Where to Find Excellent Portuguese Food in Boston and Beyond
In Greater Boston and the South Coast of Massachusetts, dive into seafood-heavy, flavorful cuisine from the Azores to Madeira to Avó’s house.
Baleia’s cataplana, a braised pork and seafood stew. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Portuguese cuisine hasn’t quite hit the mainstream yet in other parts of the country: You won’t see restaurants on every street corner dishing out codfish casseroles, fried-egg-topped steaks, and shrimp Mozambique in a divine garlic-studded and saffron-heavy sauce. But around here? You’d almost think that there exists a space-time warping bridge from Boston to Portugal, with the wealth of cuisine from the Atlantic nation within a pretty quick drive from the city, owing to over a century of Portuguese immigrants settling around New England. From glitzy Boston newcomers to longstanding family-run spots within the Portuguese enclaves of Fall River and New Bedford, here’s where to get your fill of boldly spiced, seafood-heavy fare from the Iberian nation.
First published September 13, 2024.
Ember-grilled Maine lobster with pineapple from the Azores and preserved fennel at Amar. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Amar
Traditional cuisine gets a five-star modern retelling under the deft hand of chef George Mendes at Amar, which soars on the 17th floor of Raffles Boston. (Mendes owned the now-closed, Michelin-starred Aldea in New York.) Here, the cuisine of Mendes’ childhood serves as the basis for creative riffs, from the deceptively humble—house-made sourdough rolls served with smoked butter sourced from the exclusive Animal Farm Creamery in Vermont—to the divine pato con arroz (rice with duck breast, braised duck leg, and orange puree). Flavors chart a course through Portugal’s colonial history, with stops in Japan (the uni toast with sea urchin) to Africa (the shellfish Mozambique, which features scallops, lobster, mussels and more in a boldly spiced tomato stew). Order à la carte, or trust the chef to take you on a five-course tasting menu, which changes frequently and showcases seafood. Either way, don’t skip dessert. The made-to-order eggy pão de ló cake is one of the best sweets in Boston. Also: Pop by the European-style Café Pastel on the first floor for Mendes’ famed pasteis de nata (custard tarts), too.
40 Trinity Pl. (Raffles Boston), Back Bay, 617-351-8888, amarboston.com.
Avo’s Feast
If there’s one thing that transcends boundaries of language and culture, it’s familial love. Avo’s Feast—“avó” means grandmother in Portuguese—channels those fuzzy feelings of your grandmother lovingly encouraging you to eat more into comfort food. While you can certainly settle into one of the tables and stay a while, the vibe here is more casual, where diners can peek at the goodies on offer in hot stations and place an order at the front register for dishes that the chefs whip up in a flash. The menu features larger plates (goodies like Portuguese steak and jumbo shrimp Mozambique) that you can find at many Fall River spots, but the real draw is the sandwich menu. Gobble down sandwiches of slow-stewed pork (caçoila), chicken Mozambique, and the crowd-pleasing chouriço and chips—a salty-fatty combo boosted by a drizzle of house garlic aioli. Order up a couple as they go down easy (and at $8 a pop, the sandwiches are incredibly affordable). Chase them with sides of stewed fava beans and baked beans. Other occasional specials are fusion-y creations like chicken Mozambique mac and cheese, and if the flan ice cream is in stock, be sure to save room.
1601 Pleasant St., Fall River, 508-674-2268, avosfeast.com.
Azorean Restaurant and Bar
A trip to this Cape Ann beauty, which is decked out in golds and ocean blues, whisks diners from the Iberian mainland to the Azores islands in the middle of the Atlantic. Get your fill of dishes from the Portuguese archipelago, especially plates that incorporate candy-sweet pineapples that are grown in greenhouses on São Miguel, the largest green gem of an island of the Azores. Savor it as a sweet counterpoint that’s served with grilled linguiça (a smoky and spicy pork sausage), atop a fresh salad, or grilled and drizzled with port wine sauce as dessert. Other highlights include the Azorean pizza that’s topped with a blend of mozzarella and tangy São Jorge cheeses plus chouriço (another variety of spicy pork sausage that’s a bit fattier than linguiça), and the littlenecks steamed in a broth of white wine, garlic, and spices that begs to be soaked up with bread.
