Portugal: Day 3 - Cascais Lunch

Scenes from Cascais

On our last day in Portugal, we decided to stay close to Sintra and spend part of the day beach side in Cascais. Part of the coastal town of Estoril, Cascais is a laid-back town with enough to keep a visitor entertained - beaches, restaurants, shops and some nightlife.

We had asked the concierge at the hotel for a restaurant recommendation as we wanted to have a simple seafood lunch either right on the beach or somewhere in town. She suggested O Pescador in near the fish market in the cobble stoned pedestrian area of town. We parked right in the center and walked around a bit before heading to the restaurant. Outdoor tables were already filled up by the time we arrived and then only one available wasn't underneath an umbrella so we opted for one of the tables inside the restaurant instead. The place is simple and rustic with lots of wooden model ships on display and shell chandeliers - a bit kitschy but not bad.

The menu at O Pescador was true to its' name and made up mostly of fish and seafood options although there were a few meat main courses as well. There was a very good value lunch selection which we chose from - grilled sardines with potatoes and a small salad for A, grilled baby squid for me and prawns piri-piri (chili and garlic) for our son who is a prawn fanatic. No starters since we were already given the usual appetizers of olives, creamy cheese, a tuna tapenade and a basket of bread with some extra-virgin olive oil to dip our bread in. It was exactly what we wanted - simple extra-fresh fish and seafood, grilled and served as is with no sauce. We did see lots of people having the clams in white wine and garlic which we should have ordered as well because it looked and smelled so good but we can leave that for the next time. After lunch we walked to the boardwalk and watched a lone surfer paddling out to sea while a few families were already on the beach tanning themselves and enjoying the sunny weather then it was back to the hotel to relax the afternoon away in preparation for the long drive back to Marbella the next morning.

Lunch at the old town's O Pescador.