Restaurants cuisine du monde Cape Verde

Ricci family-style Italian charm and quality, not to mention Cape Verdean authenticity: that's how you define Big Game. The blue walls, covered in marine frescoes, set the tone, and here, fish is the key to rebirth! Note the succulent carpaccios and the friendly, cheerful staff. The locals make no mistake about it: this is where they come to enjoy their meal when they decide to treat themselves or their family to a night out. Many agree that this is probably the best address on the island.

You can feel the passion for good food as soon as you enter this restaurant. And you come out satisfied: by the quality of the dishes, on the one hand, and the cordial and warm service, on the other hand. So much so that one would almost adopt it as a canteen, the time of a stay. Meat lovers will be delighted by the succulence of the grilled meats, served on the spit, churrasco style. But we don't forget the richness of the sea that surrounds us and what it has to offer: octopus in Lagareiro and bacalhau with a Portuguese touch, all washed down with good wines.

This restaurant offers a selection of local and international dishes à la carte for lunch, followed by a menu in the evening. The French chef uses local and locally-sourced produce, and is able to cater to everyone's tastes. The evenings are accompanied by live music to add a touch of fun to the experience. The icing on the cake is the panoramic view over the valley, one of the most beautiful on the island... A great time ahead.

Perched atop the eponymous guesthouse, this restaurant offers magnificent sea views, especially as the sun sets. The large terrace is perfect for two, groups or families, with cocktails and generous dishes. Fish lovers will love the tuna steak on hot stone, one of the highlights of the menu. The menu also features meats, salads, burgers and pastas, not to mention vegetarian options. A warm welcome and a good time ahead.

"Impossible to think well or sleep well if you've eaten badly" is the credo of this restaurant, which doesn't want to belie the adage. The menu is punctuated by Italian cuisine, as the name suggests: some thirty different wood-fired pizzas (including the spicy Demoniaca), focaccia, carpaccio, gnocchi, risotto, bruschetta... the names alone speak of the land of the boot. A quick visit just to enjoy the view? Don't worry, cocktails are also a big part of the menu.

Just above the ferry terminal, this is the perfect place to wait for boarding, wait and relax. In the lounge spirit, you'll find sitting areas, high chairs, individual tables and even a play area for the little ones, all in a contemporary, sea-spray-proof version. Background music accompanies your meal, which consists of a dish of the day of your choice, usually three different types of protein, served with crispy fries and vegetables. Apart from that, pizza, hamburgers (the famous X-Tudo) and snacks of all kinds.

You'll recognize this little restaurant by its yellow façade, and it's Constantina, the owner, who's at the helm. There's nothing superficial here, just the essentials: just four large wooden tables to share if you're alone, local cuisine prepared with tenderness and skill by the female staff, and the sudden feeling of being in a local's home. Take the opportunity to try a typical dish, such as cabrito, sometimes prepared as guisado com massa de milho, or modje de cabrito com xerém... quite a program.

To try it is to adopt it. That seems to be the opinion of many loyal customers of this restaurant run by the affable Luis. Specialities? Colorful dishes based on grilled lobster and shrimp, served in contemporary tableware. And for vegetarians, crispy rice with vegetables presented in the form of skewers... you'd be wrong. Wooden tables set on the cobblestones, invasive plants, but not too many, the perfect setting for a delicious moment in a place heavily steeped in history.

Having become a local institution since 2014, the restaurant of the friendly Didi is a friendly place, with a decoration far from sophisticated but warm, that everyone knows in Tarrafal. This is where parties are organized, birthdays and sometimes marriage proposals are made with pomp and circumstance over a grilled lobster. Located near the docks, its menu is focused on products straight from the sea, garoupas and other fish and shellfish. Didi also advertises a freshly prepared house catchupa once a week.

Open every day of the week for lunch and dinner, Por do Sol's restaurant will delight your taste buds. On the panoramic terrace overlooking the waves, you can taste the chef's refined preparations: how about a Portuguese-style bacalhau, grilled octopus with mango or a good feijoada de mariscos before going for a walk? And if you feel like taking a nap, the cocooning hanging armchairs invite you to do so.

Slightly set back from the center, this table is the meeting point for Cape Verdeans with a passion for meat, which is always a good sign. The tasty but unpretentious dishes reflect Joana's imagination and savoir-faire. The octopus marinated in orange juice is a must, while the tuna with mushrooms and grilled vegetables is another good option. As the name suggests (churrasqueira means barbecue), the chicken is cooked on the grill, crackling before your very eyes and releasing its tantalizing aroma.

