Dona Amélia — Restaurant in Castelo de Paiva

Not sure why this place is so highly rated. Our hotel recommended this place for dinner. You need to order your dish in advance if it is not a steak. There is no manu. We ordered fish and octupus. When we arrived our dishes were already ready after probably being in the oven for a couple of hours. Both dishes were made the same - set in a pool of olive oil, with potatos, onions and egg. It felt like it was left too long in the oven, as the meat was very very soft. The taste was also not very good, it tasted mainly as olive oil. My parter does not like olive oil taste so she didnt eat her dish at all. For starters the waiter asked us if we want home made cheese. We agreed but after a few minutes she said our main dishes are ready so she will not bring the cheese. The price was around 40 euros for the two dishes, soft drinks and couvert. Also finding the place was not very easy at night. We came from our hotel which was 15 minutes drive in narrow road and in the dark. Without google maps we could never get...

After many curves and stopping in front of the building not knowing if it was a residence or a restaurant, I can honestly say I had the best roasted goat ever. Excellent bread, excellent desert and the goat makes the trip worth while. Clean, great views of the valley, a warm welcome from the kitchen (Da Conceição is the chef) followed by a great service that make you feel at home. I believe it is their intention to make you feel like you are dinning at their home - which they are very successful at. The owners serve and converse with you - always attentive to everything. One of our members was not sure if she liked the goat or not and the owner made sure she was comfortable with it and guaranteed she wouldn’t leave hungry. A unique experience that I hope I will repeat many more times.

• You will need to reserve and order your meal prior to go there. This is a way to guarantee freshness and...

What they cook, you eat. Very sweet people serving and running the place. We misunderstood the experience here. For your edification, this is the deal.

They ask if you eat meat or not, and from that point forward, whatever comes is your meal. We all ate meat, so the first dish came - which we thought was the meal. It was as large as a Paella dish - a huge shallow dish of tripe, beans, and beef in a stew like form. It was a tad intense. It was so large a platter, we thought this was the main meal. In actuality, that was the starter. They also serve salad, bread, and then a main dish of meats. We didn't have all of the other items.

So know that there is plenty to eat here and it is an experience which you are supposed to eat over an extended period.

Reservations are helpful here.

Always feel free to reach out to me on...