Taberna Ó Balcão - Santarém

We had 2 degustation menus the food for in genarly well done and good flavor a bit salty but over all good When we arrive to the dessert the sauce of the dessert was acidic we told Them and they say that they use to put lemon inside (sauce with cream coffee) a bit weird but we belived, in the night we was not felling well we don’t digest it. Good service as well.

We lunched there the food is delicious the service impecable …. The only down fall in my opinion is the closed space decor . We will go again again for sure Highly recommend

One of the best meals we had in our lives, period. This chef possesses a playfulness and attention to detail I have seldomly encountered. Also not over the top, always with a clear direction. We had the tasting menu and it was course after course of witty, tongue in cheek (and you can also take this literally -his love for nose-to-tale cooking shines trough the menu and thought-trough dishes. Never sacrificing taste to looks. The kitchen seems very aware of localy produced goods and try to go for zero-waste, short chain. For instance, they apply traditional methods such as smoking and aging to develop taste in goods like invasive predator fish, normally not really used in the kitchen but these days a real problem in the local waterways in order to maybe reduce the level of these particular species. We were expecting quality, yes. But not this serious work of art. Pairing wines were delightful and plenty. Also a special shout out to the people serving us, especially our waiter for the day (I'm truly sorry, I forgot your name! . You did a splendid job in conveying the message the chef and kitchen had for us to the table. With passion and pride. Not many times we literally go stand in front of the kitchen and applaud. We did now.

We booked this restaurant while staying nearby for the weekend and we were amazed by the whole experience. The attention to details is really extraordinary. The service was on point: friendly, with great knowledge about the menu, quick and attentive without being intrusive. The food was awesome. Some classics and local delicacies with a twist and cooked to perfection. The flavours were just amazing. We had the arroz de lingueirão and bochechas and both were super good. The desert, wow. Cafe das velhas is a winner! We’ll be back for sure to try everything else.

Stopped in for lunch on our way from Porto to the Algarves. Excellent restaurant with very friendly staff. We loved the river to sea ‘ice cream cone’ ceviche in a cone with mousse to make it look like ice cream … so good our kids had another one after the main meal! Razor clam rice and veal tenderloin were also fabulous. A must stop if you are nearby. Efficient service time for lunch was also helpful.