Restaurante Origens — Restaurant in Évora

Well, it seems we came across a restaurant with the honor of being featured in the Michelin guide, and our dining experience left me with a mix of thoughts and feelings. While I've always held that guide in high regard, this particular culinary journey was, for me, quite an intriguing experience.

The Parma ham we had for lunch elsewhere was a symphony of flavors, while the one here didn't quite hit the same notes.

Now, regarding the slow-cooked pork, it did turn out stringy, and its accompanying side dish seemed to be in a competition for the saltiest supporting role. As for the rest of the menu, it leaned towards the ordinary.

On a positive note, the wine selection was quite good and also the service was still quite good. The staff made every effort to ensure a pleasant experience despite the culinary surprise. Unexpectedly, they didn't inquire about our experience.

Anyway, if you plan to dine here, requesting a table away from the bathroom or kitchen area might enhance your experience. We requested a table change, but regrettably, our request was declined, despite the fact that tables remained unoccupied throughout the entire evening.

(Though, it's important to remember that the Michelin guide usually knows its way around culinary gems, so I won't judge the entire restaurant based on...

AN ABSOLUTE GEM!. I can't recommend this restaurant any more highly.

With some trepidation, we decided to try the tasting menu, and it was spectacular. The chef and his wife (who is also the sommelier) are a perfect tag team. She started out by asking us about any allergies or foods we strongly disliked. Their willingness to accommodate a few food preferences (actually the foods we dislike) made an enormous difference for us. Additionally, many of the tasting menu items are not on the regular menu, and the wine pairings were excellent. The restaurant itself is small, cozy, and unpretentious. Clearly a labor of love for the owners. It is an open kitchen so you can see them preparing the food as well.

I rarely write reviews, but this restaurant deserves diamond stars. By far our best find in Portugal and my favorite restaurant in the last several years.

Since there is limited seating, I suggest you make a reservation ahead of time, particularly during the...

If we could rate this as even more than 5 stars we would! The service is exceptional, we were treated so kindly and courteously. The servers were also very knowledgeable and could speak fluent English. The beef tenderloin was the best steak we had ever eaten, the chef comes out with certain dishes and explains a little about them, this beef in particular was from a breed of cows that were brought to this area in Roman times. We were also shown a pamphlet about the meat after we expressed interest.

Overall a wonderful experience…the food is phenomenal! The wine is amazing. We will make a stop here every time we pass through Portugal!

When booking they asked if it was a special occasion which it was and the chef gave us a a complimentary dessert with a candle :)

Price wise it is on the higher side however that should be expected, for the quality of food and service...