FOOD & DRINK

With little in the way of commercial fishing, marine life is abundant. Hence, if you are a seafood lover (or a diver), you won´t be disappointed. Lobster and tuna carpaccio come highly recommended. If you are a salad dodger, you won´t be disappointed either: there isn´t much!
With a variety of influences, you'll find restaurants serving everything from the local cachupa to traditional Italian fare.
The local drink that Cape Verdeans live (and die) for is the aptly named grogue. This loosely translates as "fire water", but if you if you have a few too many could more accurately describe the way your head might feel the following morning.

PLACES TO EAT

SAL

There are a large variety of restaurants in Santa Maria catering for most tastes from top restaurants like Odjo d’Áqua, to some great, local back-street ‘barbecue’ restaurants. Seafood dominates the restaurant menus with much of it caught fresh that day. You have to love fish to enjoy the food here. Yellow fin tuna, serra (wahoo) and smaller fish like garopa (reef fish) are the main catch. The lagosta (cray fish) is definitely worth trying.

The local food offers a variety of exotic dishes strongly influenced by African and Creole cooking. One of the local dishes is cachupa rica - a stew of hominy corn, beans and meat. Cachupa guisada being the best, which is just the beans fried with either tuna or fried egg on top.

Try the pinchos 150$ (fish or pork stick kebabs) and frango 150$ (chicken) that are cooked on a barbeque out front of the restaurant, where you can take a table. If concerned about becoming ill eating at some of the more ‘local’ restaurants it is worth considering that you may well get ill eating a lukewarm buffet at a good hotel, as opposed to well-cooked ‘street’ food.

Eating out you need to bear in mind that service Cape Verdian style is very 'relaxed', and can take an hour or so.

There are plenty of restaurants to suit all tastes on Sal, from great fresh seafood to Italian, and of course, some fantastic local secrets… you’ll find a few in here but more if you explore.The diet here is mainly protein and carb based. Don’t expect to find too many vegetables. Most meals are accompanied with rice and chips. The best place to go if you are in need of some good quality green stuff (plus cheeses, salami, etc) is Americo’s, who run a deli under their restaurant. It’s expensive though.

There are plenty of bars at which to drink coffee. Coffee in CV is very good, due to the Italian influence, and most bars have big espresso machines.

Chez Pastis

A wonderfully, cosy Italian restaurant with fantastic seafood and meat dishes, great wine and top class service. We recommend booking in advance. + 238 984 3696.

Open from 6.30- 11pm

Restaurante Atlantis

A blend of delicious Cape Verdean, Italian and French cuisine situated right on the beach and open for snacks, lunch and dinner. The food is delicious and the service is very good. Groups of up to 150 people catered for. + 238 42 1879

Open from 10am – 10.30pm

Restaurante Pizzeria Cretcheu

Great pizzas and fantastic tuna carpaccio! +238 242 1068

Open from 12am – 3pm & 7 – 10.30pm

Morabeza Beach Club

Located right on the beach at Hotel Morabeza this is a fantastic place for lunch. Try the freshly caught fish of the day!

Open from 12 – 3pm

Papayas Restaurant & Bar

Situated in Porto Antigo, this is a great place to watch the sunset over Santa Maria bay and enjoy a cocktail and a pizza. They also serve up a smashing full English breakfast… + 238 973 3482

Open from 8am – 11.30pm

Casa Canaria

For something different try this lovely tapas restaurant. Run by a Spanish family, it is a very reasonably priced place to eat and the food is absolutely delicious.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Closed on Fridays.

Restaurant Farolin @ Hotel Odjo D’Agua

Famous for it’s seafood and situated on a rock in the sea, the food, atmosphere and views are great. +238 242 2117

Open from 7 – 11pm

Leonardo’s

A superb Italian restaurant with a wonderful atmosphere and a fantastic choice of wines. + 238 981 0057

Open from 11am – 3pm & 7 – 11pm

Restaurante Americos

Incredible seafood and local dishes at reasonable prices. + 238 242 1011

Open from 12am – 12pm

Zum Fischerman

A superb German-run seafood restaurant with a large choice of freshly caught fish.

Open from 7 – 11pm

Café Creole

Don’t be frightened to “go local”, you can taste some of the finest local dishes here at reasonable prices.

Open from 11am – 3pm & 7 – 11pm

Aquarium

Located just past the cultural centre, in Santa Maria, Aquarium is right on the beach and serves local Cape Verdean cuisine, seafood and meat dishes to the sound of some lovely relaxing local live music.

Open for lunch and dinner.

BARS & CLUBS

Calema Pub

A great, lively bar in the centre of town (next to Caixa Economica bank), it’s the perfect place for a spot of people watching.

Try their caipharinhas…

Morabeza Bar, Hotel Morabeza

2 for 1 drinks at happy hour (6.30 – 7.30 daily). Good atmosphere and a great meeting place.

Tam Tam

Irish owned café/bar with lots of character. It serves delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner and an amazing Irish coffee. Also show most international football matches.

Open Monday – Saturday 8 – 12.30am

Chill Out

As the name suggests, Chill Out is a great place to watch the world go by.

Pirata

Pirata is a favourite with locals and tourists. Playing a mixture of local music & European pop & dance. Don’t get here before midnight cause it’ll be empty.