133 Washington St., Gloucester, 978-283-5500, azoreanrestaurant.com.
Baleia’s seared cod with caldo verde, crispy potato, and chouriço. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Baleia
Best of Boston winner, 2024
Yes, seafood-leaning modern Baleia brings the glitzy date-night vibes to the South End, with a show-stopping braised pork and seafood stew for two (cataplana). Then there’s the seared cod with potatoes, chouriço, and a sauce based on the traditional kale soup called caldo verde. But more than splurge-y date nights, make it a point here to sidle up to the bar for after-work drinks and solo meals of small plates. Definitely order up bolinhos, or salt cod croquettes that are served with saffron mayonnaise, and the presunta cura, ham that’s aged for fifteen months, sliced in-house, and drizzled with olive oil. Black olive and a pepper aioli bring the zip to octopus carpaccio, while pineapple jam slathered on rye crackers balances the creamy tang of Serra da Estrela cheese from northern Portugal. Say “cheers” with a Portuguese-only wine list, not to mention creative cocktails with port and other surprises like coconut chai and grilled corn.
264 E Berkeley St., South End, Boston, 617-505-3243, baleiaboston.com.
Café Europa
New Bedford, once the hub of a vibrant whaling industry, does not get the credit it deserves for stellar restaurants right by the seashore. High among the list of must-visit spots sits this longstanding gem, which owner Peter Ferreira has operated for about 30 years. Look to another of Portugal’s autonomous regions, the archipelago of Madeira that’s northwest of Africa, for what to order here. The chicken Madeira features sautéed chicken cutlets that are topped with a sauce of mushrooms and fortified Madeira wine. The earthy mushroom balances out the slightly sweet and nutty flavor of the wine, with fries and rice to soak up all the goodness. Meanwhile, the carne espeto is a house-marinated shish kabob of onions, peppers, and linguiça—with the sausage boasting those perfect flame-crisped edges. Heads up that this is a smaller spot that can get pleasantly buzzy on weekends, so if you’re looking to have an intimate conversation, maybe pop in for an earlier lunch or during the week.
1256 Acushnet Ave., New Bedford, MA, 508-997-1087, facebook.com.
Caravela
Bring a hearty appetite (or at least a dining companion or two) to this homey spot right by Fall River’s John F. Kennedy Park—the portions are enormous. The alentejana—a specialty of cubed pork, littlenecks, and fried potatoes that’s topped with pickled vegetables—can easily feed two. That is, if you can stop yourself from devouring the whole thing. And luckily, a basket of bread is on the table to soak up the broth. Likewise for the equally hearty steak plate, which sees thin steak served with garlic-heavy sauce, two fried eggs, and a slice of briny pickled red pepper. Get it the traditional way with a double-starch dose of rice and hand-cut fries. For seafood lovers, catch the less-usual chicharros on the menu. The tiny fish are tossed in flour and fried, then served with boiled potatoes and salad. Think of these babies as “fries with eyes” and eat ’em whole.
637 S Main St., Fall River, 508-235-1030, caravelafallriver.com.
Casa Portugal
Best of Boston winner, 2004, 2006, and 2007
This Cambridge traditional mainstay—its terra-cotta-colored walls studded by blue-and-white plates and tilework—has been going strong since 1996. And it’s easy to see why with that first spoonful of caldo verde soup, a soul-warming flavor-bomb that sees chunks of chouriço and thin ribbons of kale accenting a hearty puree of potatoes and sautéed onions and garlic. Dishes feature traditional flare. Sometimes literally, like the chouriço asado, which is served flaming tableside in an earthenware dish called a fogareiro. Grilled standouts include the lulas grelhadas, or octopus tentacles with beautifully charred tips, that is a more rare find on menus around town. And among the many meat offerings, from behemoth grilled steaks to chicken breast in a port wine sauce, the medalhas de bife strays a bit from the pack. The fried steak medallions and fresh mushrooms are served in a sauce of white wine and mustard, and the latter is a less common ingredient in Portuguese cuisine.
