3 Best Restaurants in Vila Nova de Milfontes, Évora and the Alentejo

This wonderful spot serves up some of the best traditional Portuguese dishes on the entire coastline. The rustic dining room has old-fashioned Alentejan farm tools hanging on the walls, and opens up to the airy kitchen on one side and a small shop on the other that sells gourmet treats and local wines. The restaurant's name comes from owner José Ramos Cardoso, who as a boy was nicknamed "Celso" after his father, a well-known Vila Nova de Milfontes resident. Specialties include shrimp sautéed in garlic, clams with coriander, grilled fish or veal with roasted tomatoes—but you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Set right in the heart of Milfontes, this cozy café serves one of the best breakfast spreads in town. Hikers following the Rota Vicentina often stop here to recharge.

After winning the hearts of locals with its delicious seafood near Praia das Furnas, Alento has moved to the town center to reach a wider audience. Owners Marília Martins and André Silva still run the show, but they've updated the menu with new creations such as the monkfish risotto and the fish ceviche.