Ramires — Restaurant in Ponta Delgada

I read the reviews and looked forward to the best piri piri chicken on the island. First, let me confess that I am a Nandos lover, and the South African Portuguese Peri Peri interpretation has never been bettered, IMHO. So, how did Ramires stack up? Look the food is nice, but this is not spicy hot in the slightest and the full or half chicken interpretation is either baby chickens or something selective because they were not big portions (if I compare to a genuine half chicken you get at Nandos).

We had a 5 star waitress, and the atmosphere was pleasant. Nice location on the pier even if the pier needs a bit of TLC.

A highlight for us was the champagne sangria! Food wise, we tried the black beans and creamed spinach...the beans were very tasty, and the spinach was okay but not great. Local chorizo was a bit fatty to our liking. Hot wings, good sauce, ... wings, I think, are deep-fried. Tasty though. And the chicken was nice enough for us to have enjoyed the meal.

If you are looking for an authentic Portuguese rival to Nandos, I'm afraid...

Ribs were very tasty and were a sizeable order. Chicken was a little dry but tasty. A half chicken is really more like a quarter chicken -- more a snack than a meal. Fries and salad we're good. Chocolate mousse was very nice. Pineapple was a very tiny portion for the price. Service was friendly but they were overworked and chaotic

Went back again a day or so later. Ordered the spicy chicken wings which were very small by Canadian standards but tasty. I ordered the full portion of Piri piri chicken this time which was larger but was still a very small, overcooked chicken -- more bone than meat. My wife had the veal steak which was very good. I ordered a side of black beans which was very tasty and quite a large serving.

Service was much less chaotic and the servers were...

There was nobody in the restaurant, apart from an elderly couple. There were lots of tables empty, but was told I had to eat outside as all the tables were reserved. There were about 15 empty tables inside and I'm sure they could have accommodated me at one of the tables, as I would have been finished before all the empty tables had been filled. That's not my real issue though. There were two young employees staring at me and sniggering, which made me feel very uncomfortable. Could it have been that I was wearing sportswear, rather than a shirt and trousers? I don't know, but with that kind of attitude, they certainly weren't getting my custom. Disgusting customer service and I don't normally leave a review, but feel that something's...