Stones Pico — Restaurant in Madalena

We had some mixed feelings about our visit to Stones. First, the good part: they were super flexible to accept that we moved the reservation to an earlier time. The vibe is super cool, nice decor, kind staff.

However the problem is that when you visit a place with a rating of 4.9 expectations are very high and our experience was not that remarkable.

The concept is that you cook your food on a hot stone. For the beef this worked for the first 10 minutes but then the stone got cold and the beef just simmers, comes out looking pale and is not remotely as nice.

At the end of the meal when we mentioned this fact we were told that they could have brought new stones but this wasn't mentioned when the food was served and of course while we couldn't have guessed it, surely this will be a regular experience for customers - it should have been mentioned sooner and the bland meat would have been avoided. I guess this is related to the fact that the staff looks quite inexperienced.

The price tag is higher than most of the other places we tried on the island so we can't help but feel a little disappointed.

So in short: not bad but not memorable food either That's the problem with high...

Stones is a stand out. It is located in a quaint little village in the island of Pico. This is truly a unique dining concept that you will certainly love. My wife and I dined here and we were super surprised about the cleanliness and the wonderful waitress we had from Latvia. She was on her toes the entire time and aimed to please. Bathrooms were super clean and the ambiance was serene and “ zenny”.

I chose the delicious and fresh tuna, and my wife had aged steak, which we carefully prepared on the supplied super hot lava stones. We were told that the Tuna came from another island because it is harpooned and free of stress , yielding a tastier fish. We had lots of fun cooking for ourselves RIGHT AT THE TABLE. It was safe and the end result was a deliciously prepared meal. We also were supported by a very pleasant and informative gentleman of French decent. He was a very hard working staff member worthy of high praise . Check out this wonderful...

Stones restaurant is an AMAZING place ! The concept of cooking fresh and high quality meat or fish on a lava stone is very unique and fun. The meat and the fish are really really tender and tasty. I enjoyed being able the taste the local products for the starter and the main course. The butter board with Pico’s honey and Sao Jorge’s cheese was really good and well balanced. The fish Lirio on the hot stones was MELTING in the mouth ! Served with a local white wine it was perfect ! A daydreaming dinner ! The atmosphere is super nice and cozy, the music is very good and the view on the volcano Pico is breathtaking. Moreover, the staff is extremely nice, smiling and professional. It has been a real pleasure to have dinner in such a wonderful restaurant. I recommend it 100% for a lovely evening with your partner, friends...