Where to eat: the 11 best restaurants in Lajes do Pico

We had a buffet dinner, which was very delicious, with a wide variety of fish and side dishes. Our favorite was the traditional tuna stew. The waiters were very kind, and the service was excellent! We had the dinner in a beautiful terrace.

Best dinner at Azzorres since we have arrived!

Tried making reservations 10 days before the date wanted. They said that it was too early, and they said to call back 3 days before. I called and they said that we need to call back the day before. We called the day before and they told us that it was all booked for that day. They said that people at the hotel have first priority. Why didn’t they say that before when we called 3 days before. Bad communication on their part. We were there 2 years before and everything was excellent. Customer service isn’t the best, they need to communicate better with public. I understand it’s a very popular place but treat your clientele with respect.

Amazing place - food, service and area were incredible. They also charged my phone, which helped a lot. Great spot in Pico Island!

Fantastic location, wonderful and friendly service and most importantly, very tasty food. I recommend octopus dishes in various versions and desserts, especially pudding.

Fantastic food, nice stuff, good Price. Definitely worth it! Octopus stew awesome!

I was absolutely satisfied with the service, meal and the restaurant. medium rare steak was prepared excellently. waiters speak also english

Wowowow, our best meal in the Azores so far. Atypical if you’re from the states, but definitely get the bao buns with fish (bao Alana) — it’s succulent, fresh, and perfect. We got it literally after our espressos because we saw someone else order it and no regrets. Whew. We also got the miso soup, gyoza, ponzu fish salad, sushi/sashimi for 1, the chirashi bowl, and a spicy temaki. All of the fish was so fresh and yummy. They don’t skimp on fish portions! Also, the name of the fish used isn’t on the menus, but that’s okay. It’s just all fresh and delicious. 5 stars all around! Also great view but careful of windy-ness and sudden rain. Muito obrigada!

Mar Sushi Terrace offers a truly fantastic view over the ocean and the eastern end of the island - the setting alone makes this restaurant worth visiting. The interior is stylishly designed, creating an elegant atmosphere that perfectly complements the stunning scenery. Note that the terrace may be closed during or after rain, so indoor seating becomes the fallback option - but the views from inside are still impressive if you are seated next to a window. The menu is thoughtfully curated and well-organized, featuring a focused selection that shows careful consideration in pairing dishes together. The service is attentive and professional throughout the dining experience. Be prepared for a busy atmosphere as this popular spot tends to get quite full - a testament to its quality and reputation. The food is simply excellent, justifying both the crowds and any wait you might encounter. This is the kind of place that leaves a lasting impression. The combination of breathtaking views, stylish ambiance, thoughtful menu, attentive service, and outstanding cuisine creates an experience we would happily repeat anytime. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Pico looking for exceptional dining with spectacular ocean views.

Amazing experience but make a reservation. When we arrived the place was packed and we needed to return an hour later. The sushi was so good. All were tuna and local white flaky fish

Stayed here to refuel during my bike ride to Madalena. The restaurant is amazing—with delicious aromas inside, a beautiful terrace, and friendly service. All the sushi and sashimi are made from local fish. Don’t skip this gem!

Worth the drive from Madalena. Delicious and comforting miso soup to start. We split 36 pieces for 2 and sushi was fresh with great variety. Lemon cake was tart and tasty! Excellent value for money and would recommend making a trip to enjoy.

AMAZING. If you are visiting Pico you should try their sushi. First time I ate parrot fish, barracuda and macrel as a sushi and it was fun. Desserts are bees knees. ❤️ It was a unique and very memorable experience.

Great sushi and amazing dumplings, the lemon pie was superb! Unfortunately it was windy so we sat inside, but the views were still stunning. Better to make a reservation in advance!

The food is good. Tradionally cooked. It's a small buffet so you had your choice of grilled pork, bbq chicken legs, or breaded fish for meat and sides of fries, rice, cheesy hashbrowns with fish, a cold potatoe salad with crab, soup, and small salad bar. But the service is sub-par. On a hot day everyone wanted to eat outside and they didn't seem to have a system in place for seating people. They didnt take my drink order until I was half way done my plate. I also had to ask for bill 3 times. Great location. Good food. Bad service.

