Barba Azul, The Sushi House — Restaurant in Ílhavo

Blue Beard would have certainly stopped here before heading out on one of his adventures. A small, cozy spot near the Praia Barra Ferrol that serves up some of the best sushi and sashimi dishes. Allow the wait staff to walk you through their menu and definitely go with their suggestions. The spicy miso soup was excellent with cubes of salmon. I have to be honest and say that I’ve never experienced raw salmon inside of a soup before. The almond covered shrimp appetizer was also a delight. The server recommended a chefs choice sushi & sashimi platter and it was also an amazing selection of fish. All the courses had an excellent pairing between sweet, sour, spicy and salty. Each flavor profile complimented the other in a way that I’ve only experienced on a few occasions in my life. At this point I was completely satisfied and could have asked for the check and been done. But… the server recommended dessert. And it was a phenomenal one but dessert that takes a a few seconds for your brain to figure out what just happened to your mouth. It’s like a party going on in your mouth, a bit of ice cream, a bit of fruit, a bit of rice and a bit of sushi, yes sushi, all while take a small bite of a line at the base. It’s a must try. We came during the off season, if you are visiting during summer months, make reservations well in advance. You won’t be disappointed, I’m sure Blue Beard himself wasn’t. Onto the...

Very cozy sushi place with extraordinary service and amazing food! We wanted to book a table but called outside the opening hours so we didn‘t reach them. They then called us back so we could book a table. When we arrived we found ourselves at a very cozy little restaurant. Right away we got seated and the waiter gave us an english menu. Our original plan was to just order some sushi but the waiter advised us to also try out some specialties of the kitchen. These suggestions turned out to be amazing! We had the most delicious Sangria, the almond prawns, the salmon and scallops ceviche followed by a mixed plate of sushi. The combonation of flavours and the quality of the fish was spot on and we enjoyed every second of eating. During all of our feast the waiters were really attentive and were just very nice people. It isn‘t the cheapest place but you really get a great experience for your money! Very much...

Absolutely incredible restaurant and they serve easily the best sushi I've ever eaten!! By a long way too, the infusion of flavours in their sushi rolls transported me straight to the streets of Okinawa.

The atmosphere was great too, I mean wow, there was a picture on the wall that said Japan and a guy sat a few tables over from us and he had a koi carp tattoo. This all added to what was a super authentic experience.

Even if you're not in the area, you should travel to experience this food! Maybe not if you're in Japan but literally from anywhere else. Plus, a top tip as we are regulars, if you say 'Ragamuffin' to your server you get 15% off.

Again, best sushi I've ever eaten. I cannot recommend this...