Os Arcos - Redondo

We stumbled upon this little gem in Central Portugal. The entry is non descript, and very basic. This was not a restaurant we would normally have walked into. W... read more We stumbled upon this little gem in Central Portugal. The entry is non descript, and very basic. This was not a restaurant we would normally have walked into. We sat down with no expectations. The waiter came with menus and made it clear that he did not speak anything other than Portuguese. One of us speaks a little Portuguese, but either way we figured we could work through it. We ordered the pork and clams and the frogo a la cerveja (chicken in beer). Both were superb! The pork was tender and flavorful. The chicken was the same. Best meal we had in Portugal in two weeks of traveling through the country, and in part that is due to the fact that Bernardino (owner/waiter/chef) turned out to be just the nicest man ever. We communicated with a few words of Portuguese, and many hand gestures and he thoughtfully looked up a couple of answers for us (about our delicious meal) on his phone, so he could answer in English. Turns out the key to these brilliant dishes, is patience and he oversees every detail himself. But wait, there 's more. When the time came for dessert, we were not interested. However, he then brought over the dessert options, and we saw the local specialty. It is called sericaia. We looked over to see him cut our slice out of the large round pan, place it on a plate, then spoon a piece of fruit from a jar, dip it in another jar (apparently full of honey) and twirl the spoon around to coat the fruit (with one hand), place the fruit on the cake, and then drizzle the remaining honey over the top. It was delicious and made more so by the presentation. We love the place, we love the man, we 'd go there three times a week if we were locals.

Home town Portuguese cooking at its best! Prices are super reasonable, too. Menu is in Portuguese only, FYI…but we managed. A great meal. read more Home town Portuguese cooking at its best! Prices are super reasonable, too. Menu is in Portuguese only, FYI…but we managed. A great meal.

Excellent food! (Translated by Google) inExcelente comida! read more Excellent food! (Translated by Google) inExcelente comida!