1200 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge, 617-491-8880, restaurantcasaportugal.com.
Cunha’s Bakery
Sure, it’s not technically a restaurant, but don’t let that stop you from making a meal of the breads at Cunha’s, a bakery that’s been filling Fall River with warm, heavenly loaves for decades. On Sundays especially, locals make pilgrimage for papo secos—a dry bread with an airy interior. Once Sunday Mass wraps up, a line wraps out the door for rolls that are still warm from the oven. When they’re fresh, the rolls boast a blisteringly crisp exterior. Hit up one of the nearby markets like Portugalia (below) and nearby Acores Market (it’s a quick five-minute walk away) for goodies to fill the rolls with, from pungent cheeses to torresmos (chicharron-like chunks of fried pork). The best way to enjoy the rolls is topped with fresh cheese and pimenta moida—a salty-spicy condiment of crushed red pepper that’s sold in jars all around Fall River and sometimes in the international aisle of Boston supermarkets. (Spoon the stuff on cream cheese atop your morning bagel, too). Or, bite into the roll as-is, sit back, and sigh. You can pop these into the freezer right away to preserve that oven-fresh taste, too, then slice them and toss them in the toaster later.
212 Mulberry St., Fall River, 508-674-7795.
Estoril’s shrimp Mozambique. / Courtesy photo
Estoril
Yes, you can measure the greatness of any Portuguese restaurant by its steak, and Estoril knocks its signature pan-seared sirloin topped with mushrooms and mushroom gravy out of the park. But the real draw might be the shrimp Mozambique (available as a smaller appetizer or an entrée with two sides). The shrimp swims in a blazing yellow-orange saffron sauce with tons of garlic and lemon. Order the entrée with round Portuguese fries and rice to soak up the sauce. More than likely, you’ll be dipping rolls in the sauce and sucking those last drops out of the shrimp tails. The yellow hue will linger on your fingertips for a bit as a reminder of a great meal.
1577 Pleasant St., Fall River, MA, 508-677-1200, estorilrestaurant.com.
Inner Bay Café
The name doesn’t quite let on the type of cuisine you can expect, but consider yourself inducted into the inner circle of diners who know to head to this spot in Whaling City for Portuguese fare. From the dark wood flourishes balanced by crisp walls, to the live acoustic music on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings, to culinary artworks served in traditional earthenware plates, there’s as much care poured into the ambience as the cuisine. The fare leans Azorean with a few global touches, namely the sriracha aioli with the sweet chili salmon. Unsure of which appetizer to get? Order up a tasting platter of four, five, or six snacky items to whet your appetite, from herb-marinated olives and pickled vegetables to savory codfish pastries. Find the usual suspects of steaks, chicken simmered in saffron-heavy sauces, and seafood (the red-wine-roasted octopus as a particular standout). Plus, other gems—chunks of blood sausage served atop pineapple slivers (morcela com ananaz) and grilled limpets (barnacle-looking marine snails with a mussel-like taste and texture) imported from the Azores—are tough to find on this side of the Atlantic.