Foodistas will be delighted when they dine at this small gourmet restaurant, recently relocated to a pretty garden terrace. The elegant setting makes it the ideal place for a romantic dinner for two, or to celebrate a special event. On the plate, a fusion cuisine prepared by a top Italian chef, based on local produce, with a particular emphasis on fish. We're sure you'll fall for the red tuna confit or the revisited lobster. The wine list is nothing short of spectacular. A delicacy for the palate.

Who doesn't know this organization present in all the islands of the archipelago? More than just a restaurant, it is also a centre for musical and gastronomic exchanges that Marco, its dynamic director, aims to transform into the island's "cultural lung". On the kitchen side, at the helm is the famous Su, who in addition to concocting traditional dishes, sometimes represents the country in competitions, and who can organize a culinary workshop for you. Get your aprons!

A small, modest but very hospitable restaurant offering tasty cuisine. This could be your chance to discover the island's gastronomic specialty: modje, a kid stew simmered with potatoes, manioc, yams, pumpkin, onions, cereals and rice. Fish and seafood, meanwhile, form the basis of the islanders' diet, and no doubt you'll find them on offer at this restaurant. Grogue de São Nicolau is a popular digestive, so be sure to try it!

Taking a well-deserved lunch break and relaxing in a lush green setting is just what you've been longing for. Conveniently located at the end of your hike in the Serra Malagueta park, or at the end of the road if you're traveling by car, you'll meet Marcolina, who's busy cooking up pizzas, fried doughnuts, fish or chicken dishes accompanied by vegetables and rice. Choose from the menu of the day, which includes a drink, dessert and coffee. Good to know: even the bread is homemade.

The only restaurant in the area, or almost the only one, is a small, heterogeneous shack (container, construction site toilets): don't come here for the decor! However it gives you the opportunity, if you feel like it, to chat with the locals. It is far from sophisticated cuisine, but close to the dishes that could be found in the local housewife: grilled fish and chips. If possible, and if the fish has arrived, choose limpets or octopus, which will be cooked to perfection. Eaten with a cold beer, you are fully integrated.

Gracinha and Zeco will be happy to welcome you in their reasonably priced restaurant and will be happy to take the time to talk with you. The house also offers rooms, simple and comfortable, but nothing prevents you from stopping by just to eat. The menu is of course punctuated by the local fishing, with tuna and grilled octopus regularly appearing on the menu, without forgetting the speciality of which the locals never tire, namely the fried moray eel. Ribeira is a very small village, so don't be surprised if you don't see anyone around...

Located on an esplanade, in front of the most beautiful beach of the island, this "dancing restaurant" proposes a very varied traditional cuisine with Nha Antonia greenhouse, buzios stew, meat with Fogo wine, fried bananas, charcoal grilled fish, shrimps from Cidade Velha and others. All this accompanied by live music. The owners are musicians and Milú, a singer who has released albums, will invite you to feast after dinner in a joyful atmosphere.

At the bottom of a steep street is this simple, family-run restaurant. One will enjoy sitting on the outdoor terrace for a local lunch, usually based on the catch of the day. Grilled tuna or freshly cooked cachupa, to suit the taste of the islanders who frequent the place, which is a good sign. The place can also be used as a stopover during a trip to drink a beer and quench your thirst.

With its wooden tables and musical instruments hanging on the walls, the Gata Fish is a Portuguese-style fishing port tavern, where you will find a family atmosphere full of authenticity. Simplicity reigns supreme, you would almost think you were a guest, where the lady of the house would have enjoyed preparing the usual typical meal (spaghetti with tuna, fish cachupa) and brings the pot to the table for a ladle service. It is only the prices, above the average, that bring you back to reality.

A rather unusual, long restaurant in the center of town. You eat on a patio, where little lights twinkle everywhere, with pasta, smoked fish carpaccio and garlic shrimp on the menu, but the real specialty here is Brazilian beef cooked to perfection. Don't forget to make a reservation, as there are only 24 covers and two services at specific times. To round off the evening in good spirits, don't miss the famous sambuca tchaka tchaka ... quesako?surprise!

If you're short of inspiration on a Sunday, when almost everything is closed, head to Calhau for the Chez Loutcha buffet. This is a familiar meeting place for lovers of local cuisine, in a festive atmosphere, with live music and the sea as a backdrop. Cape Verdeans and tourists alike are always keen to take part in the experience, eat well and, above all, dance to African rhythms. To reach the place, it's very easy: a shuttle is available free of charge, like a Sunday excursion.

Run by Marcia, Cusinha D'Terra is a typical gargote, as we like them, with musicians who come and play non-stop on Friday nights. The menu is very basic: salted fritters, soups, fish, chicken, flambéed bananas... perfect for a no-frills lunch. If you don't want to eat there, it's also an accessible space to have a caipirinha or a drink at the counter, surrounded by friendly regulars. Or why not have a breakfast of cachupa and traditional goat cheese, just like at home.

