While Macau is primarily known as the “Vegas of the East,” and an increasing number of tourists flock to its flashy and glitzy casinos, it’s important to remember that the city also has a special “culinary draw” – that’s the unique Macau cuisine that developed over hundreds of years of Portuguese colonialism and combines the classics of Portuguese cuisine with Chinese influences…
This article will take you to some of the best restaurants in Macau where you can enjoy fabulous Macau and Portuguese food.
- in Lorcaclose to the A-Ma Temple and the Macau Maritime Museum, it is one of Macau’s most notable culinary icons, serving what many describe as “the best Portuguese food outside of Portugal”… With pleasant, simple Portuguese décor and friendly staff, this relatively small restaurant offers a somewhat homey atmosphere and, more importantly, extraordinarily delicious Portuguese-Macanese food, both seafood and meat… Signature dishes include names like Chourico assado ( grilled portuguese chorizo), Bacalhau com natas (bacalhau with potatoes in a cream sauce), and grilled clams with garlic, just to name a few… Don’t be afraid to order something new, there’s very little chance you’ll you’re wrong
- Ferdinand Restaurant (Prayed of ferdinand as it is more commonly known) is another of Macao’s gastronomic emblems. Located on Hacsa Beach on Coloane Island, one of the greenest and most peaceful corners of Macau, Fernando features a rustic and homey atmosphere that adds much to the charming dining experience, with simple bamboo furnishings and an exquisite outdoor dining area. free, overgrown with bushes. The Portuguese-style barbecues (both meat and seafood) are the main draw at Fernando, as is the freshly baked Portuguese bread, but frankly speaking, everything on the menu is good! Next to the restaurant, there is a nice open-air bar where you can have a drink before or after dinner… And a little tip: try to avoid weekends, as Fernando’s does not accept advance reservations and the restaurant can have jam full…
- For sumptuous, atmospheric dining that revives the charm of colonial Macau, very few restaurants can compete with Military Club. Housed in a neoclassical 1870s building that once housed a club for colonial army officers, right next to the legendary Lisboa, Clube Militar features super-stylish decor, with polished wooden floors and crisp white tablecloths… Portuguese classics dominate the menu and during lunch they serve a buffet, so you can try different things…
- Fat Siu Lau: Located on the picturesque Rua de Felicidade, just a short walk from the Senate Square, this is possibly the oldest restaurant in Macau, with an impressive history of over 100 years… Unpretentious, homey Macanese cuisine is what what this restaurant is all about, and its old favourites, like roast pigeon and African chicken, attract customers from far and wide…
- Amagao: Serving what some gourmands consider to be the best Portuguese-Macanese food in Macau, this lilliput-sized “private kitchen” is probably one of Taipa Island’s best-kept secrets… Tucked away down a small lane, just a minute walk from Taipa Village’s main street, Rua Cunha, it is open only for dinner and you have to book well in advance if you want to get a table… Also, you have to discuss your dinner with the chef-owner, since he buys the fresh ingredients especially for you… The chicken specialties are the main thing here, particularly the Galinha à Portuguesa (Portuguese chicken), but everything else is just as good…