Plataforma — Restaurant in Sintra

This restaurant is very different from others, it’s like entering into a Harry Potter world and that pleases young and older people, so this should be the main attraction to this place and reason to visit. But it offers much more; You don’t have to wait for a table (as it often happens in restaurants around the country) and at the booking time, doors are opened and the magic starts. You either book from 19:00 to 21:00 or 21:00 to 23:00. In those two hours you will be served all the pizzas you can eat and believe me you will struggle to keep up. The food in this restaurant is pizza, lots of variety. You can ask for more or an extra slice of a particular pizza it’s not a problem. The normal drinks are the regular prices and the special drinks were of course more expensive but delivered with magic, smoke and lights, way more satisfying, than what we get in any restaurant for a cocktail paying that same or more… you may get an umbrella if you lucky! The Harry Potter butter beer 🍺 was obviously not usual beer, so couldn’t taste like regular beer (don’t understand the bad reviews about this) just read about it before going in to adjust your expectations. We loved the pizzas 🍕 they had a great selection, our children eat half of the variety, but even if they would like more pizza at their taste, like margarita, it wouldn’t be a issue. Thin crust, crunchy and delicious (if you expect tall and fluffy then go to a fast food restaurant). The staff were amazing and really friendly. Even when clients were rude to them! The staff were incredibly competent. The restaurant itself and the main reason people go there is truly amazing! It lives up to the expectations and more. The details and the enormous effort that took and takes to maintain it is incredible. Anyone that is a Harry Potter fan will appreciate and admire the decor of this restaurant/museum. The restaurant made a small Quiz about Harry Potter books/films and the winner got a magic special drink for free. They also took all the kids into the “Potions” corner and made their version of the “Sorting hat” but with potions, to see in which team each kid belong to. Really lovely and interactive for older and younger “wizards” as the staff called everyone. Deserts were delicious and very creative and the same price as most regular restaurants, we loved them, but end up ordering just two as we were full of pizza 😄 We finished with great Portuguese Delta coffee!

Overall we vote the whole experience 10 out of 10 on all the aspects!

I read the reviews before going and there were some “bad reviews” that made me have mix feelings, although after having experienced ourselves, we can only add that those reviews were based on people lack of knowledge and probably unfounded expectations that lead to unfair judgements.

To the “bad reviews” with base on “it was all in Portuguese” , “staff didn’t even tried to speak English so our kids couldn’t participate in the Quiz”, “we had to entertain our kids because they couldn’t understand”… to all that I say: SERIOUSLY!? WOW! Guess what, you are in Portugal. When I go to London no one speaks Portuguese to us or our kids, and rightly so. Although Portugal compared to several countries is the only country that speaks more foreign languages to help tourists that lack on even trying.

To all parents going to this restaurant, with young kids, I would advise to manage their kids expectations and treat it as a museum and not as a playground. In order to last for all clients, there needs to be respectful behavior from all who visit. Also, buy your kids a magic wand 🪄 before the experience, so you don’t “take” the restaurants wands, because the next clients won’t be able to enjoy the same fun of switching ON and OFF their candles and other peoples candles, which was another highlight for us and the near by tables. We would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this restaurant! We hope to be back again soon and wish all the team and owners all the best and thank you very much for all your hard work. Helena...

🔹 Concept & Atmosphere This restaurant stands out with a clear concept — a Harry Potter–inspired, family-oriented venue where children are not just tolerated but welcomed. The interior is immersive, the staff is friendly, and the live-show elements add a bit of magic to the experience.

🍕 Menu Be prepared: pizza is the only food option. No salads, no alternatives — just pizza. It’s not bad, but the lack of variety may be disappointing if you didn’t read the menu beforehand. The drinks menu is more inventive, with a creative selection of themed beverages that was probably the most memorable part for me.

⏳ Service Service was extremely slow. You have no way to affect the timing — dishes arrive at their own pace (in total more than 2 hrs), and you’re left waiting without feedback or updates. For kids, that wait can feel endless.

🚫 Kid Restrictions Surprisingly, despite being marketed as child-friendly, kids aren’t allowed to walk around, explore, or even touch anything until explicitly permitted. This runs counter to how most children naturally behave, and clashes with the spirit of freedom and imagination you’d expect from a Harry Potter–themed place.

🌡️ Air Quality & Comfort The most serious issue was the lack of proper ventilation. Although it was a mild day outside — around 20°C and perfectly comfortable — the interior of the restaurant quickly became hot and stuffy due to closed doors and zero airflow. This was entirely an internal problem, unrelated to the weather. After two hours, the room felt saturated with CO₂, and many guests, including us, appeared visibly uncomfortable. The air conditioning, oddly set to 25°C, only made things worse. We eventually had to leave early because it became physically unpleasant to stay.

💰 Value for Money We paid €132 for four people (two adults, two kids), which included the fixed menu and one drink each — including a 8% tips. For that price, I believe we could have provided our kids with a much more enjoyable and meaningful experience — whether outdoors at a playground or at an activity where they could move, play, and be themselves.

🔚 Final Verdict Plataforma has a strong idea and charming aesthetic, but serious issues in execution. If you’re okay with just pizza, rigid rules, and limited ventilation — it can be a fun themed outing. But if you’re looking for flexibility, comfort, and good value for your money, there are better family experiences to be...

You can skip the reservation queue by booking on the day you want to go.

It's a one-time visit experience. Probably amazing for children. I wouldn't come back, but I was happy to visit.

Pros: Ambience Thematic foods/drinks Interactive experiences Drinks Friendly staff

Cons: Overpriced Mediocre food It loses the novelty quickly Distance (for some)

The moments I've most enjoyed: Exploring the place when I've arrived Staffs acting at the entrance to set the mood Interactive experiences with other tables (specially as a surprise when I was feeling bored)

The moments that I didn't enjoy: Idle times after arriving and looking at the place Magician didn't interact with the whole restaurant, apparently only children's table (I get it but we all love magic and are there to forget and have fun)

Well, I described every point but now my sincere thoughts and suggestions:

You have a minimum consumption of 25 per person, that's fine, although let us choose how to use it - Lower the all night pizza to 20, so at least we have room to think and figure out "hmm, what do I want?"

Plan more surprises, I loved when suddenly we could interact with another tables, so here's a suggestion: 2.1 - Add to the menu a house quiz - where you can figure out your "house color". When people receive their results they get 4 stickers/tokens of the same house, if they want to have all they'll have to exchange with other people (plus they have something to keep and remember from the experience) 2.2 - Sorting hat ceremony for those who did the quiz (or as a way to give the results)

There are way more songs in the OST, please vary it a little, when you're over an hour in the place the playlist gets very repetitive.

That's it, I wish you...