Porto de Santa María

A rather large restaurant that still manages to always be packed with wealthy Portuguese who come to eat all sorts of seafood prepared at an acceptable doneness. Therein lies the success: the purity and simplicity, the natural product free of any conceptual or technical complication. This is elemental gastronomy sustained by the quality of the oceanic product, prepared according to traditional criteria, always with conventional references. Nothing is particularly relevant aside from the fact that the quantity of product here is dignified, even noble in some cases. Satisfaction prevails with the seafood rather than extraneous culinary values added to it.
Shellfish and fish are exuberantly expressed in the dining room, with waiters passing through demonstrating baskets of the daily catch to the guests, piquing their curiosity even further with their appetizing aspect. Mountains of Norway lobster, prawns, shrimp, red prawns, different species of lobster and crab, oysters, clams, mussels, etc., all prepared in a simple fashion: boiled, grilled, steamed or in certain cases prepared in popular recipes. It is recommended to lean towards the shellfish that looks best that day and then continue on to the fish, of which there is a formidable list: sea bass, red mullet, sea bream, stone bass, sole… baked, grilled, salt-crusted and sometimes fried, always with traditional preparations and doneness times. It is crucial to point out that one must ask the waiter, insist even, that the fish must be served juicy and a great deal less cooked that what is considered normal for the region–it is the only way to come out triumphant from the experience. If this can be accomplished, the sea bass and sea bream are extraordinary, as long as they are not overcooked. A special note on the char-grilled cod: a large filet, golden on the exterior with a delicious crust thanks to the hot flame over which it is cooked, dressed with sautéed garlic and accompanied by delicate, salted roast potatoes, a hard boiled egg and olives. The white prawns are of a select quality and are grilled accurately. The Norway lobsters are, for size, freshness and doneness, real beauties. In short, if the guest is quick-witted, he or she can find several marine delicacies served here with an acceptable doneness.
Not to mention they have marvelous views over the Atlantic with a terrace situated over Guincho beach.