Mercado Bio — Restaurant in Madalena

horrible place! The place was empty every time we passed by but we gave it a try because of the good reviews (we really don‘t understand where they come from, maybe from tourists who don‘t appreciate traditional portuguese or azorean food and are happy they found something average, fast foody style). We went there at 18h25 to book a table for dinner and found members of the crew (elder grey haired woman and a younger black haired one) smoking outside of the entrance. My husband kindly asked if we could book a table for 20h00… „we open at 18h30, you have to wait to make your reservation“ …ok, not quite professional but we patiently waited those 5 minutes and got into the restaurant again where a different girl told us that they accept no reservations „just come at night, we always have free tables“ !? I found it quite disrespectfull to make us wait only to give us that information and would have gone somewhere else (across the road to Cinco i.e.) but my husband wanted to give them a try… decision he immensly regreted later on! So we came back around 8 and, as a matter of fact, they did have a table since we were the only clients. Nothing cosy, no table cloth, no table sets, empty tables. The waiter was kind and polite, nothing to complain but the two „cooking“ ladies behind the counter looked at us in an agressive, disturbing manner and kept talking about us (not in a friendly way). My husband doesn’t appear so but he is a native portuguese speaker and he couldn‘t believe his ears. The waitress with the glasses gave us big smiles in the face but behind the back she joined the gossip shreks. The menu was quite small (5 appetizers, 5 main and 3 desserts) which is in general a good sign, but here 3 dishes were already not available anymore! No bread left, at 8 o‘clock..? What a mismanagment! Anyway, we ordered, the food came very quickly and it was ok but nothing special at all. My husband ordered more rice because he was still hungry although we had a starter. While we were eating, the waiter and the waitress watched their mobile phones (ok, they had nothing else to do in an empty restaurant) and the gossip sisters kept on gossiping, being joined from time to time by the dishwasher lady who spend her time eating the customers candies, gossiping and going for a walk. We planed on having a dessert to fill the stomach but we felt so uncomfortable that we didn‘t even finish our mediocre wine (we took it along because we didn’t want them to have it) and ordered the bill. Another surprise, we payed as much and even more than we paid in other tastier restaurants where we had starter, main, dessert, wine and water. It is for a reason that you always find a table here while all the other restaurants are...

If I could give this a “0” I would. From the get-go, this was clearly an awful experience. We were four people, and we asked for a table at front as opposed to a bench right by the washroom where they wanted to seat us. The place was half empty. They told us they could not seat us at the front, as the tables were for two. We politely suggested they simply pull 2 tables together. They said it was not possible. What? Clearly too lazy. As we turned to walk out, suddenly they informed us that “it was no problem to place two tables together.” (Not sure why this was such a big deal in the first place.) My cousin visiting from Ireland was grateful, and put out his hand to shake the waiter/manager’s hand to thank him for accommodating us. Dude took a step back, and refused to shake his hand. Cousin (a super friendly Irishman) was taken aback, and attempted again, and dude again sneered and refused the gesture, clearly a “f&$k you” to us for asking for seating at the front? Front was COMPLETELY empty, no tables reserved or anything like that. I was mortified and embarrassed that our guests were treated so rudely. What a way to treat people visiting your island for the first time. I told the jerk that he was a rude and unkind young man, and we walked out. Went right across to 0 Cinco (which was packed) instead. They welcomed us warmly, and pulled over an extra table on the terrace so we could sit together. Absolute no problem. Food was great, service was warm and welcoming. Big fat 25% tip to young lady server.

Steer clear of this place. Clearly they don’t need or care to have your business.

Suggestion to manager: train your staff to be polite and accommodating...

Recensione in Italiano e inglese

Pico, Mercado Bio - Un luogo interessante con alti e bassi

Pico, Mercado Bio è un locale molto interessante, ben arredato e situato nel cuore di Madalena. L'atmosfera è accogliente e il design degli interni è curato nei dettagli, rendendo l'esperienza visiva piacevole. Il personale è gentile, anche se a volte un po’ sbrigativo.

La selezione dei cocktail non è vastissima, ma comunque interessante, con alcune “signature” degne di nota. La carta dei piatti è ben costruita e, leggendo il menu, i piatti sembrano molto promettenti.

Passiamo ora alla nota dolente. Credo fermamente che un ristorante abbia tutto il diritto di presentare i suoi piatti come meglio crede e di fissare i prezzi che ritiene opportuni. Come appassionato di cucina, comprendo il lavoro e il costo delle materie prime di qualità (più sono buone, migliore è il cibo). La capacità dello chef è cruciale e strettamente legata a questi aspetti. Non mi lamento di pagare un certo prezzo in un ristorante stellato o comunque rinomato.

Tuttavia, in questo ristorante ho trovato il cibo non particolarmente eccezionale. Il gusto era carino, ma non eccezionale. Le entrate erano buone ma servite in modo un po' approssimativo (ad esempio, una crema di avocado verde su insalata verde, che poteva essere presentata con maggiore cura, e le polpette di tonno con troppo coriandolo, il cui sapore predominante sovrastava tutto il resto).

Il piatto principale, uno stufato di maiale in agrodolce, era abbondante ma forse non accompagnato in modo ottimale con del riso. La carne a lunga cottura ha bisogno della sua salsa, altrimenti rischia di diventare monotona, e il riso non aiuta a migliorare la situazione. In sostanza, il piatto era buono, ma nulla di più, certamente non all'altezza dell'arredamento e dell'atmosfera del locale. Prezzo non eccessivo anche se alto a parer mio.

Pico, Mercado Bio - An Interesting Place with Highs and Lows

Pico, Mercado Bio is a very interesting place, well-decorated and centrally located in Madalena. The atmosphere is welcoming, and the interior design is thoughtfully detailed, making the visual experience pleasant. The staff is friendly, although sometimes a bit brisk.

The cocktail selection isn't extensive, but it is interesting, with some noteworthy "signature" drinks. The menu is well-constructed, and the dishes seem very promising when you read about them.

Now, let's address the downside. I firmly believe that a restaurant has every right to present its dishes as it sees fit and to set prices it deems appropriate. As a food enthusiast, I understand the work and the cost of high-quality ingredients (the better they are, the better the food). The chef's skill is crucial and directly connected to these aspects. I don't complain about paying a certain price at a starred or highly regarded restaurant.

However, in this restaurant, I found the food not particularly exceptional. The taste was nice but not outstanding. The starters were good but served somewhat haphazardly (for example, a green avocado cream on green salad, which could have been presented with more thought, and tuna meatballs with too much cilantro, whose dominant flavor overwhelmed everything else).

The main course, a sweet and sour pork stew, was generous but perhaps not best served with rice. Slow-cooked meat needs its sauce; otherwise, it can become monotonous, and the rice doesn't help improve the situation. Essentially, the dish was good, but nothing more, certainly not matching the ambiance and decor...