House of Wonders — Restaurant in Cascais

Insolent owner and a rude waitress. I went to the counter to order. I was asked by one of the waitresses if we were going to order food, I said no, we wanted to have cakes, coffee and juice. They had 3 or 4 different types of cakes on display and a variety of fruit juices and coffees. She replied that they are not able to sit us down, unless we order food as well, as it is lunch hour and they are very busy. It was 2:20pm. I had no choice but to change my order to take away, although what we really wanted was to sit down. I ordered 2 coffees, a slice of cake and one of their natural juices. On my way out, I noticed that there were plenty of available tables. They also have a rooftop terrace with seating and that was empty at the time. I approached the waitress and asked her what the reason was as to why we were refused a table. She was not able to give me an answer and became slightly argumentative. When I referred to the venue as a “coffee shop”, she corrected me twice, by saying: “It’s not a coffee shop, it’s a restaurant!”. I asked to speak to a manager. Her reply was that they don’t have a manager. I then asked to speak to the owner. She told me the owner is inside, but refused to take me to her. After asking one more staff member, I managed to locate the lady who presented herself as the owner. My intention was to find out why we were refused a table, given that there were tables available. They seem to have a practice to force customers to order food, in order to be able to sit down at one of their tables. I looked at their one star Google reviews and it looks like this is something they are doing on a regular basis. My guess is that this sort of practice is infringing on customer rights and is illegal. Furthermore, I found the owner to be condescending and rude, lacking the most basic sense of respect and courtesy towards me. When I approached her, she said with a grin: “So, what’s the matter sweetheart? You’re upset because you couldn’t have your cake?”. I am an adult who doesn’t like to be ridiculed or infantilized in any circumstance, let alone when I am paying for a service. She had no interest in what I had to say, she kept interrupting me and talking over me, raising her voice. When I told her that I am going to write up a formal complaint, she asked derisively: “So, who are you going to complain with?”. Let aside the level of rudeness and inconsideration towards customers, the owner of this restaurant is engaging, in my opinion, in an abusive and coercive practice, which needs to be addressed and stopped. To answer the owner’s last question to me, I did place a complaint through the Deco Proteste website, the largest consumer organization in Portugal, which I will...

I don't know why Google thinks this is a hotel, it's a restaurant.

Both the rooftop and the the outdoor terrace are really cute, the whole building has a very unique design and I imagine it a great place to sit down and have a couple drinks, as the plants & decorations are stunning!

The concept of a visual menu is interesting and unusual but for me the food was all very light. Portion sizes weren't great in my opinion. If you're looking for a healthy, light lunch this might be for you, but I went for dinner and wasn't really full after. All dishes have the same price (~20€), the smaller ones come with a soup on the side and you get a starter platter. I still think that for Portuguese prices this is really expensive for what you get as the portions, like I said, are pretty small and even after these 3 components you are not full. And that's not because it's vegetarian, I'm vegetarian too and I've never made that experience.

The food itself was also a bit disappointing compared to what I expected. They experiment very much with unique flavour combinations but I feel like they lose out of sight what really goes well together. A taco with rice and beans next to one with guacamole just doesn't taste good with curry in it. The cauliflower-coconut soup was also not great. It was really watery and tasted mostly like coconut. Maybe they should take "never change a running system" (flavour combinations wise) a bit more seriously.

It is not really a Mexican restaurant as the only 2 "Mexican" options they serve are a wrap / burrito and the two tacos. It is all very healthy, full of vegetables and even the drinks are only fancy lemonades, juices and kombucha. If that's what you're looking for that's perfect, but it wasn't what I wanted for my dinner. Especially because we ended up paying 50€ for a water, a softdrink, each 2 tacos + soup, the starter platter that had some cucumber, carrot, hummus, dip and crackers and cheese on it. I know it sounds a lot but it wasn't. I ordered pita bread on the side and still wasn't full after. And I'm a woman, 166cm and 60kg.

So personally I wouldn't go back for food but the ambiance is amazing and for drinks or a date night this would be a...

House of Wonders is more than a restaurant—it feels like stepping into a living artwork. The space is vibrant, full of colors, textures, and eclectic details that awaken your senses. From the bohemian gallery downstairs to the rooftop terrace with its open skies, everything invites you to pause and savor. The food is prepared with care and creativity. Instead of a traditional menu, you are guided by a visual menu—a spread of freshly made dishes presented to you like a painter’s palette. You choose what inspires you in that moment. The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences bring together salads, mezze, warm grains, and flavorful dips. Everything tastes alive, fresh, and nourishing. House of Wonders is more than a restaurant—it feels like stepping into a living artwork. The space is vibrant, full of colors, textures, and eclectic details that awaken your senses. From the bohemian gallery downstairs to the rooftop terrace with its open skies, everything invites you to pause and savor. The food is prepared with care and creativity. Instead of a traditional menu, you are guided by a visual menu—a spread of freshly made dishes presented to you like a painter’s palette. You choose what inspires you in that moment. The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences bring together salads, mezze, warm grains, and flavorful dips. Everything tastes alive, fresh, and nourishing. Their juices and teas are pure delight—bright, refreshing, and as thoughtfully prepared as the food itself. You feel that every dish is crafted with heart, not just with recipes. Of course, part of the charm is the experience itself: it’s not a rushed place. You come here to slow down, to breathe, and to enjoy both the food and...