It was Sunday, and all was quiet in Fatima, where we stayed for one day.

Restaurants and shops were closed, and there weren’t any grocery shops nearby, so we had to find a restaurant to eat nearby. After browsing on the local food app, fork, we chanced upon Ponte Vista, and so off we went in our car. The restaurant was about a half-hour drive from Fatima in Porto de Mós.

The white-washed exterior has a bridge pathway leading up to the entrance. We got there a bit early after we visited Grutas da Moeda. The restaurant wasn’t open yet, but we met the owner saw us at the door and let us in. Since we were the first ones there, we got our pick of the tables and sat at a beautiful circular table with a unique glass tabletop set upon a hefty tree trunk slab.

As we took in the modern interior design, the owner explained that the big circular wheel water feature was temporarily paused due to the drought happening across the country.

Our waiter patiently translated all of the menu items for us as the menu was only available in Portuguese. Since we were already famished after our day of sightseeing, we were happy to order a slew of appetizers to share and entrées for everyone at the table.

The seafood, although simply prepared, was delicious. Using ingredients like garlic and olive oil for the prawns and a light sesame vinaigrette for the fresh tuna allowed the seafood to stand out. The portions were generous compared to what we are used to back home in Vancouver, and with such tasty starters, we already felt the meal was off to a great start. After we polished off our starters, we were ready for our hearty mains.

We wanted to try the full breadth of offerings on the menu, so we ordered (almost) everything from the grilled salmon to the sirloin steak. We even managed to procure the last portion of the salmon risotto, which was creamy and delicious with the risotto rice cooked perfectly.

Another highlight on the menu would be the Secretos de Porco Preto, which translates to ‘secrets of the black pig’. Of course, we were curious as to what this meant, and our server explained that this is the best and juiciest part of the pig, so we decided we must try it.

Ponte Vista has some of the softest pork I’ve ever had, served with a clam and scallop sauce. The picture and the plating don’t do the dish justice, as every bite was truly heavenly; if you just look at the dish, you wouldn’t think there’s anything special, but the texture of the meat and the intensely creamy and flavourful sauce embodying the seafood’s essence is a treat for your taste buds.

For our desserts we saved room for a Green Tea Pudding with salted caramel and cookie crumble. The smooth pudding with the aroma of green tea provided the backdrop for the creamy caramel sauce and the crunchy cookie crumble. We like the deconstructed presentation because it allowed us to adjust the sweetness on our own. Want more crunch? Add more cookie crumble. Prefer a lighter taste at the end of a heavy meal? Add less caramel sauce. Enjoyed with a cup of tea, this was the perfect end to our meal as the sun dipped below the horizon.

As we wrapped up our evening, our hearts were full from a day of exploring new places, and our stomachs were filled with the tasty meal we enjoyed with the sunset as the backdrop. The owner waved goodbye to us as we piled into our car as he was on his way back home as well. We were already recounting the scrumptious meal we had on the drive back home, and marked Ponte Vista as a spot we must visit again if we find ourselves back in Portugal.

Visit

Ponte Vista

+351 244 481 297

R. da Boavista 5, 2480-330 Porto de Mós, Portugal

Photography by Florence Leung