A Terra Santiago - Santiago Do Cacem

Being a solo traveler can be a gift and a curse. Sometimes you don’t get the attention you would expect and other times you get a pleasant surprise. This is exactly what happened at À TERRA. I was greeted by very friendly and profesional staff. Since I was the only solo guest having dinner, Cheffs Diego and João decided to set me up at the bar in front of them and take me on a culinary journey through southern Portugal. Watching them move around in the open kitchen, as they create fantastic dishes for their guests, was a real treat. There’s passion in what they do and that is reflected on their food. Flavors: Earthy, citrusy and robust. Presentation: exquisite. Ingredients: 6am daily fresh. Overall: beyond expectations. Located in Santiago Hotel, in a town that didn’t really catch my eye) À TERRA is a must. I highly recommend you to stop by and try their food. You will be happy you did.

We had dinner 3 times in a week. We had the chance to participate in one of the buffet dinners that was very good, good fresh fish and good ofyr grilled meat, and grilled vegetables were marvellous. One other dinner was quite good, the pizza was very good and the Tuna was to die for! But, on our last night, a Monday night, we ordered the burger without bread and... It was a disaster. Soggy and greasy potatoes, tasteless meat, and the worst of all, the lack of attitude and attention from the chef. Our waitress gave our feedback to the chef and he just didn't care... That's when I get worried, when a chef gets comments from customers, having the chance to know more about it, and just don't care. It's a shame, because all the staff was very warm and welcoming and trying their best to give us a good experience.

The rooms... Oh my... I cannot express how fantastic they are. Clean, fully equipped and functional with great views. The hotel is a marvel, the beds are very comfortable. Don't take the bottle of water with you, they charge 25€ for the bottles. The water inside the bottle is free, and it is tap water, which is great, because I've never had bad tap water in Portugal. Stay out of the restaurant for dinner. As with the name of the hotel, A Terra stands for down to earth. The hotel restaurant is anything but down to earth, it's actually quite pretentious. Where did this redicululos trend start to serve meals on planks, and to place large grain cooking salt on tables? I had the free range chicken for dinner, and although it was tasty, it was really small. I've shot larger quail while hunting. This chicken was the size of a large dove. It was accompanied by a small tasty bowl creamy rice. That chicken was so small, I had to order another meal. I took a chance with a burger. I asked for the burger to be cooked medium, and asked for it to be served without an egg (typically served this way in Portugal). The burger arrived rare, and with an egg, and the fries were soggy. The only redeeming part of the meal was that they forgot to charge me the 20€ for the bottle of wine I had. Normally had I really enjoyed the meal I would have pointed out the error. This time, no chance, not after spending 17€ on a dove and 18€ on a burger. Stay for the hotel, avoid the restaurant. There are many other traditional restaurants a short drive away in town.

Estávamos hospedados do hotel e todas as refeições que lá tivemos foram maravilhosas. Desde os hamburgueres, às saladas, a pizza também era boa mas não é o que mais destaco. O estufado de galinha e cogumelos era óptimo, a carne no ponto. O pequeno-almoço também é muito bom (os ovos escalfados mais bem feitos que já vi). O serviço é absolutamente fantástico, não só no restaurante mas em todo o hotel.

The place is pretty and comfortable but the food and the drinks are very expensive. The waiters are unprepared and they included the tip in your bill without asking you before. Per gli italiani: La pizza ha un bell’aspetto, ma nonostante il forno a legna ha il solito sapore di quella congelata della Conad.