently a phone or two and the prices weren't cheap. However, as we'd driven to get there we thought we'd give it a go.

We immediatley had a young woman descend on the table giving us a pre rehearsed line about the aletejano and although we said we'd been there and knew Evora and the food from the region she seemed to sweep by it all and not be interested and she then went on to bascially totally 'take us', by suggesting some terrible choices of which we weren't given prices and keeping on suggesting items for the rest of the meal! Still shocked that we got taken in this way, as we're not suckers! But I think I was shocked that she was even trying!

Anyway, the food was terrible, the toughest pork ribs we have ever had in the world ever!, the boniest unfresh fish, burnt (i kid you not) garlic over everything and not a drop of Pork and Clams (one of the most traditional Aletejano dishes) on the menu anywhere.
This was the most expenisve meal we had whilst on this trip and as said, the worst. We have vowed to only eat in places with a loud telly (preferably showing local football) and paper tablecloths forever in the country now as you know it's going to be good.

Don't even try La Alem, their attitude stunk, the food was bad and it was waay overpriced.

Favorite Dish: Nothing