A good buffet, and charming, attentive staff. We arrived late for lunch, but we're served promptly, our beverages quickly procured, with no trace of impatience. The outside seating allowed us a lovely view of both the ocean and the steep hillside above the town. A pleasant stop.

I have to send back the fresh catch of the day back to the kitchen. It was frozen. But they didn't charge me so it's fair. The food tend to be a bit overwhelmed with lemon. The limpets we ordered was not up to par either. Service was good.

Good social distancing measures in place, very accommodating hosts, unlimited tasty buffet food selections, adjoining patio and bar with the restaurant, lots of parking available, some interesting 80-90s nostalgia in the bar section, great selection of American and Canadian brand Whiskey.

Its nice restaurant, it has a big space to sit and enjoying... the only thing that I don't like is the coffee.. food its excellent, staff very fast! I highly recommended everyone that I knew to this place.

It's a buffet place. There's a good variety and the price is good. The food is delicious!

Expensive, average food, service as attentive and thoughtful as a brick.

The food was very good but we waited way too much. Nobody of our group ate together...my codfish (with eggs and fries) arrived two hours late. It was tasty and also the octopus with rice was very good but they need to improve the service (and the white sangria too!). We spent less than 20€ each.

The service is incredibly slow but the food is amazing. And the outdoor garden is a tranquil seating experience.

Friendly staff but average food. Nice view of the volcano from the back outdoor area. Might have been four stars except that the owner’s dog was continuously begging at our table. I don’t understand all of the 5-star reviews; maybe the chef had a bad day? Anyway: The best part about this place was the good location in Lajes do Pico. There are several other nice shops nearby to explore. Overall, worth a few hours to visit.

Google is showing this place is closed for the season but I was there today April 19th and they are open. It’s Easter weekend, so they had a limited menu for dinner, but they were very kind and accommodating for me because I’m a vegetarian and I couldn’t a lot of the limited menu. The staff was all really nice, the back patio is beautiful and has a great Volcano view.

We planned to eat lunch here today as the rating was high on here. However, we ended up leaving due to our experience with the very rude staff member. We arrived and sat down at a table on the terrace which seemed quite nice. However, did not receive any menus so went to the counter to try to order and see a menu. We waited in line and tried to order, however, after speaking to the staff member and asking for information about the options, we were not provided any information. The staff member seemed confused that I asked for information about the fish of the day (the menu says that price is on request). He proceeded to ignore us and look at his phone and then serve the people behind us. We were slightly confused about what was happening, and then he abruptly told us he would bring us menus to the table when he had time. We sat down, but were not brought any menus so decided to leave. I’ve now seen a few reviews similar to our experience - it seems this place used to be better but has gone downhill due to the unfriendly staff!

Atrocious service: we were left for 45 minutes AFTER eating our soup with no one to collect the dirty dishes or ask whether we wanted anything else. After that the server got the order wrong (that is, he totally forgot to place it with the kitchen) which resulted in another half hour of waiting. When the food finally came, he did not bring cutlery and I had to fetch it myself. We had hoped to eat some dessert but we gave up because once we ate our main meal, the server never returned to ask whether we wanted anything else or to lift the dirty dishes. I ended up having to go to the counter to pay or we would still be sitting there. The service was amongst some of the worst we have had in our lives and all of the countries that we’ve traveled.

This place is awesome! Highly recommend getting the fish of the day, octopus salad, or a sandwich. The staff is friendly, the back garden area is beautiful, and the prices are reasonable. Check them out in Lajes!

Best service we’ve ever received! This was not just a meal but an experience. Manuel is the best waiter. He is intuitive and attentive and makes you feel like family! We loved it so much we went twice in a row! Mixed fish and cheeseburgers were amazing. Get the pressured wine. Beautiful sunset view of Pico Volcano on a clear day.

We had two dinner in this restaurant during our stay in Lajes and we enjoyed a lot food and drinks. I tasted the "pescado of the day": tuna, ricciola, barracuda and carango fish were delicious. They were served with boiled potatoes or chips and mixed salad. Also the appetizers were good. They offered some digestives and they were well appreciated too. We spent less than 20€ each.

