2 Best Restaurants in Coimbra and Central Portugal, Portugal

In the former stables of Quinta das Lagrimas, this well-regarded restaurant has two dining rooms, one of which opens onto immaculate gardens with fruit trees and herb gardens that provide ingredients for the meal to come. Created by star chef Vitor Dias, dishes are immaculately presented and full of powerful and unusual flavors. Fine Portuguese wines accompany each course, as do complimentary amuse-bouches. A children's menu with simpler options, like pizza, keeps younger diners happy while the grown-ups relish the refined dishes of the tasting menu.

Two former salt warehouses have been lovingly restored to create a sophisticated dining room with a lofty ceiling and exposed beams. The specialty at this award-winning space is bacalhau---it's prepared in several inventive ways. Salpoente also hosts regular art exhibitions and features live music, ranging from sultry jazz to fado, on weekends.