Restaurante Terra Nostra (Terra Nostra Garden Hotel) — Restaurant in Povoação

We had high expectations but were ultimately very disappointed with our visit. We ordered the cozido for two, which we were informed could not be shared among more people—understandable. However, the portion size was excessively large, even for two, and surprisingly, the restaurant does not allow guests to take leftovers home. With more than half the dish untouched, this policy felt extremely wasteful and inconsiderate.

As for the food itself, the cozido was underwhelming. Much of the meat was overcooked and dry, lacking the richness and depth of flavor we had hoped for. We were also surprised that for €3.50 per person, you only receive a single small piece of bread each. On a more positive note, the wine we selected was excellent—though, of course, that was not produced by the restaurant.

The atmosphere, often praised by other reviewers, didn’t meet our expectations either. While the view from our table by the window was pleasant, the overall experience felt far from special. We spent nearly €100 on lunch and left feeling disappointed—not just by the quality of the meal, but by the inflexible policies and pretentious service.

This place seems like they're in the business of scamming tourists, wasting food, and not actually providing a positive experience. Unfortunately, this was the most disappointing dining experience we've had on the island. We won’t be returning and would caution others to consider...

It's a really pretty restaurant with very nice civilized atmosphere. I don't remember the last time I went to a restaurant with white table clothes and waiters in tux. Unfortunately the food wasn't as good as we had anticipated. Azorean bouillabaisse was one of the strangest thing I ever had. I thought it was going to be nice fish soup but it was ashy looking broth that tasted muddy with not much flavor. I thought it was super expensive too for about 18 euro for a bit of thin broth. Cozido was better than expected. Duck dish was very disappointing too..not only did they give 2 tiny pieces of duck breast, the meat itself didn't have much flavor. Foie Gras not too fatty. My forkbeard fish dish was one of the worst. My waiter recommended the dish saying it's the house special but it was pan fried fish coated with batter that tasted dry and old. The only decent dish of the night was Iberian pork dish so if you go, order that. All 4 desserts we ordered were just as bad. The restaurant was basically serving mediocre foods on fancy plates. The cappuccino was the best thing on the menu. They did have a nice wine menu and we did have a nice bottle of Douro wine. We spent about $300 USD...

We came here 4 times over 6 years. The cocktails are extremely good - depending what you choose they are quite a show! The food is good quality, location is amazing and most of the service is very friendly and courteous. The prices are high for the Azores but from an international viewpoint very fair for the offered quality.

I can wholeheartedly recommend a visit, even for just cocktails, but prepare to struggle for a table at lunch.

Why did I deduct a star? They have a few black sheep in their service force. Tourism on the Azores is picking up and the park provides an almost guaranteed income for the restaurant. We witnessed a young couple asking how long a cocktail would take, they were in a rush. The bartender replied "Well we are in a rush, too!". On another occasion half the seating was closed. On polite request we were told quite sternly it was closed for bad weather and were sent away, seconds later it opened and everyone else rushed in.

I want to point out this was isolated events but they still kinda disturb the experience - hence I cannot...