Our host Ivan recommended this Place. Everything was really tasty, good fresh Fish dishes, good Wine, good Desserts, good prices. The Service was fantastic too, really friendly and funny. We had Good Time and laughed a lot. We thank you Nando for the nice experience und the Special Drink I would call *Danger-Kima* Obrigado and best regards Leo & Kathi

simple dish with fresh fish, cooked potato, and salad. the fish was fresh and perfectly grilled. the potato was delicious, full of flavor. the salad, simple but brought the balance of required flavors to the picture. the service was impeccable 👌 to summarize, this is the type of restaurant that the island must have. simple and effective to serve what the island has to offer. good food and sympathy

We had a feast spending only €40. The grilled shrimp is a must try! One of the server speaks perfect English.

Simple fresh and quite busy. Of you like home styled cooking with fresh ingredients and a laid back atmosphere I highly recommend the place. And the owner is super nice ☺️

I would recommend book a table in advance especially in the summer as it gets quite full... We had the fish of the day and the squid and the food was excellent. The panna cotta was also very good. Highly recommended to stop by when visiting Lajes do Pico.

Had a very nice buffet, lots of options. Local wine and a shot of "moonshine" also came with lunch.

This was an amazing place to eat. We went as part of our tour. The food was amazing and the buffet style offered lots of variety. The owner was very kind and even took the time to let us pet the donkeys grazing on the lawn behind the restaurant. I highly recommend this!

Very nice restaurant with friendly staff.

Restaurant for tour groups but very nice assortment on buffet. Wine on table and liqueur given as afters. A good meal

Clean, spacious, gracious, with a stunning ocean view. The house wines were good, the bread lovely and fresh, and the tuna pate to die for. The buffet was varied enough for all tastes: chicken soup, cod loins in lemon butter, fried pork cutlets, rice, yams, baked beans, steamed broccoli, boiled potatoes and carrots. On the cold food table, green salad, grated carrots, tomatoes and onions with olive oil and wine vinegar to dress them. For dessert, a fruit salad and a trifle we're on offer. Everything was capped off with espresso and a shot of the local moonshine, a fiery and faintly floral liquor to help the digestion. A pleasant place to stop, with the added attraction of a mini museum of traditional local farm implements.

Good social distancing measures in place, ample parking nearby on the street, do visit the agriculture museum attached to the restaurant. Fantastic buffet selection, very understanding staff, they've got products to help clean wine stains - Muito Obrigado. The view from the windows are stunning to the Atlantic ocean and nearby Lajes Do Pico.

Excelent service, view, and most of all...food. Polvo stew was excellent. Seafood skewer was exceptional. Generous portions. Galao for a finisher was perfect.

A week visit to Pico!!! We had some fantastic food. Trigger fish and octopus 🐙. I ever got a fridge magnet from the owner

Worst Service ever. Sent us away in the rain. We were socking wet from the rain because we were driving with the scooter. Thought we could drink a coffee there and have a small Snack we weren't very hungry had a big breakfast. Waitress said we have to leave if we don't eat something big. The Restaurant was almost empty. So she sent us back in the rain although she saw we were wet and only had a scooter. Don't go there...

Awesome! The food is amazing! Had one of the best fish meals of my life. The starters of grilled chorizo and local cheese were very good. After that we had a fish named Irio in Portuguese which was super fresh and superbly grilled! Also tried porco preto (Iberian pork) which was outstanding! Dessert choice was limited but who cares after such a great meal!

Service was exceedingly slow. It took an hour from when we ordered our food for it to arrive. Three of us had the Toni Pingas Steak and it was perhaps the toughest beef I've ever had. It might have been better if they had provided a sharper knife, but it was slow going with the butter knives. Three people in our group didn't finish their meals. The side of rice seemed undercooked and hard. The fries tasted like stale/old potatoes and they should've been drained more from the fryer (and/or perhaps the fryer needed to be cleaned as well). The fourth of our group had the sardines. He also didn't finish. The sardines were not de-scaled, or cleaned (i.e., they were not gutted). I can't recommend this place. We ended up going because it was the only place open.

Amazing fish of the day we enjoyed! Garupa was my choice (bottom one). Staff was really kind and attentive. They had a super fish guide-book where you can see the detail of each specific fish. The side potatoes with garlic, memorable!

