Restaurante Boca Negra — Restaurant in Angra do Heroísmo

We had one of the best meals in Azores (and maybe our lives) at Boca Negra! Everything was perfect! When we arrived we didn't have a reservation, but a really nice and friendly waiter told us to call 30 minutes later to see what they could do. We patiently waited outside while having a couple of drinks in their cafe and it was so worth the wait. The people are so friendly, the service was amazing and it's so beautiful to see that people at Boca Negra love what they do and have a genuine pleasure in making their customers happy and sharing their knowledge about traditional food. We had Cracas (barnacles) and had no idea how to eat them, so our waiter Melinda explained how we should eat this wonderful seafood without mess. So fresh and a taste of the sea I won't forget anytime soon. We also tried Favas Escoadas (tipical azorean starter with broad beans) which were lovely and perfectly spiced, not to mention they were the biggest broad beans I've ever seen! The Cabeças de Lulas (fried squid heads) were also to die for, so soft, well prepared and swimming in a delicious sauce. But the star of the show and the reason why we went to Boca Negra, was their Alcatra de Peixe com espinhas (fish Alcatra with fish on the bone). We had the fish on the bone as it's better flavour wise, and to be honest, the bones are quite easy to pick, so if you're not fussy would recommend that instead of the Alcatra without bones. Again, never having eaten Alcatra, we weren't too sure about how to eat it the traditional way. Once again Melinda saved the day and explained how to serve it, how to remove de fish without breaking it up, and how to eat this beautiful Alcatra in a truly Azorean way, doing the amazing fresh variety of fish the justice it deserves. I literally couldn't stop eating this dish even though I was full long before the last spoonfull of sauce was poured. Their Mil Folhas de Ananás (Pineapple Mille-Feuille) was a really refreshing way to finish this meal, a thin pastry covered in a mildy sweet pineapple mousse with fresh pieces of pineapple. It was so special that as soon as we left we made it our mission to find an Alcatra clay pot to recreate this beautiful meal at home. Thank you for such a wonderful experience and meal at Boca Negra! Recommend it to everyone and will definitely be back when we're in...

Went there because of a recommendation, but we left quite dissapointed. They open at 19:00 and we arrived few minutes before, did not feel welcomed, but rushed outside to wait. Entrance is through a shady bar, with an arogant bartender, and all kind of characters drinking at tha bar and outside on the terrace. We ordered the fish Boca Negra stew (we were a group) and the taste was good, but it was a very heavy meal that we all ended up with cramps. Ok, that may be a question of taste and how we are used, some may enjoy it all the way :) Atmosphere… where?! Some tables and 2 ladies serving, one of them was pouring the wine in the glass and helping serve the fish, the other just place it on the table. Considering there are very few options to eat… it was a bit bellow average, compared to other restaurants...

Crítica com um toque de realidade – ou a audácia de ter paladar

Ah, já me preparo para a resposta: mais uma cliente que ousou não ser arrebatada por uma epifania gustativa, incapaz de reconhecer a genialidade de umas lapas emborrachadas — talvez uma homenagem à dureza da vida insular. Um prato que desafia o paladar e o maxilar com igual intensidade. Que sorte a minha.

Quanto ao menu, louvemos a coragem da simplicidade. Limitado, sim — quase monástico. Mas até isso seria perdoável, não fosse o detalhe delicioso de, numa sexta-feira à noite, em pleno verão, com o restaurante meio vazio (o que por si só já intriga), vários pratos do menu simplesmente… não estarem disponíveis. Polvo frito? Uma miragem. Imagino que se tratasse de uma peça exclusiva, sujeita a leilão, ou talvez o polvo tenha exercido o direito à objeção de consciência culinária.

Curioso também o truque de ilusionismo da ementa: menciona "pão e manteiga – 2,5€", mas depois, surpresa! Faturados separadamente. Um toque de prestidigitação digno de Las Vegas — ou pelo menos de uma pastelaria com excesso de confiança.

Já quanto à alcatra — esse prato emblemático da ilha —, após várias experiências ao longo da semana em diferentes casas, foi possível provar interpretações verdadeiramente saborosas. Aqui… mediana, esquecível. O tipo de prato que não deixa má memória, porque não deixa memória nenhuma. Nada que justifique o estatuto quase mítico que este restaurante parece ter agarrado com unhas e dentes. Talvez uma fama herdada de outros tempos, agora alimentada por inércia e guias desatualizados.

O atendimento, é justo dizê-lo, foi cordial. Mas o verdadeiro prato forte da casa parece mesmo ser a resposta às críticas: recheadas de ironia, com travo a superioridade moral e um toque de condescendência caramelizada. Porque aqui, quem não gosta ou aponta falhas não é um cliente com opinião, mas sim um vilão de romance policial, pronto a ser ridicularizado com uma prosa ensaiada.

Fica a sugestão: nem tudo se resolve com sarcasmo. A humildade, mesmo quando servida em doses pequenas, tem mais valor do que se imagina. Aceitar críticas com elegância é também uma arte — talvez a única que esteja em...