Looking for a great, traditional Portuguese restaurant in Évora? This is it: Taberna Típica Quarta-Feira. Perhaps, it’s one of the top fun, food experiences in all of Portugal.
You don’t have to take our word for it. Ask anyone holding a booking on the two-week in advance reservation list. Or, chat with any of the lucky diners filing through the door and taking a seat at one of the 12 tables in the very small and cozy restaurant.
Chef and proprieter Joáo Dias says his father opened the small nondescript restaurant in a quiet old Moorish neighborhood of the city in 1991. He joined in 2017 and has been serving and entertaining guests ever since, continually building an enormously positive reputation among Portuguese and tourists alike.
On the night we went (in late February) our meal consisted of a couvert course of two types of Portuguese presunto, sheep cheese with pumpkin jam on toasts, cold melon soup and a green salad with both a vinaigrette and red pepper dressing.
After a few sips of wine, the empty plates were replaced with a variety of starters, including sautéed mushrooms, green peas and eggs, and two plates the server would not identify. She said we had to guess. This is a moment the mischievous Chef João relishes. He saw us examining the thin slices of “meat” between a split roll (resembling an American “slider” burger) and the fried puffs of what seemed like fish. We tasted both, trying to understand the texture and flavor. However, our guesses of “brains” and “octopus” were incorrect according to a gleeful Chef João. He walked away momentarily, but quickly returned to whisper “beef tongue” and “codfish tongue”. We rapidly ate up the remaining portion, with a renewed appreciation for the tasty products.
Once again, the empty plates were snapped up and dishes of the main course were set down. This course included braised beef cheek, slow-cooked pork neck, roasted sweet potatoes and puréed spinach. The meats were tender and succulent and the vegetables, perfect complements. Chef João appeared again to make sure we enjoyed this latest round of cooking.
For dessert-lovers, it is not necessary to choose one item, because at Quarta-Feira, you get all four! On the night we visited, we were treated to melon sorbet, fresh strawberries, almond tart and a decadent flan made with Seia cheese from Serra da Estrela.
Be sure to stop in to Quarta-Feira when you’re in Évora….or, heck, plan a weekend around the dinner. Be sure and call Chef João for a reservation first. You’ll be glad you did.
For more information, visit the Taberna Típica Quarta-Feira Facebook page.
Taberna Típica Quarta-Feira
Rua do Inverno, 18
Évora
Phone: +351 266 707 530
Email: tabernaquartafeira@gmail.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday – 12:30 to 14:30 and 19:30 to 21:30