We had lunch with friends there 2 times, and it was the most delicious tuna steak in my life🤩

Really nice place to eat and very good value. I recommend the grilled fish or beef - the bife de frango is also good if you want a simple meal, and the asinhas are some of the best I've had. Most of the fish they have are freshly caught but some types of fish they only have frozen, I recommend that you check with them which are freshly caught since they always taste better. The staff are really exceptionally friendly. Although don't be surprised if service is slow on a Saturday or Sunday night. The place gets really packed and they only have so many hands.

This restaurant is very high quality. The food is technically well executed. Ingredients seem to be all very local, and the chefs are very happy to discuss the story of each dish. I’ve been to many farm to table concepts at this point (haven’t we all) and this is one of the best. The wine list likewise is very nicely done. They had the only good red we had on Pico, and a good stock of bottles, many priced at retail. The restaurant itself is beautiful and thoughtfully designed.

Went on a rained out Sunday after driving an hour. The experience was totally awesome. Top rated chef and culinary experience for Pico. Using local ingredient with new innovative cooking style. Including home made bread, sashimi and beef carpaccio, hake cooked in pork fat, melange local beef parts sou vide 36 hrs. Paired with delicious but unique Azores wines to provide a full month watering experience.

5 stars? I need a giant bucket of stars to give them! It’s been one of the best culinary experiences we’ve been lucky to enjoy. We chose the Azorean Roots Tasting menu with wine pairing for 145€ each. Our waiter Gonzalo was fabulous, also all the other ones provided a relaxed atmosphere with the necessary sophistication the place calls for. The explanations with all wine pairings was insightful and knowledgeable. The first two courses come as one with a local sweet corn bread/ brioche mix and sea urchin and limpet. The following courses are a mix of vegetables, fish, meat and of course a dessert. This place deserves a Michelin star! Book in advance, this place is still quite new but it’s starting to get an excellent reputation as a ‘do not miss on Pico’.

Tonight, I have had the pleasure to be guest at Bioma. It was inspiring to see the team giving so much attention to quality and details. The service was incredibly attentive and pleasant. The food was local, seasonal and delicious. Definitely a place to visit for dining-enthusiasts!

Each course (we had five) was a delight! Thank you so much. We are very curious about the other courses which we will try next time.

Had an absolutely great experience here while staying on Pico. Franco and Rafael were so clearly invested in every facet of this place. It was really great to hear about the dishes and also the prices (we sat at the chef's table). We drove over from Madalena. It was about 55 minutes and I highly recommend eating here if you are considering it - no matter where you are staying on the island!

We had a truly memorable evening at Bioma – a fine dining restaurant that brings Michelin-level expertise to the Azores in a setting that is nothing short of spectacular. Located in a stunning, remote spot with panoramic views, Bioma offers an intimate, carefully curated dining experience that showcases the richness of local ingredients with refined technique. Although we chose the most basic of the fine dining menu options, it was anything but simple: each course was beautifully presented, thoughtfully composed, and full of flavor. The focus on high-quality local products added a real sense of place and authenticity. The service was professional, attentive, and well-informed. Every course was introduced with detail – occasionally more than necessary, which gave the evening a slightly formal tone. Still, the team’s passion and dedication were unmistakable. A special highlight was the personal presence of the chefs at the table. They generously shared parts of their story and culinary philosophy, and their background in Michelin-starred kitchens was clearly reflected in the precision and creativity of the food. What truly sets Bioma apart, however, is its outstanding value for money. Compared to other restaurants in the Azores – and even to fine dining establishments elsewhere in Europe – the quality of the experience here far exceeds what one might expect at this price point. We felt genuinely welcomed and left thoroughly impressed. Bioma is a hidden gem on Pico that fully deserves wider recognition. Highly recommended.

