Restaurante Associação Agrícola de São Miguel — Restaurant in Ribeira Grande

I had the pleasure of dining at Associação Agrícola, and I must say, it was an outstanding experience from start to finish! The service provided by the staff was exceptional, and their warm, family-friendly nature made me feel right at home. They were incredibly attentive and accommodating, especially towards my family, making it a truly welcoming environment.

Now let's talk about the food—the true highlight of my visit. Associação Agrícola showcased an array of local recipes, each prepared with care and a genuine passion for the culinary arts. The flavors were simply divine, capturing the essence of the region's cuisine. I appreciated the simplicity of the menu, as it allowed me to focus on savoring every bite without feeling overwhelmed with choices.

The restaurant's interior was tastefully adorned with clean and modern decorations, creating an inviting ambiance. Associação Agrícola exuded a sense of sophistication while remaining comfortable and welcoming. I found myself admiring the attention to detail, as it added to the overall dining experience.

One thing to note is that Associação Agrícola doesn't accept bookings, which initially concerned me. However, I soon realized that this only added to the charm of the place. It created a sense of spontaneity and allowed for a more relaxed dining experience. Despite not having a reservation, the staff efficiently managed the flow of guests, ensuring minimal wait times.

In summary, I wholeheartedly recommend Associação Agrícola to anyone seeking an exceptional dining experience. The combination of great service, family-friendly staff, delightful local recipes, a simple menu, and a beautifully decorated space make it an absolute culinary gem. Embrace the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful meal in this welcoming atmosphere—I guarantee you won't be...

The UBER driver that picked us up from the airport recommended us to go have dinner at this place. We tried to reserve a table but were unable to do it (they only had vacancies for 5 days later and we would already be back home) but the maître told us to drop by at 2100 (9PM), since we might be lucky and have a table for us. The next day we went there and requested a table for 11 people, he wrote it down and we were given a table 30 minutes later. The staff was very professional, welcoming and fluent with English. We ordered Queijo D'Assoçaçió (Association's cheese) and Queijo S. Jorge (St. George's Cheese) and blood sausage with pinapple. The D'Assoçaçió cheese tasted similar to the Queso de Tetilla from northern Spain and the St George tasted sinilar to white cheese. The blood sausage was tasty, but it does not have anything to do with pineapple at all. It gastes good by separate, it does not make any sense at all to be presented in the dosh together, however I do encourage you to order it since it tastes great by separate. The soup tasted very well, the fish was very nice.

After the starters, we moved on to the steaks. I highly recommend ordering it if you drop by. It is extremely well cooked and tasteful, best I have had in a long time. I ordered 300gr tenderloin and it tasted overwhelmingly great. My friends ordered other types of steaks and they were very good as well.

The beer and wine were very good as well. Finally we ordered Caipiraos, which were extremely sweet and refreshing.

The prices are low for the quality and ammount you are given.

All in all, I deeply suggest you come here and try this amazing piece of gastronomy that São Miguel...

Let's say you are a vegetarian, but you support the interests of your traveling companion who eats meat, and one day while in the Azores you look online and realize you are just a block from probably the best steak dinner for hundreds of miles, maybe a thousand or more miles, in any direction.

You mention the restaurant to your companion, but he supports your interests just as much as you support his.

"I don't want to get dinner anywhere that does not have adequate options for you," he says. A quick glance at the online menu leads you to despair. Not a vegetarian dish to be found -- and yet he may never have a chance for beef so fine again. What to do?

Here's what you do: you go to the restaurant. You don't waste your time with the menu. When the server comes, you describe your situation and throw yourself on the mercy of the chef, say you will eat whatever they can provide. You order appetizers of bread and olives. You ask for wine and (because you are American and Americans cannot seem to eat without it) water. Your companion orders steak.

His steak is among the best he has ever had, evincing the grass-fed terroir that infuses most of these islands' beef dishes, and your heart swells at the smile on his face as he works his way through his dinner.

The kitchen brings you a bowl of sauteed vegetables drizzled in olive oil and lightly seasoned. They are perfectly adequate. Along with the bread, maybe a side of cheese or butter, the wine, the water, and the satisfaction evident on your companion's face, the vegetables are more than adequate, in fact. They are exactly what you needed to share a lovely evening with a lovely person...