1339 Cove Rd., New Bedford, 508-984-0489, instagram.com/innerbaycafe.
Portugalia Marketplace in Fall River. / Courtesy photo
Portugalia Marketplace
Portugalia is to Portuguese cuisine what Eataly is to Italian—less a marketplace, more an emporium to wander for a while, soaking up imported beauties and filling your shopping cart. Here, you can find a celebration of flavors, housewares, and grab-and-go foods all under one roof. Think: imported cheeses, fine teas grown on historic farms in the Azores, artisanal olive oils, an extensive wine section, and an entire temperature-controlled room devoted just to salt cod, a staple in the cuisine. Siblings Michael and Jennifer Benevides now run the place, which was once a small importing business founded by their parents in the family garage, and is now a 20,000 square-foot destination in a former textile mill that also sells gangbusters online and ships all around the country. Chef George Mendes of Amar partners with Portugalia for imported items for his menu, and the market has received accolades from near and far. Head to the hot bar to savor the bacalhau à Gomes de Sá, which the New York Times dubbed as one of the twenty-three best dishes in America in 2023. It’s one of the most iconic dishes in the cuisine, and it combines codfish, potatoes, and onions into a casserole, topped with olives, slices of boiled eggs, and slivers of red pickled pepper. A small café serves up sandwiches, coffee, and espresso drinks to fuel long browses of the extensive selection of tinned sardines and other seafood, too.
489 Bedford St., Fall River, 508-617-9820, portugaliamarketplace.com.
Treats from Provincetown Portuguese Bakery. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Provincetown Portuguese Bakery
There’s a lot to love in Provincetown, including the famously LGBTQ+-friendly vibes, the beaches, and the top-notch restaurants. P-Town is also a historic Portuguese fishing community, and every June, folks from near and far flock to the annual Portuguese Festival and Blessing of the Fleet. Besides those weeks in June when Portuguese flags flap over Commercial Street, there’s lots of reason to celebrate the cuisine at this small, beloved bakery that was founded in 1936. Stop in for malassadas, or fried dough with pillow-y interiors that are tossed in cinnamon and sugar, and snatch up pasteis de nata and plenty of bolas de Berlim, or doughnuts filled with pastry cream. On the savory side, it’s tough to pick between the chouriço and cheese croissant or the linguiça roll, so might as well get both. And some sweet bread for post-tea dance dessert later on.
299 Commercial St., Provincetown, 508-487-1803, provincetownportuguesebakery.com.
O Dinis
When famed Fall-River-born chef Emeril Lagasse recently traveled with his staff to southeastern Massachusetts and neighboring Rhode Island to research cuisine for his forthcoming Portuguese restaurant in New Orleans, he made O Dinis his first stop. And it’s no wonder why, with a visit to this welcoming and traditional spot, where the petite interior hides big flavors. Swing in for more casual lunches of sandwiches, including the crowd-pleasing chouriço and peppers, plus the bifana, which sees a marinated pork cutlet on a papo seco roll, both served with fries. On the dinner menu, highlights include the sirloin in a garlic-beer sauce, and the grilled salt cod with boiled potatoes, which are topped with a flavorful condiment of sautéed garlic and onions. Check out the specials, too. With a little luck, the rabbit special will be on the menu, which you should definitely hop on over and try.
579 Warren Ave., East Providence, Rhode Island, 401-438-3769, odinisrestaurant.com.
Dessert at Sagres. / Courtesy photo
Sagres Restaurant
It’s tempting to skip the entrée section and just make a meal out of a slew of appetizers at this refined Fall River eatery. Slather rolls with fresh soft goat cheese and top with pimenta moida. Along with shrimp Mozambique, the shrimp alhinho sees the shellfish sautéed with olive oil, white wine, a hefty dose of garlic, and a dash of hot sauce. Soak up the sauce with bread (that is, if you don’t tip the bowl right to your lips). Likewise for the ameijoas bulhao de pato, or littlenecks sautéed in olive oil and garlic. Fresh parsley brings a bright green burst of flavor to the broth, and order up some fried calamari, too. Sticking to lighter entrees means more room for dessert, which Sagres does particularly well. The house-made flan is silky and sweet, while the white beans in the bean pudding cake bring a bit of earthiness that’s tempered by brown sugar. The pudim Bolacha de Maria is a delightful mini trifle of crumbled Maria Cookies—get packs of the thin, sweet treats at Portugalia to dunk in coffee—layered with cream. And you can’t leave without trying the creamy rice pudding that’s decorated with a dusting of cinnamon.
177 Columbia St., Fall River, 508-675-7018, sagresfr.com.
