Restaurants cuisine du monde ÎLES AU VENT BARLAVENTO

Located on the pedestrian street opposite the church, the famous Americo's boasts the distinction of having been the very first restaurant to open its doors in Santa Maria. It has undergone several renovations to become this beautiful, modern, designer restaurant. It's a 100% Cape Verdean, family-run establishment with 3 dining rooms, specializing in lobster (November to May), grilled meats and fish, not forgetting meats (beef matured in a Josper oven). It also boasts the country's largest wine cellar.

As the name aptly suggests, it's all about seafood! Right across from the harbor, you can savor typical cuisine. Shrimp, lobster, fried or grilled catch of the day and steaming caldeirada are cooked to perfection, but there are also snacks, tapas and grilled meats to satisfy every craving. Live music concerts are held almost every day. You can check out the monthly program on their website, but nothing beats the surprise of a Cape Verdean artist.

Quality, freshness of products and conviviality are the watchwords of this restaurant run by Lourdes, a French-speaking Portuguese woman. At the stove while her husband Carlos goes fishing for the fish that will be served in your plate, she has created a family spirit mixed with a summer atmosphere. Her famous sweet crepe or the Macarena with caramelized apple is a real treat. However, fish is the speciality of the place and Carlos can organise big game fishing trips for you. The grilled tuna is memorable, but the tataki has recently dethroned it.

La Caleta's team welcomes you with a smile and attentive service, facing the ocean, for lunch, snacks or dinner, while enjoying the lively street life. Seafood, fish, tapas and vegetarian dishes are all on offer. For the curious, there's a choice of cheese or Cape Verdean bafas to accompany a Fogo wine. But the score would be incomplete without mentioning juices such as banana-coconut and the various types of homemade toast offered by Caleta. A must-try!

Just above the waves that break on the beach, it is the best spot in Sal at cocktail time. Especially since the beer and other drinks are about the same price as elsewhere. As far as meals are concerned, we take the opportunity to discover the specialities of buzios grelhados, calamari or lobsters, depending on the arrival. It is thus also a very good restaurant of European level with impeccable and attentive service. A varied menu guarantees an original and quality meal, rocked by the surf. You're sure to fall in love with the food and the atmosphere.

Elvis is the boss and he welcomes you in a very spontaneous way. Here you will be served typical Cape Verdean dishes in a live musical atmosphere. The dishes are varied and generous (grilled lobster, breaded cheese, brochettes, even moray eel sometimes) although the prices are a little higher than in other restaurants. Enjoying a happy hour on the terrace can be a good way to start a nice evening. Be careful, a small room and a popular place also mean that reservations are almost compulsory.

For the freshest fish, head to George's. George is the head chef, who prides himself on being an authentic self-taught chef who specializes in seafood products, creating grandmotherly recipes that are nonetheless delicious. The place is unsophisticated, but the warm welcome makes up for the simplicity of the setting. On the stove side: the succulent Portuguese caldeirada (fish casserole), shrimps, carpaccio and octopus... lobster lovers, you've also come to the right place!

This is one of the lowest-priced restaurants in town. A very typical (and disappearing) restaurant, frequented by many Cape Verdeans, as well as an increasing number of foreign visitors, where Carlos offers a warm welcome and very local cuisine. On Fridays, it serves Santa Maria's most famous cachupa (by order only). The terrace, the best place to sit, is often packed. Here, as elsewhere, you can't escape the slowness of the service, but you can relax and enjoy the moment...

Loutcha is an institution in Mindelo, everyone knows it. It serves traditional Cape Verdean cuisine and the barley cachupa is delicious and among the best in Mindelo. The menu offers a very wide choice of dishes at competitive prices. We recommend the cabri stew or the red mullet soup, which are very good. For dessert, try the coconut pudding, the house specialty. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays evenings, a music band animates the evening and you are invited to shake it up, the atmosphere is festive.

Located at the bottom of a house a bit out of the way in Ribeira Grande, this restaurant is an unexpected place. It has a beautifully decorated dining room and wooden tables set outside around a tropical garden dominated by palm and banana trees. The succulent dishes are created with ingredients that come directly from the garden. Divin'art welcomes musicians who come to play on weekends and ensure a memorable atmosphere. There is a small shop at the entrance to stock up on souvenirs.

