Portugal’s Must-Visit Surf Town: Where To Eat And Stay In Ericeira

10.04.2024 - 10:19 / forbes.com

Ericeira may be famous as Portugal’s capital of waves—it was the second place to be named a World Surfing Reserve and is still the only one in Europe—but it’s plenty appealing beyond the ocean too. Less than an hour from Lisbon, it has beautiful beaches, windswept cliffs and a charming historic center, plus a vibrant international community. Yes, there are surf-town staples like acai bars and hostels flaunting their board storage, but there’s also plenty of destination dining and some five-star hotels that are worth an overnight or more.

Traditional Portuguese fish and seafood restaurants are being joined by new-school joints from a growing cadre of global entrepreneurs, plus a casual outpost from a Michelin-star chef. The town—which last year was named one of the Best Tourism Villages by the UN World Tourism Organization—also has a terrific cultural scene, from an annual sea urchin festival to a cutting-edge co-living and cowork project that’s being developed in the countryside.

The newly opened Petiscaria Âncora might reel in a few guests with its attractive aesthetics—a fully realized homage to Ericeira’s fishing village roots, all weathered ropes and sea glass—but they’re likely to come back for the high-quality, creative cooking. Chef Filipe Camacho has devised a pleasing menu of sharable dishes such as grilled scallops with a coconut milk reduction, zesty razor clam escabeche, and tender roasted octopus suffused with olive oil and garlic.

Chef and entrepreneur Athanasios Kargatzidis made his name with restaurants way east of here—his Baron, in Lebanon, is high on the World’s 50 Best list for the Middle East and North Africa—before landing in Portugal. His seaside Costa Fria combines coastal Atlantic products with Mediterranean cuisines and techniques.

Latas means “cans” in Portuguese, but the restaurant Mar das Latas is a celebration of fresh fish and seafood, as well as Portuguese wines, live music and sunsets. The menu mixes classic Iberian simplicity—mussels and gin is one low-key suggestion—with more elevated dishes, such as matured amberjack with escabeche, flatbread with anchovies, and shrimp gyozas.

Ricardo Ruel, the new owner of Golfinho Azul (“blue dolphin”), came from Madeira, where he had two famous restaurants. Not only is there a new master of fish and shellfish in the house, but the restaurant has long had one of the best ocean views in Ericeira. The market-driven dishes are super-classic, such as fish and seafood rice, matured Tomahawk steak for two, and grilled sea bream fillets with creamy cockle rice.

For a break from all that delicious fish, Balagan is a casual restaurant with Middle Eastern–inspired dishes, including vegan and gluten-free options. It has a beach house vibe