Cervejaria Portas da Cidade — Restaurant in Ponta Delgada

I chose this place because of a recommendation in Lonely Planet Pocket Azores - maybe that was written some time ago. We should've been warned by the mid-morning snack we had in this place - the coffee was OK but the pasteis de nada weren't crisp. Nevertheless it seemed to be the kind of place we were looking for so returned for lunch. We used to live in Portugal and loved the simple places serving simple food - grilled fresh fish, potatoes, salad etc. The waiters didn't seem to be Portuguese. I do speak some Portuguese but I couldn't understand what they were saying. I think they were actually from the Middle East somewhere. When I asked what a certain vegetable was on my plate, I asked what it was called in Portuguese - he didn't know and had to ask a fellow diner. I ordered grilled sardines - I knew it wasn't necessarily the right season but hoped they'd be OK. For some reason there seemed to be loads of vinegar on the plate and one of the potatoes looked bad. It just wasn't the nice dish I was expecting. But the wine was reasonably cheap. I suspect it's not...

Table was booked for 7pm, the owner was on the phone at 7.05 asking if we were still going. Arrived about 7.10 pm. We were asked if we wanted traditional starters to try among us (6 adults 2 very small kids) A plate arrived for everyone which was rediculous so most went back. Owner is very pushy and tries to oversell everything. We asked for jug of house wine and he said we should have 3 ?? Two had tuna which was dry and overcooked and we were told we should have said when ordering how we wanted it cooked. Several meat dishes were ordered which was tasteless apart from the sauce which was overpowering. Most plates were returned with problems and uneaten food. The owner/waiter asked if everything was ok with the meal 😂which we said no and he said “oh good” and then returned to say he was being sarcastic 🤨 The bill was rediculous for what we had and the owner totally unapologetic. I strongly advise anyone to stay well clear of this place unless you want to be ripped off and served...

On average, the food was…well, just that—average. My husband had the tomato soup, which was tasty but not quite hot enough—like it was having an identity crisis between being soup and gazpacho. Thankfully, the kitchen has their fish situation sorted. My husband is allergic, and we were relieved to hear it’s cooked separately—perhaps in a different country. I had the toasted chicken, and it was delish!

We sat outside, which felt like the set of a reality show. People were asking for money, cigarettes, and then a man, who had clearly just stepped out of the restaurant for a smoke break, decided to audition for the role of “hovering smoker” right next to our table. The wait staff, though? Exceptional! They managed to juggle plates, dodge beggars, and smile through it all—definitely worthy of a standing ovation.

Between the scent of tobacco and the endless interruptions from beggars, I’m not entirely sure I’d rush back...