Biclaque Origens — Restaurant in Ribeira de Pena

I had been so looking forward to this restaurant, but it was such a disappointment. The starters were nice, not particularly special but fine. A pumpkin soup and duck breast. The bread was very good, with nice olive oil and mushroom butter, great. Then the main courses. Swordfish with coriander cream and lemon rice with shrimp. Well, that turned out to be the cataplana, a fish stew with two unpleasant slimy shrimp, old swordfish, tough with skin, just not good, tasteless sauce, and way too much rice. Just call it what it is, the English translation doesn’t match, and on the Portuguese menu, it’s labeled differently too. I come here expecting something special, and it’s a poorly executed traditional dish from the Portugese kitchen. After one bite, I was done. My companion had magret de canard, tasty but not exciting—cold mushrooms and lukewarm...

This restaurant was superb. We made a booking in the morning of my lady's birthday and they were very accommodating. When we arrived our waiter was restocking shelves at the bar. He knew us by name and asked if we would like drinks before our meal. A well sticked bar and professionally poured drinks. We were escorted in and were asked to choose any table. When the menu came the same waiter was extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of the food and the experience of the chef. We had the cured duck and Shitake mushrooms with spinach. Main was Turbot and I had the tenderloin pork. This was the best meal we have had in 3 years of living in Portugal. We declined dessert, but the waiter surprised us with 2 gorgeous glasses of port and a small, but beautifully made and very tasty birthday cake, with no fuss and compliments of the restaurant. Yes, we...

I had both brunch and dinner at the restaurant, and each meal was exceptional. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and offered a great variety of options. The staff were attentive, friendly, and ensured we had everything we needed. The ambiance was perfect, blending comfort and elegance for a truly relaxing dining experience. I highly recommend this restaurant for any meal—you won’t be...