TO LET YOURSELF BE LED BY THE FLAVOURS AND SCENTS THAT INFUSE THE FOOD RECIPES AND THE GOOD NECTARS OF THIS REGION, IS A GOOD EXCUSE TO GET OUT AS ANY OTHER. FOR MANY, IT’S EVEN THE BEST ONE!
VISIT: 1. Núcleo de Mundet do Ecomuseu do Seixal 2. Forte de Santiago 3. Castelo de Palmela 4. Casa da Baía de Setúbal 5. Mercado do Livramento 6. Cooperativa Agrícola de Santo Isidro 7. Museu Agrícola da Atalaia
SLEEP: 8. Pousada Castelo de Palmela 9. Hotel do Sado 10. Troia Design Hotel 11. Herdade das Barradas da Serra 12. Herdade do Moinho Novo 13. Monte Girassol
EAT: 14. Amarra Ó Tejo 15. Marisqueira O Pinto 16. Tapas ao Rio 17. Tasca do Isaías 18. Terceira Geração 19. Bobo da Corte 20. 490 Taberna STB 21. Adega dos Garrafões 22. De Pedra e Sal 23. Sem Horas 24. Museu do Arroz 25. A Escola 26. Dona Bia 27. Coruja Chef 28. AlFoz 29. Coudelaria
A CUISINE WHERE DIVERSITY IS THE MOTTO
The span of a river boat trip from Lisbon, it is imperious that you have a snack at one of Almada’s and Seixal’s traditional “houses”. Inheritors of many multicultural African recipes, these traditional flavors are very worth a trying, and although international inspiration is becoming a tendency, contemporaneity still stands as a valuable support. If the objective is getting to know the new Portuguese kitchen entrepreneurs, Seixal would be a must go! But if you want to try the best the region produces, then prepare yourself. The coastal strip offers a wide variety of fresh fish and sea food – the best experiences begin and end at the water’s edge: Cacilhas, Trafaria, Sesimbra, Setúbal – at the district’s capital, the fried calamar rules and the fish can be bought right at the fish market – Tróia, Comporta and the beaches in Grândola’s municipality.
For more complex tastes, the massadas (pasta with fish) and the caldeiradas (fish stews) cater for what the sea gives, cooked with condiments that elevate the flavor, such as coriander, peppermint or pennyroyal (in Alentejo). If you prefer meat, loose yourself in the game meat dishes, stews and delicatessen specialties; and in the soups that Palmela, Grândola, Alcácer do Sal, Alcochete and Montijo have to offer. In Alentejo, act as a local and order “migas” as a side dish with meat; if you’re in Coruche, don’t leave without asking for a rice dish. And as the cherry on top of the cake, go to Azeitão and taste its buttery cheese (queijo amanteigado), as well as its tarts and the “S”’s, a local cookie that opens up the appetite for the next leg of the trip, that of the wonderful wines.
EXUBERANT WINES AND UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES
In order to have a custom-made tour, your first stop ought to be the Casa Mãe da Rota dos Vinhos (Wine Route’s Mother House), in Palmela; there, you will find out that Setúbal’s Península is a unavoidable stop and that the Setúbal’s Moscatel sweet wine, internationally recognized, is the region’s ex-libris. The cellars at Quinta do Piloto, Fernão Pó and Casa Ermelinda Freitas will be right ahead on your path, and their list of sublime wines, the result of decades of knowledge and tradition, will surely become unforgettable experiences.
Surrender to the wines from Alentejo, of which you’ll find a prized selection along this route at the “Herdade da Comporta”, wines of exuberant bouquet and that your palate will forever recognize; and finish the circuit at the Tejo region, also the recipient of a Controlled Origin denomination.
