Taskinha Do B3co — Restaurant in Caldas da Rainha

A Hidden Gem Worth Finding

Tucked away like a well-kept secret, this charming taberna is the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled upon something special. From the moment we walked in, the warm atmosphere and genuinely friendly service set the tone for what turned out to be a wonderful meal.

The star of the evening? Without question, the squid strips. They arrived at our table perfectly golden and crispy on the outside, yet remarkably tender within—a balance that’s deceptively difficult to achieve. Each bite was a revelation, seasoned just right and served piping hot. It’s the kind of dish that makes you slow down and savor every morsel, and easily one of the best preparations of squid I’ve had in recent memory.

But the squid wasn’t carrying the meal alone. Everything else we tried showed the same careful attention to quality and preparation. The kitchen clearly takes pride in their work, honoring traditional recipes while executing them with real skill.

What really elevated the experience, though, was the service. The staff struck that perfect balance of attentive without being intrusive, genuinely warm without feeling forced. They seemed to take real pleasure in ensuring we enjoyed ourselves, and that kind of hospitality can’t be faked.

This is the type of neighborhood taberna that deserves to be busy every night—a place where good food, reasonable prices, and heartfelt service come together exactly as they should. I’m already looking forward to my next...

Average (with a little +) experience.

Rice balls have risen the expectations. They were very good.

The rest of the dishes - typical for Portugal province. Hard grilled meat with an egg 🐣 on top 🔺 The meat itself was of average quality - hard and over grilled.

Desserts above average, and the service was good.

As usual in Portugal - only one menu was delivered for 4 persons (please go and make some copies 🥺).

The menu is very unclear - you don't know how the meat will be prepared for you (grilled, fried, baked???) or how is it served (with rice, salad, baked potatoes, pineapple or what???).

Please make this effort and and improve the menu quality and your guest will know what they order. Very easy way to make an overall improvement.

None of the most popular drinks in the menu (aperol, hugo or so would be nice).

Be aware that padron peppers is regular...

This place came highly recommended by a local Portuguese. We ordered the dishes of the day, namely Peixe (fish) and carne (meat). The portions were enough for an adult male. As the fish dish had butter and mashed potatoes, I ordered a third dish, há caracóis. That was an excellent choice as the escargots were delicious and easy to eat. According to the Portuguese, the snails should be eaten between the months of May and August. Will...