A very beautiful place with a nice location near whale watching tours. The only drawback is they are understaffed. 2 workers try their best to serf about 40 hungry tourists but they have no chance. I wish I could visit this place on a quiet day.

so like the food was good like I had a burger and it was like a good burger and like the like fries were like tasting like goood and tho like the service was a bit like rude but like not toooo much like they were like kinda understaffed like so idk like maybe it isn't like this all the time like and my order did like get mixed up but like I like burgers so I like just went with it like yeah the atmosphere is like nice but nothing supreme like inside although outside the like view is pretty like nice and yeah like that's it like like that's the end of the like review like

Such a cute cafe! Great view of Montanha Pico. The service was 10/10! Food was 20/10! We had brunch here, had the Menu 1 & it was so much food, so delicious. We spent our last day on the island having brunch here, the atmosphere was so chill & comfortable. We also tried the Waffle Burger & I’m still drooling over it! The drinks are are so good too! Everyone who works there was so friendly & engaged with us & made us feel extra welcomed.

delicious food, wonderful view on the yacht club. however, the place is really understaffed and the waiting time reaches up to two hours (even though there are barely any visitors in the restaurant in relation to the great number of available tables). moreover, one of the waiters, the ginger one with piercings and tattoos is rude for no reason. i came up to the bar to make a reservation. she was talking to another person at that time in a strangely arrogant way and i already knew my conversation with her was not going to be pleasant either. i asked if i could book a table for 8pm, to which the waitress offered me a snort of disgust. she said that’s a terrible time to visit them. i told her i didn’t think there was going to be a problem with anything here considering the fact that i already visited them 5 times before at the same time. she shrugged and said "good luck" in a sarcastic way, followed by "it’s not my problem anyway, i won’t be working then" 🤔 and that’s just one example of my interaction with her. since when are we trying to lose clients instead of being friendly and welcoming?? all in all, the restaurant is worth visiting (as long as you have a lot of time on your hands, a deck of cards perhaps?). again, the food and view compensate for the attitude from some of the staff members

Service was rushed and unfriendly, with more than an hour of waiting for lukewarm dishes. Simple requests (ice, children’s meals first, cutlery) visibly annoyed the waiter, who even threw the cutlery on the table, scaring our children. We were also charged for a doggy bag. A pity, because with a little care and kindness, the experience could have been completely different.

Great if you can sit outside in good weather. The view over the port is enjoyable. The service is fast, the cheeseburgers are a great value for money deal, and the side salad is enough for two. The prices might be a bit higher than elsewhere but the food and view makes up for it.

Very tasty cakes and cocktails 😎😁 and a view on pico mountain

The place was really nice and cozy but there was only one man taking the orders and doing all the work so we had to wait a lot. My salad with fresh tuna and fried egg was delicious and the sangria too! We only spent 15€ each.

Really nice discover the people are so kind and the food so nice ! It's a nice place having a small terrace in front of the camping which is really quiet a perfect place to drink or eat something! The price is perfectly affordable also due to the fact that the plates are huge ! We had the chance to taste local whine and liquors. I can only recommend this restaurant

A few friends said to go here and it was really good!! It's VERY affordable and the portions are HUGE!! Hubby and I shared the fish & chips and the tuna then had enough left over to take home for dinner that evening. The owner is a delight, very friendly and happy to give suggestions where to go and what to see. OK - there HAS to be a negative - the french fries were actually comme ci comme ça. Everything else - très bon!!

Best place to eat in Lajes (we tried all but the Fonte Tavern)! I think the guy who is doing the service is the owner. He does its very best to keep everything coming and is very friendly. Sure some minutes of waiting if the place is full as he is doing everything on his own. But I would still call the service excellent. Highly recommended! Just one warning: Don't drink too much of his high percentage (50%) liquor he is offering (for free) if you are going on a boat the next day ;-)

This a really nice place to grab a bite. The service is really friendly and the food is absolutely tasty. Also can't argue with the prices. Will visit again

This place is amazing. It’s owned and operated by a local Portuguese couple. Both my wife and I ordered the special him the day I got squid and she got some white fish that the waiter recommended. The meal was incredible And the service was also really friendly. I couldn’t recommended more.

The best meal we’ve had on the island, by far! We came from brunch and had the chicken and waffles, yogurt parfait, pistachio pancakes, matcha latte, avocado toast and caramel macchiato. Amazing! Sad it’s not closer to where we’re staying near Madalena, otherwise we’d come for all our meals :). Prices were also phenomenal.