8 Best Restaurants in Coimbra and Central Portugal, Portugal

Viseu's most celebrated restaurant is known for the sometimes comical names of its dishes as well as for its intelligent use of old local recipes. Try the coelho bêbedo (drunk rabbit), which is rabbit stewed in red wine, or the bacalhau podre (rotten), which is actually a savory dish of salt cod braised in a tomato-and-wine sauce. Bring cash, because international cards are not accepted.

Of the several restaurants specializing in suckling pig, this is the most popular. The size of the parking lot is a dead giveaway that this is no intimate bistro, and the spitted pigs pop out of the huge ovens at an amazing rate (especially in summer). In spite of the volume, quality is maintained.

This upscale restaurant is easy to find—it occupies the upper floor of the city's fish market. Widely considered to be the best place in town for fresh seafood, its specialties include caldeirada de enguias (eel stew) and arroz de bacalhau e gambas (rice with cod and prawns). The surroundings are a charming combination of industrial design and traditional tiles, with plenty of gleaming metal and large picture windows overlooking the canal.

Within confessional distance of the Igreja da Misericórdia and just a few steps from the cathedral, this elegant eatery is housed in a traditional honey-colored building. The menu has a regional focus, with popular dishes including a sharing plate of different sausages made in the area. The dining room has sultry lighting for an intimate meal, while the pretty terrace provides great people-watching opportunities.

In the peaceful, rather than picturesque, village of Paião, 10 km (6 miles) south of Figueira da Foz, this restaurant decorated with animal skins was once a tannery, and that's what the name means. An institution for more than 20 years, the menu is heavy on regional specialties, including a famously good sopa da pedra (vegetable and meat soup). Grilled pork and veal on a spit are also excellent. Cozy up in the handsome dining room in winter, or take a seat on the patio when the sun shines. 

Just inside the gates, this pleasant little restaurant in a restored stone house provides diners with a rustic yet elegant dining experience. It specializes in game dishes like roast wild boar and venison.

The chic restaurant at upscale Sapientia Boutique Hotel has an inviting stone-walled interior (Tasca das Tias Camellas) and a sunny terrace (Pátio das Tias Camellas). Both spaces are beautifully decorated, and the same attention to detail extends to the dishes, from warm tuna salads and lamb burgers to vegan quinoa bowls. The mixed platter of cheeses, smoked meats, and mini-pies is a crowd-pleasing sharing plate.