Felicidade in Portuguese means happiness. That's what you hope to experience when you come to eat at this very good, well-run restaurant with a 100% local atmosphere. The house prides itself on presenting healthy dishes, made with ingredients and products straight from the family property, including eggs, meat and vegetables. Freshness, quality and controlled sourcing reinforce the house's favorite motto: "Let your food be your only medicine", as Hippocrates said. In short, an address that takes care of us.

Opened in 2013 by Spaniards, it's on the second floor facing the sea, in a décor of white and orange tones that you'll enjoy dishes of Cape Verdean and Iberian inspiration. The star dish on the menu (also available in French) is the classic paella with seafood or lobster, concocted by the chef from the neighboring Canary Islands and served after a half-hour wait for an aperitif. Another delicious option: the hamburger with crispy Serrano pata negra, olé!

When you dine at Dokas, you're just a few meters from the water and the sport fishing boats, and you'll enjoy impeccable, inventive cuisine. On the menu: real flavors and joyful combinations perfected by the American-Cape Verdean chef and owner. The plates are always appetizing, the atmosphere cheerful and the place has become a kind of canteen for visiting sailors and divers who share their experience of the sea. Naturally, fish, lobster and fresh produce take pride of place.

If you want to know where the inhabitants of Sal Rei go to watch a soccer match, meet up with friends at any hour or even share a table with strangers, you have to push open the door of Le Coral, a kind of central canteen that is very popular with the locals. If you turn a blind eye to the decor, the hubbub and the flies, you'll enjoy a hearty dish of the day at unbeatable prices. Excluded from all tourists (at least for the moment), this is a local experience at its best. A boui-boui as we like them. For the Coral, we say OK.

Everything seems to have been frozen in time: the dining table with its porcelain tableware, the paintings and photos, the everyday objects, the rocking chair... this restored house is one of the best-preserved examples of colonial architecture. Transformed into a small museum, the ground-floor section, with its various small patios, also houses a charming restaurant. Esmoregal à l'orange, guisado de buzio, but also vegan dishes, there's plenty to enjoy in this unique space. A dive into history not to be missed.

A vast terrace, a predominantly female team who will grace you with a broad smile and little attentions throughout your meal, it doesn't take much to have a good time. Not forgetting, of course, what's on the plates. These include grilled octopus cooked to perfection, fish fillets with colorful vegetables, the famous Cape Verdean fried moreia , poached pears or flans dripping with caramel for dessert - in short, "dilizia di casa" (the delights of the house)... quite a program!

A lovely atmosphere and great attention to detail for this dapper pink house designed by Sascha and Marcus. Conveniently located in the heart of Sal Rei's alleyways, its cheerfulness and cheerful staff make it a real eye-catcher. In addition to the restaurant's attractive menu, which offers a wide choice of dishes and wines, a clever blend of local and German cuisine, you can also enjoy a snack, ice cream or waffles, or go shopping in the boutique area. Make a reservation for dinner to secure a table on the roof terrace.

Overlooking the beach of São Pedro but sheltered from the wind, this bar-restaurant with a rounded shape has a small terrace facing the ocean. The menu, deliberately limited to ensure absolute freshness, offers grills and snacks, and revolves around seafood, lambis stew, octopus or the catch of the day, of course. Home cooking, unpretentious but tasty and of good quality, is served for a very reasonable price. After the meal, why not a little swim with the turtles?

Climb the few stairs leading to the covered terrace to discover the Esplanada Carlita, the perfect place to cool off right next to the ocean. It's the perfect place to share the signature dishes of the house: seafood rice, percebes or the famous Soada de lagosta, Carlita style. We particularly appreciate the family and good-natured atmosphere, a bit like a vacation home, in short a place where it is easy to make friendly acquaintances while enjoying a meal.

Americo's restaurants in Cape Verde need no introduction, and here's the latest, recently opened in the beautiful town of Mindelo. As elsewhere, the codes of culinary know-how and expertise have been adopted, promising a fine gustatory journey. Pleasant surroundings, competent staff and a good wine list all contribute to the experience. The sophisticated decor is complemented by brightly colored dishes. There's nothing like a more intimate address to try something new and pick up some local fare for an evening. Definitely a great discovery!

A concept that customers love, the atmosphere, the space, the music, the food, the service, the very affordable price, the smile... Casa Tchicau ticks all the boxes! Over the years, the place has become an obligatory stop for all those who want to enjoy a good meal without the fuss in a relaxed environment. There's no time wasted choosing from the menu, the menu is the same for everyone, made up each day of different but always tasty products, and the plates are overflowing with generosity, just like the cook.