Restaurante O Riquim — Restaurant in Povoação

In my opinion, any truly memorable restaurant experience generally revolves around one aspect of the visit that is so extraordinary when compared to every other option that it becomes the new standard of excellence. Sometimes it’s as simple as the greatest cheeseburger, to broader qualities like the fresh ingredients, the view, value, or wine selection. Regardless, that one component not only keeps me coming back but also helps me turn a blind eye to other parts of the experience that might not measure up as well.

At Restaurante O Riquim, in the city center, my wife and I found a new standard of excellence. It is for servers, and her name is Lili. Hand to heart, Lili’s personality, openness, generosity, and charisma not only made our dining experience the best in the Azores but our new benchmark for excellent service anywhere. She is just a gem you have to meet to fully appreciate. Also, for us, her excellent English skills only enhanced our appreciation for her craft. One visit, and I swear she feels like family.

That being said, otherwise, the restaurant offered good value, generous portions, considerable outdoor seating, large wine selection, and a great location in the clean, town center.

I ordered tuna steak, which was well prepared and tasty. The rice was very plain but plentiful, and the salad was simple. My wife’s salmon was excellent, same rice, and the mixed vegetables were lackluster. The cheese and bread appetizer was very good.

You will not be disappointed here with the food or the value, but if you have Lili as your server, you will absolutely be blown...

This place does not deserve its high rating. We were made to wait because, apparently, they don’t serve dinner before 6:30 PM. How does a restaurant refuse to prepare food simply because of the time? That was our first red flag. When dinner finally arrived, it was deeply disappointing. The steak tasted like it came from a 100-year-old cow—impossibly tough, barely chewable, and difficult to cut even with a sharp knife. The fish was the only halfway decent dish, but even that wasn’t cooked the way you’d expect in a proper restaurant. I’m not a chef and have no culinary training, but honestly, if I had been asked to prepare the main dishes and sides myself, I believe I could’ve done a significantly better job. I’m giving this place 2 stars only because the drinks were actually good. Overall, the restaurant seems targeted at guests who value quantity over quality. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone expecting a decent...

In mid afternoon, we made reservations for dinner at 6 pm. The very person who took our reservation forgot us when we arrived. Then she informed us that the kitchen doesn't start cooking until 6:30. Then she spent 5 minutes telling us how she was sick and had no energy and wished she could go home. Then she takes drink orders for 4 and brings out only one drink. After waiting for about 15 minutes, we had to ask her if the drinks were coming. Oops, she forgot to mention that the bar is all out of limes, so she can't bring the drinks we ordered. The food was good. Very tasty calamari and mixed skewer. Very tasty chocolate mousse, cheesecake, and canolli. We had asked for separate bills, but, oops, she forgot to make that arrangement. We will have to go inside to talk to the girl on cash. That girl didn't want to separate out the different orders. She just split the bill on half....