Top 10 restaurants in Evoramonte, Portugal

THE HISTORY OF THE OLD GAOL OF Estremoz The old judicial gaol of Estremoz, a monument of the 16th century, has been converted into a bar and a restaurant, giving back to the town one of its most emblematic (symbolic) buildings. Due to its cosy atmosphere and vivid historical features, “A Cadeia Quinhentista” is much more than a restaurant and a bar; it is a place where gastronomy, history, architecture and design reach perfection. More than a restaurant, “A Cadeia Quinhentista” is the passport for medieval times, in the heart of the Royal Citadel ; it is a true sensorial experience. The Judicial Gaol was erected in the civic centre of 16th century Estremoz (next to the Medieval Town Hall, the Town Church, the Royal Residence and the house of the Governor) and near the medieval grounds of Saint Mary’s graveyard. Medieval burial stones which have been used as filling material for the stone built walls were now found during the construction work that took place to turn the gaol into a restaurant. Today it is believed that this building may also have been erected to be the Town Hall, where, as we all know, there would almost always be a gaol on the ground floor. The rooms occupied by the Town Hall would always be on the first floor. This belief is also supported by some new evidence. During construction work, some traces of frescos were found on the upper floor and even at the entrance leading to the lower floor. The building is a two-storey high quadrangle (the ground floor was reserved for male prisoners and the upper one was occupied by the gaoler and female prisoners) with marble corners which are quite appropriate for a building destined to be a prison. The sixteenth marble staircase stands out, as well as the windows of the same century. The decorations on the lintel of the second-floor windows are clearly of the reigns of our kings D. Manuel I or D. Joao III. The windows also have strong bars, especially the more vulnerable ones, that is, those of the ground floor… The inside retains some sixteenth century brackets which supported simple brick or stone built vaults. The religious services took place in a little chapel situated in front of the Gaol and is now inactive; its Patron Saint was Our Lady of Bom Sucesso. Mass was celebrated on the upper floor balcony so that the prisoners (men and women) could attend the ceremony. The Chapel was supported by the Misericordia of Estremoz for several centuries. Here lived a chaplain until an uncertain date of the 20th century. The religious implements are today in Saint Mary’s Church. The restaurant, where traditional food from the Alentejo predominates, also offers signature dishes which favour the quality products of the region, such as the best meats: free-range pork, veal and lamb, with the subtle flavour of tens of herbs of the region, the national wines, the fresh products, the cheeses and the sausages. Mint, coriander and pennyroyal are added to the lamb, the freerange pork, the dog-fish. The optimal use of different flavours develops creative new concepts and turns gastronomy into art. Conventual sweetfood - “encharcada”, “manjar celeste”, “toucinho do ceu”, among others - mixes the eggs, the sugar, the sugared squash and the almonds with the mastery and tradition of the convents. The water pudding of Estremoz, the pear in Moscatel wine “au gratin” with vanilla ice cream filling and the fan of mango with passion fruit culi and lemon sorbet, are also specialities to tempt and tantalise every palate.

Restaurant, Wine Bar, tapas. Coffee, chocolats and cakes. Fine food grocery.