The Gin Library — Restaurant in Ponta Delgada

We found this charming fascinating place by lucky chance, researching what to do on Sao Miguel on a rainy day as well as where to buy the Baleia gin, a wonderfully smooth and aromatic gin, one of the two gins produced and bottled entirely in the Azores. First we dropped by unannounced, not knowing one should have an appointment. Standing in front of the door we called the owner's number and Mr. Ali responded in such a welcoming way! Although both he and his wife were out, we were welcomed by his wife Caroline mere 15 minutes later, and had a chance to buy the wonderful Baleia gin and had a quick glance at the breathtaking gin collection. We also made a reservation for gin tasting in two days. On a lovely Sunday evening, we came for our gin tasting and were welcomed by smiling Catarina. Such a bubbly personality, a treasury of knowledge about gin types and brands she explained about the way the collection is organized and once we chose what we wish to try, she mixed our drinks with inspired insight of which spices will suit each gin best. We have also learned that Catarina is the artist who authored the mystical illustration on the Baleia bottles, perfectly capturing the fresh character of the gin itself in the beautiful image. As we browsed through numerous bottles we also got served some tasty snacks, freshly baked Brazilian cheese cakes. A minor disappointment ensued from time to time when an especially interesting bottle one would wish to try was already empty, however it is completely understandable that such an outstanding worldly collection is practically impossible to restock quickly. All in all this was an awesome experience that we hope to repeat one day, maybe next year when they plan to open accommodation capacities as well. Thank you Caroline, Catarina, and Ali, we had...

Must visit! Can't recommend enough. We went twice - once for drinks and another for the sushi dinner. Of course, the gin and tonics are amazing. Even if you're a gin newbie, they give great recommendations. My only regret is not taking their gin and tonic class. I've tried recreating it at home, but it's nowhere near as good, yet (hopefully).

Be sure to bring a local gin from your hometown to swap for one of theirs. We brought bottles 1608 and 1609. They donate to Ocean Conservation for every bottle sold, so buy some extras to bring home too. Can't go wrong with any - their pineapple and chili gin and pink gin were my favorites.

The atmosphere is amazing. Everyone on staff is a lot of fun to talk to (and hilarious!). Very knowledgeable too! As soon as I gave them one of our bottles, they knew right away it was one they didn't have. There's over 1,600 bottles. How do you remember all of them?!

The sushi dinner was delicious. The speakeasy style room behind a wall of gin was really cool. Chef Joana is so much fun and a fantastic chef! All of the leftovers go to the cats that live on the estate. I wanted to save some for them, but it was too good. (I'm sorry cats! Hopefully, no hard feelings.) Afterwards, we stayed for another drink - Joana suggested a great German gin (wish I could remember the name)

Next time we visit the Azores, I'd like to stay at the hotel, but I'm worried I wouldn't leave...

If you like gin, this is the place for you! Doesn't matter if you like a dry one, a botanical one, or even a sweeter one, they have everything you want here!

The people working there are amazing! You can taste every Gin you can see for 15€. And if you aren't sure what exactly you want, they are more than happy to help you choose and find your new personal favorite.

If you plan to visit, definitely make sure to bring a local craft gin from your hometown! They have a list on their website, and if they don't have it already, you get a free signed bottle from the owner. With a unique number! We brought the #1539. So besides the multiple gins they create themselves, there are more than enough gins to taste.

Because of the vibe and the amazing people working there, we decided to book the sushi dinner.

There, you have access to the more exclusive Japanese gins. The sushi was amazing! An awesome take on traditional sushi combined with a local charm from the azores. Even though they told us it was kind of a tradition to feed the cats with the leftovers, no one from our booking left any left over because it was...