3 Best Restaurants in Terceira, The Azores

Be sure to make reservations for this always-bustling fish and seafood spot—rightfully thought by many to be the best on the island—with pretty views overlooking the marina in the tiny fishing village of São Mateus. You can’t go wrong with any of the freshly caught fish (the restaurant has its own fishing boat), along with limpets, slipper lobsters, and barnacles, which you coax from their shells with tiny forks.

This is hands down the best place in Angra to try the local dish of alcatra—a sort of beef pot roast stewed in a clay pot with wine—along with other regional specialties like steak with egg, grilled swordfish, and octopus. The atmosphere’s cozy and traditional, with tiled walls and red-checkered curtains; be sure to make reservations as it’s very popular with the locals.

Under the same ownership as the more well-known Beira Mar a short distance away, this simply decorated fish restaurant on the water is more spacious and easy to get into than its sister eatery. Swing by the counter for a look at the fish that’s freshest that day, or the grilled squid or octopus are always a good bet.