Fatto da Cláudio Coelho (Sintra, Portugal)

I had just spent a couple of hours ambling around the hillside Regaleira Palace and Gardens, a 10-acre former estate, now open to the public to explore the palace, chapel, grounds, one of the world’s most beautiful benches, and a host of architectural follies and natural features. All that uphill and downhill activity generated my appetite for a late lunch, so I headed back toward the heart of Sintra. On the way, I spied Fatto da Cláudio Coelho, an inviting restaurant with, surprisingly, just a few, but a very contented few, people enjoying their lunch on the outdoor terrace. So I selected a seat under the protective shade of the trees across the narrow road, watched an endless stream of eager people marching uphill on the key road to several of Sintra’s palaces and somewhat exhausted-looking folks heading back down, and tucked into a fantastic meal.

Try This: Start with a positively outstanding black truffle and chickpea cream soup with mascarpone cheese, spinach, and pancetta. All of the pasta, pizza, and risotto sound great, but I selected a fine grilled beef steak with a special butter, accompanied by crispy roasted potatoes with garlic and truffle sauce as well as a mixed garden salad with red onions and grape tomatoes. The puff pastry with mascarpone cream, fruit, and passionfruit syrup finishes off your meal with a wonderfully light and subtly sweet dessert.