Saca-Rolhas Taberna — Restaurant in Ponta Delgada

We visited this restaurant today for lunch, and unfortunately, it did not meet our expectations, especially given the very high prices. Service was far below what one would expect from such an expensive place. From the start, there were signs of a lack of professionalism – waiters made basic mistakes, like incorrect placement of cutlery. The young waiter who served us at first was at least polite and tried his best, but another waiter seemed completely indifferent.

Communication in English was poor, which led to a serious misunderstanding when ordering the fish. We specifically asked if the price was for the whole fish or per kilogram, and were told it was for the whole fish, enough for 2–3 people. As it was an early lunch, my wife and I decided to share one fish. The portions we received were not a whole fish, just two pieces each. However, when the bill arrived, we were charged for two portions – €110 total – despite explaining that we had ordered only one fish to share. The waiter handling the bill took no responsibility for the misunderstanding.

Additionally, the wine was left behind us, and no one checked our glasses – I had to pour it myself the entire time. The atmosphere was stiff and snobbish, making the experience even less pleasant.

In the end, for two fish dishes, one children’s meal, the cheapest wine on the list, and a tuna pâté starter, we paid €200, which in our opinion is extremely overpriced – especially considering we believe the fish charge was doubled.

We hope the management will address this situation and contact us, as we believe we are entitled to a refund of the amount that was charged twice.

We also wrote directly to the management but received no reply, which confirms our impression that this restaurant operates more like a money-making machine at any cost rather than a place that cares...

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Extremely disappointing – the worst service we have experienced in Portugal

We have visited Portugal seven times and always enjoyed excellent food and hospitality – until now. This was by far the worst restaurant experience we have ever had, and we strongly advise others to avoid it.

The service was unacceptable for such an expensive place. Waiters first addressed and served my husband while ignoring me, which felt disrespectful. One waiter tried but was clearly inexperienced, the other acted as if he simply did not care. They never checked our table, left the wine behind us so we had to pour it ourselves, and constantly pushed us to order more food and drinks, regardless of our wishes. It felt like the only goal was to make the bill bigger.

The worst part was the fish order. We were told the price was for a whole fish to share (enough for 2–3 people), but we received only a few pieces and were then charged for two separate portions – €110 just for the fish. Our complaint was dismissed, and we ended up paying €200 for two fish dishes, one children’s meal, the cheapest wine, and a small starter. Afterwards, we contacted management directly, but they ignored our message completely.

This restaurant gives the impression of being nothing more than a money-making machine, with no respect for guests, no professionalism, and no accountability. Food was average, atmosphere cold and snobbish, and the overall experience left us angry and disappointed.

Portugal is full of amazing restaurants with honest service – sadly, this place is the complete opposite. Absolutely not...

An amazing restaurant! It was recommended by my husband’s coworker. So glad he shared it with us. It was so good we made reservations for a second visit while having our first meal.

It is an 11 min drive/taxi ride from the marina area. So worth the drive! It’s smallish so would recommend reservations. Menu has a variety of tasty sounding dishes and an expansive wine list. The team is very friendly and able to help in English as well as Portuguese.

A few standout dishes: Husband said the grilled octopus was the best octopus he has had! It was topped with chilis and some veggies. It was tender and had great flavor. It was served with a seemingly simple but delicious rice dish. Wonderfully salty rice with parsley and peppers to give it a fresh flavor. I could eat it every day. The pineapple jam and local cheese was so good. Great sized portion and I don’t know how I haven’t had pineapple jam before but went and bought some to bring home. The garlic bread - OMG. It was the highlight for me. So garlicky and filled with olive oil. A must order! The vegetable tempura was a tasty surprise. Great crispy batter and served with sweet chili sauce, a soy glaze, and some aioli. The chorizo omelette is large. And a more French omelet than a Spanish tortilla. Full of well flavored, crispy chorizo.

We saved room on our second meal to try the biscuit cake. I loved the topping, kind of a salted caramel or butterscotch with some salt flakes on top. A perfect complement to the creamy buttercream layered cake.

We really enjoyed our meals at Saca Rolhas and would recommend...