Tasquinha do Joy — Restaurant in Mafra

Woah what to say, ordered a streak and a Joy Codfish.

My partners thin steak arrived at the table first beneath a sea of heavy cream sauce (I think an attempt at a mushroom sauce, that lacked in mushrooms) topped some under cooked chips. 10 minutes later arrived the joy cod and wow this is not how food should be cooked. The dish arrived, 2 good sized chunks of way over baked cod fish, covered in, and I mean coated, in more than half a jar of mayonnaise. This was then baked more so the mayo stared to form a khaki a skin. As a garnish a few chips were scattered into the mayo skin alongside some prawns.

My fish tasted freezer burnt. It was so dry the flakes were no longer flakes and more of a chewy fibrous gunk. It was dry like it had been out of the water for months which is a shame seeing the fishing boats within stones throw from the place.

The clams they were serving to other tables looked really good though and definitely the way to go.

But for me joy codfish was one of the most vile eating...

Having read many reviews this is one of the best Portuguese food in the town and I have to agree! Very friendly staff, english speaking. Menu consists of traditional Portuguese food and see food. Great choice of wines, go for Vinho Verde (you get this wine only in Portugal) and it is well paired with fish. I had grilled dry cheese as a starter with bread and Codfish baked on a roof tile(=Bacalhau I think the original name is Telha a Joy) and it was delicious. Food and drinks are serves in a clay pots, which reminds the old times. Prices are very affordable/friendly and portions are decent. Be aware the restaurant is open daily from 12-3pm and 7-9pm(at least the kitchen) even though the opening hours are 12-10pm. This opening time is very common for most of the restaurant in Ericeira, make sure you plan your visit in advance. Could be very busy so reservation is useful. I would highly recommend...

If I could give zero stars, I would. This place was an absolute disaster from start to finish. The food was genuinely terrible — nothing was properly cooked, and it tasted like someone tried to mask all the bad flavors with an overwhelming amount of cilantro.

As if the food wasn’t bad enough, the service was even worse. The staff were rude and completely unprofessional. One of the waiters actually spilled leftovers on me while clearing the table — didn’t apologize, didn’t even acknowledge the mess — just shrugged and said, “Tenemos quita manchas”.

I don’t expect five-star service at every restaurant, but basic decency and edible food shouldn’t be too much to ask. Save your time, money, and appetite — go literally...