Semblano - Arouca

This is an almost brand new restaurant which opened just as Covid struck, regrettably for the owners. The location is remote and will only be sought out by tourists visiting the schist villages or the nearby and fascinating Trilobite Museum. The decor is very attractive, using the local rock in the walls and the slate slabs on the roof. The dining room boasts magnificent views over the valley. The food is very traditional Portuguese with (for my tastes) far too much emphasis on slabs of meat, as is usual in Portugal. Fish was again the dreaded bacalhau with breadcrumbs (I just can 't grasp why restaurants here won 't freeze fresh fish, if they are located in areas away from the sea). On their website, they are now advertising monkfish with prawns so perhaps this is under review.? My biggest issue with this restaurant and the reason for the 'average ' rating was, however, the serving staff, who need real training in order to deliver good service. Each of the young girls carried infuriatingly just one item from the kitchen to the table at a time; one plate of bread, long wait, one carafe of red wine, long wait, one bottle of water, long wait for the white wine, one plate of sausage, long wait and so on. This was infuriating as the food got cold while we waited. The lunch ended up taking far too long and putting us behind with our schedule as a result.

We stopped here after a tour of the nearby suspension bridge. The food was lovely Portugese food with views out the window over the valley. The staff were quick to assist and serve. Wine was delicious. Just a lovely place for a meal. And the steak was incredible!

Perfect spot, with a lovely view and the most important of all, the food was excellent For sure we’ll come back. Congratulations

Comida muito saborosa e bem confecionada (a vitela estava muito tenrinha) e uma atendimento impecável. Vale bem a pena a viagem!

Nos llevó el guía y sin duda, comida casera muy muy rica. Vale la pena.