Sonata Bistrô — Restaurant in Covilhã

This restaurant was a bit of a disappointment to me and to the person who I invited to diner.

The starters were good, the butter was tasty so was the olive pate.

To drink we ordered some sangria that was very tasty but it was clear the non-existence of alcohol in the recipe, specially considering that we shared 1.5L of the drink.

To the main courses we had Clams "à bulhão pato", Mushrooms "à brás" and the Veal meat option. The Clams were a total disappointment since it did not even follow the traditional recipe for "à bulhão pato" which demands garlic instead of the onions that were presented. Additionally, the clams were poorly cooked since they had a rubberish texture. The mushroms "à brás" was very tasty and it was a very good dish overall. The Veal meat dish was good although the meat did not look as fresh as it could be. Some parts of it were, in a way, kinda hard to cut. I was honestly expecting, for the price, a near "out of the animal" meat freshness. Still, an acceptable dish considering the creativeness of the rest of the dish, with fruity elements around it.

When it comes to the service, it was very slow. The food took a long time to arrive and the waitress was very unaware of our table. It got to a point that i nearly had to get up to call for her attention. Nonetheless, their kindness was always present.

To conclude, a few meters up the street there are much better options for a much better price. The experience was not horrible, but for sure I will never go to this restaurant again. Also, I am amazed how this actually got to a 4.5 rating, it simply does...

This restaurant name is the phonetic spelling of "alquimia" (alchemy), and that is exactly what you would think is going on in this charming hidden gem in the heart of old Covilhã in Serra da Estrela. When we first arrived the restaurant was empty and our host was training a new waiter so was being shadowed rather alarmingly in everything from placing cutlery to taking the order. Set in a cosy old stone building with walls covered in textile art (the specialty of Covilhã), books, musical instruments and other quirky decorations. The menu is presented entirely in Portuguese (which is a good indication of the quality to be expected) and is mainly seasonal and local. Our host could not have been more accommodating or welcoming - he learned and addressed us both by our first names, he made recommendations when asked, and he cracked jokes all the way through the meal as well. The couvert (which we explicitly requested) was herbed butter, olive tapenade, 4 types of bread and organic olive oil. All delicious, especially the cornbread - divine. We asked for duck breast in honey, port and orange with puree sweet potato, and slow-braised pork cheeks with pumpkin and greens. Both were popping with flavour and incredibly moreish. Our host chastised us for not cleaning the entire plate, but we explained this was only so we would have space for dessert. We asked for the salted caramel chocolate cake with cinnamon ice cream (what a revelation that was! Such flavour), and a little glass of port to go with it. I would return in a heartbeat, and I...

A wonderful overall experience five stars!!

Front of house : The historic building (which Fernando will happily talk about), is a beautiful marriage of old and new to create a unique dining experience. The staff, both Fernando and Joanna, were friendly, attentive and welcoming. They both seemed ro relish a chance to practice their English while i practiced my Portuguese.

Back of house: overall the food was excellent.

The pheasant canja we chose for starters was rich and perfecrly seasoned. Some canja are too salty for my tastes but all the flavours here were brought to the fore and a delight.

We decided to go for a selection of petiscos instead of mains. I could not decide which was my favourite. The sausage with curry and apple flavours, the fresh salada do Pomar, or the salmon ceviche. Everyrhing was beautifully presented.

Not really a dessert person, but walking around the steep streets of Covilha meant i felt i could be a little naughty. Was not disappointed.

Overall a wonderful experience and would recommend...