Boa Vista Bars and restaurants

Sal Rei restaurants

As yet Sal Rei lacks anything like the choice of bars or restaurants available in Santa Maria. Give it five years and it will be a lot better. For now although the beer is still Sagres and the wine Portuguese the ambience is not so much rustic as grubby in many of the small bars, which surround the main square. Sevice at the Italian open-air restaurant with a straw roof on Estoril Beach was so bad that we walked out. And the Estoril Beach itself is insufferably hot and stuffy at mid-day. So here is a short list of restaurants.

Terra Sabe, Sal Rei

Up the long hill past the church, school and towards the CVTelecom centre, set back in a small square. A roof-top restaurant under palm thatch, which can be cool in the evening as a stron breeze blows through it. You can hear live music from the music house bearby, which sometimes clashes with their own tapes, Food is simple, chicken, catchupa and tuna ogften with a piri-piri sauce. Wine and beer are cold and both service and prices are moderate by Cape Verdean standards.

Marie Sal Rei

Opposite the Migrante guest house, it mostly serves their clients. It has a good reputation but you have to pre-book even when it is empty, so we cannot vouch for this.

Snack Bar opposite the Hotel da Boa Vista Sal Rei

Just at the end of the main square heading out towards the petrol station, this small Cape Verdean run snack bar has the some of the best service and the best prices that we have found in the Cape Verdes. It serves mostly buns with ham or cheese. The Mindelo bun is particularly tasty. But you can also get cachupa and cold beer or wine. Mostly it caters for locals but if you can point or manage a smattering of Portuguese you will be well served.

Praia de Chaves

The only place open to non-residents is the pool-side restaurant at the Parque das Dunas. Service is good, food typical mixture of Italian pastas and meat dishes sometimes rather tough so-called veal (probably goat) or beef. Wine is also Italian, but the ambience is fresh and open and things work under the watchful eye of Aghostinho who will often join english-speaking guests for a chat. It also has a large television screen which visitors can watch.