A Taverna — Restaurant in Sintra

Me and my friends visited Sintra for a day and we chose this restaurant to have lunch. We are pescatarian/vegetarian so we ordered a Cod Fish soup (which was great btw) and a cabbage soup. We found a sausage in the cabbage soup for which the person working there told us “you should ask before ordering”. When I told him that it was not mentioned in the menu, he responded weirdly and again said in a very rude manner “this is Portugal, everything has a piece of meat and you should always ask. Why would we mention? Even if the soup is vegetarian, there is no need for us to mention if there is pork/meat in it”. I let the reader of this review decided further.

In addition, The other waitress was extremely nice to us but overall, the rude guy spoiled our experience.

Never have I ever come across a restaurant in my life where someone will expect the customer to pre-assume and follow what the...

This is a nice place for a unique dining atmosphere, though the food and service were a bit mixed.

​Food The lasagna was the highlight, with a great flavor, crispy edges, and just the right amount of oil. For my taste, the creamy béchamel sauce was a bit too prominent, though some will certainly enjoy its richness. The bread was mediocre, so I'd recommend skipping it and heading straight for the entrées.

​Atmosphere The atmosphere is the main selling point here. The interior feels like a cavern, creating a very unique and intimate dining space. The exterior is a little tight but can fit a few small groups. The early 2000s pop and rock playlist was an interesting touch.

​Service & A Note for Tourists The service was friendly, but something to note is that my wife and I never received our change even when we asked for it. Be sure to be mindful of this when paying your bill, especially if...

We had trouble finding a place to eat because we had brought our three small dogs (shih tzus). No place would accept us but A Taverna did and it’s situated at a really nice, quiet street!

Food was perfect. My family, especially myself, finished our plates. Shame we didn’t have time or room in our stomachs for dessert because of the large portions. But I would definitely have tried them if I could!

Server was very friendly. We had a whole conversation about living in Sintra versus Lisbon. He also greeted other patrons as they made their way in & out of the restaurant, thanking them if he knew their language.

One thing to note is that they only accept cash. This was fine for us, but definitely a must know before arriving. Our server let everyone who passed by know, which is good!

I recommend eating here, especially their bacalao (cod fish) if you’re in...