Fátima, Portugal
Fátima’s 5 best restaurants (and must-try dishes)
The guide to Fátima’s best restaurants
Fátima might be known for its spiritual pull, but step away from the pilgrimage route and you’ll find a food scene that’s quietly confident and deeply rooted in tradition. Away from the crowds and candlelight processions, there’s a rhythm to daily life here that revolves around shared tables, handwritten menus and flavours that haven’t been rushed. It’s not a sprawling food capital, but that’s exactly why it works – there’s no fuss, no overhype – just good, honest Portuguese cooking that hits the soul as much as the stomach. So, if you’re planning a trip to this part of Norte, Portugal, be sure to come hungry and head over to these top dining spots to satisfy your taste buds.
Top photography courtesy of Casa Plátano
01
Tia Alice
When Maria Alice Marto opened Tia Alice in October 1988 at age 53, she brought decades of family-tested recipes straight to Fátima’s main avenue. Today, it remains a family affair – her children help run the restaurant and every dish still follows her original standards of point-perfect flavour. Step inside and you’ll find rough-hewn stone walls, timber beams and simple white linens that let the dishes shine. Start with their signature Bacalhau Gratinado – layers of salt cod, potatoes and melted cheese baked until golden – and then share a plate of wood-oven duck rice, studded with raisins and thyme. Finish with the house walnut cake topped with egg-yolk cream, a nod to convent-style sweets in nearby monasteries.
Tia Alice
Av. Irmã Lúcia de Jesus 152
Fátima
Portugal
Photography courtesy of Tia Alice
02
Casa Plátano
Casa Plátano began in 1979 as Fátima’s go-to shop for religious keepsakes and has since added a bright café, terrace and a first-floor restaurant with wraparound windows. The décor is contemporary – pale woods, framed local art and green plants – yet you’ll still find traditional Portuguese dishes on equal footing with international cuisine on their all-day menu. We love the Bacalhau à Plátano – fresh cod fillets paired with sweet plantain slices and saffron rice – and the marinated octopus, dusted with smoked paprika and drizzled in olive oil. Keep some space for dessert because their Arroz doce (creamy sweet rice) is a must, served with a poached pear in red wine, sweet almond and chocolate crisp.
Casa Plátano
Av. de Dom José Alves Correia da Silva 218
Fátima
Portugal
Photography courtesy of Casa Plátano
03
O Convite
O Convite has been a family-run establishment since 1968, situated within the Dom Gonçalo Hotel in Fátima. Chef Emília, who founded the restaurant, left a legacy that the kitchen team still honour to this day – the best ingredients are chosen from local suppliers, especially the fresh fish that arrives daily from Nazaré beach or the exquisite Barrosã and Mirandesa meats and aromatic herbs from the hotel’s garden. Give the hake fillet with cockle rice a try and also the grilled octopus with tiger shrimp, each bite smoky and tender. The dining room is airy and bright, scented daily with fresh blooms at each table.
O Convite
R. Jacinta Marto 100
Fátima
Portugal
Photography courtesy of O Convite
04
Terruja
About a 20-minute drive from Fátima, in Alvados village, Terruja is Chef Diogo Caetano’s tribute to home. After earning top honours in Estonia’s Nordic White Guide and stints at Belcanto and Feitoria in Lisbon, he returned to the Aire-Candeeiros hills to open this farm-to-table dining spot. The dining room faces floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking wild limestone hills, wood floors and a live-edge bar where you can chat with Diogo. We recommend the venison tartare served with roasted-garlic purée and a shock of mustard-seed ice cream and on weekends, their nine-course tasting menu is a great option – always built around whatever’s fresh and a deep dive into Diogo Caetano’s creative creations.
Terruja
Rua Dom fuas Roupinho
Alvados
Portugal
Photography courtesy of Terruja
05
Casinha Velha
Just outside Leiria, Casinha Velha occupies a two-storey whitewashed manor house, where exposed beams, terracotta tiles and rustic decor create a homely atmosphere. The kitchen owns its home-style label – they bake five types of bread daily, churn fruit jams and cure sausages in-house before the lunch rush. Start at the chef’s selection of Iberian sausages and local cheeses on a wooden board, then dig into cod with cream and shrimp, where smooth coconut-white sauce meets sweet crustaceans or their signature duck rice studded with dried apricots and pine nuts. End with a slice of convent-style almond cake, a recipe handed down from the original owner’s grandmother.
Casinha Velha
R. Prof. Portélas 23
Leiria
Portugal
Photography courtesy of Casinha Velha
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