Taberna São Tiago — Restaurant in Montalegre

Very weird experience.

We felt like we were getting scammed but in the end were charged a fair price despite never receiving a bill.

We came just for a drink and snacks so we ordered bread and cheese, plus a sprite and a beer. We don’t speak Portuguese but know how to say each of these items. We were brought an artisanal beer (when we just wanted Super Bock) which was 10€ on the menu. At that point we were wondering what was going on so when the waiter brought out a huge plate of charcuterie plus a whole additional item we decided to mention that wasn’t what we ordered at all. He took it back, brought the bread and cheese, and then we didn’t see him again. We had to ask another waitress for the check and ended up getting a fair price but we are fairly certain something was going on cause another table had a long discussion and was clearly very unhappy while paying their bill with the waiter who served us. Food looks good but beware when ordering and ask for a menu especially if you don’t...

PT: Sentimentos contraditórios relativamente a este restaurante. A comida estava espectacular, tanto o prato principal (naco na grelha) como as sobremesas (rabanadas feitas na hora e pudim), acompanhado de duas cervejas e cafés. Éramos os únicos no restaurante (14h de um dia de semana, numa vila pacata). Até ao fim da refeição, tudo estava a correr bem. O problema surge quando pedimos a conta. Sinceramente, não sei se o empregado/cozinheiro estava embriagado ou algo do género, mas fomos informados que o preço era de €45 (não recebemos sequer um talão a detalhar o preço de cada item que se consumiu, mesmo após pedir o mesmo). O valor pareceu ter sido determinado na hora, com base no estado de espirito do empregado/cozinheiro. Acrescento que, no meu entender, a refeição não justifica este preço. Quando pedi uma factura, o empregado/cozinheiro tratou apenas de registar o meu NIF e dizer que 'a factura seria emitida depois'. O multibanco estava sem carga, mas o empregado/cozinheiro insistia em premir os botões de forma aleatória como se isso fizesse a máquina magicamente funcionar. Tive de sugerir que ligasse a máquina á ficha, para solucionar o problema. Em suma, a comida é bastante boa, o problema residiu na forma como a situação do pagamento se processou, o que levou a que baixasse significativamente a avaliação deste restaurante. Fico sem perceber se 'tivemos azar' neste dia, mas é um relato factual do que experienciámos.

EN: Mixed feelings about this restaurant. The food was great, both the main course (grilled steak 'naco') and the desserts ('rabanadas', cooked on the spot, and pudding). We had a couple of beers and coffee. We were the only ones at the restaurant (2PM of a weekday, in a quiet village). Up until the end of the meal, everything was top-notch. The issue came when we asked for the bill. I honestly don't know if the waiter/cook was intoxicated or something, but we were informed (i.e., we did not get a receipt detailing the price of each item, even after asking for it) that the cost would be €45. This value looked like it was determined 'on-the-spot'. I should add that, in my opinion, this price seems excessive for what was ordered. When asking for an invoice, the waiter/cook just noted down my taxpayer number (NIF) and said that the 'invoice would be issued eventually'. The ATM machine was out of battery, but the waiter/cook kept pressing the buttons randomly as if somehow this would make the machine start. I had to suggest connecting the device to a power source, in order to proceed. All in all, the food was very good, it was just the service involving the payment that was a huge letdown that severely pushed the grade...

This place is absolutely fantastic, with charming staff and delicious food. We enjoyed olives, bread and an excellent platter of veal steak, potatoes and vegetables for two. We drank a local red wine which was slightly fizzy and served cold-delicious. We were told that this wine was from a small local producer and the bottle didn’t even have a label!

Our waitress, Alexandra, was also lovely, she was patient, friendly and talked us through the Portuguese menu. The only disappointment is that the Taberna is closed tonight so we can’t eat there again..!!

If you’re in the area, make sure...