Casa Reîa – Cuisine, Music & Lifestyle in Costa da Caparica

Casa Reîa is one of those places that would be successful even without good food. The location—right on Praia da Cabana do Pescador in Costa da Caparica—is super-desirable, the design is stylish, the music (sometimes live) is excellent, and the crowd is beautiful. For lots of beach clubs around the world, that’s enough. But Casa Reîa has something extra: really good food.

Launched by an international team that includes the people behind the much-loved Yamba (lost in a fire), Casa Reîa offers a menu created by two chefs. Israeli chef Udi Barkan specializes in vegetables, and Brazilian Dário Costa became famous as a “butcher of fish.” Unsurprisingly, vegetables and fish are the stars here, but there’s also a grilled entrecôte for those who really need their meat.

The sharable starters include dishes like zucchini baba ganoush with mint and raspberries, beetroot carpaccio with strawberries and green onion vinaigrette, and seabags sashimi with green apple, celery and fennel. (Yes, this is a lot of fruit.)

For the main event, fish, seafood, and vegetables come off the Josper grill perfectly done. There are also special main plates—also meant to be shared—such as fire roasted seafood rice (a beginner’s version, with the shells removed in the kitchen before being served), grilled carrots with créme fraîche and pistachios, and eggplant with harissa mole, tahini, Mel de cana, and coriander seeds crumble.

They didn’t stint on the beverage side of things, and the drinks list includes cocktails with and without alcohol, Musa craft beer, several hard and soft kombuchas, artisan sodas, and a nice selection of wines by the glass and the bottle.

And as for everything else, it’s equally ambitious and equally well-realized. The coffee shop and boutique add to its appeal as a lifestyle destination. The musical and holistic well-being program ranges from workshops and talks to yoga classes to live Brazilian music. They’re also offering weekly rituals for “sharing lifelong learning.”