Tiny restaurant, but very popular and therefore quickly full. The walls are covered with messages left by passing customers, a fresco on which you can leave your mark. At the helm is an Italian owner who is passionate about his job. Fish caught the same day - there is no freezer, so it's guaranteed ultra-fresh. Excellent tuna carpaccio, generous lobster, tartars, grilled goat cheese... everything is tempting and delicious. Make a reservation or come and see the menu, especially as some dishes are made to order.

It is a small and well known snack bar in Espargos, located just in front of the bank. Very central, this restaurant serves sandwiches, snacks and small dishes at lunchtime (cachupa, grilled chicken, hamburger and chips) but you can also have a full breakfast, just to start the day, or even have a refreshment between two walks. Nice atmosphere especially in the evenings when musicians come to play songs and traditional music, to the delight of the customers. Small souvenir stand.

A shady terrace with tables surrounded by banana trees and tropical species such as papaya trees is a delightful prospect for lunch. The local cuisine is of the highest quality, complemented by a warm welcome and friendly service. On the menu: grilled lobster (depending on availability), but more modestly, dishes based on tuna, capri or chicken, all cooked over a wood fire and washed down with grogue. The space is large enough to accommodate large families. In short, the perfect representation of "no stress"...

Close to the Belém Tower, this restaurant on the top floor of a waterfront building is one of Mindelo's liveliest, with its straw hut-style decor. Go there to enjoy the exotic setting of palm trees and bamboo surrounding the dance floor. As for the menu, it offers pure Cape Verdean cuisine of the highest quality (organic produce, seafood, cod, etc.). The dishes are tasty and hearty, and Maria's team is highly experienced. You can also enjoy a drink in the evening, listening to the music while admiring the sunset.

O Curral is a small barn-like café on the side of the road from Ribeira de Paúl to Passagem, about 1 km after Passagem, on the right, in the village of Chã de João Vaz. You can of course taste the grogues while eating a cachupa, traditional dishes and other bean stews, enough to satiate yourself after a trek. For the ecologists, the organic vegetables come from the farm and the cheeses are 100% local. The place is authentic and well worth a stop in the middle of the mountains.

Superb location, right on the harbor jetty, for this unpretentious, as-local-as-can-be boui-boui. From here, you can watch the return of the fishermen and the children diving. The terrace is a very pleasant place to enjoy a drink, be it a beer or a caipirinha at sunset. Meals are basic and home-style, usually consisting of fish (swordfish or tuna) served with rice. The perfect place to immerse yourself in the friendly atmosphere and chat with the locals, Portuguese permitting.

Exceptional location facing the beach for this Afro-Portuguese cuisine restaurant which offers dishes based on seafood and fish. On the menu, buzios, octopus, bacalhau (cod) and shrimps with garlic or the opportunity to taste the strange shellfish percebes (foot-pushers), which the Portuguese are crazy about. We are served on a vast terrace facing the ocean, where in the late afternoon, we swoon over the romantic spectacle of the sunset.

Not far from the main streets, small but very welcoming, the Bom Petisck restaurant boasts family-style cuisine par excellence. Fish, chicken and even vegetarian dishes to suit everyone's tastes are on the menu, all prepared in the Cape Verdean style. A simple tuna dish becomes tasty when transformed by expert hands. Gambas, octopus, peribs and other seafood are absolutely fresh and mingle with rice or spaghetti, satisfying large appetites. Simple, good and effective.

The setting? Magnificent! In front of the pool, with a panoramic view of Mindelo Bay. The concept? Environmental! Here, we pride ourselves on sourcing products as closely as possible, using as few fossil fuels as possible and focusing on organic produce. As for the dishes, chef Lala offers a wide range of options (meat, fish, vegetarian) and brilliantly invents her own compositions. For a convivial dinner with friends, for example, original tapas are the perfect accompaniment to aperitifs. Whatever you choose, the magic happens.

Close to Laginha beach, the U Sabor restaurant offers cuisine with American, Cape Verdean and, above all, Italian influences. Pasta and bruschetta à la carte, of course, but also the best pizzas in town, topped with fresh produce straight from the oven. And for those with a sweet tooth, their "little cake" dessert is a poem! The setting is idyllic, overlooking the bay, and the atmosphere festive. It's also a great place to come and watch a match on their giant screen while sipping a drink. We love U Sabor!