Our Story

For years, Restaurant Tavares has been consistent in offering authentic Portuguese foods and high-quality services. Our menu is a true representation of traditional culinary delights of the Cape Verdean recipes and American influenced and contemporary alternatives.

Restaurante Tavares was born from the passion for bringing the delights of Portuguese gastronomy and culture to the American food market. We strive to offer customers a memorable dining experience because every meal should invoke strong memories and mark happy moments.

When owner Luis Braga migrated to America, he was determined to share the warm ambiance and distinctive cuisines of his native Azore. Luiz started the restaurant by recreating Portugal’s beautiful islands’ feel and look, with the interior décor featuring exquisite hand-crafted artwork imported from his native country.
The vibrant interior colors capture the beauty of the Azores sun and the cool blues of the Atlantic. The atmosphere is conducive for conversation, with the bar welcoming you to sophisticated cocktails, bottled beers, wines, and mocktails.

FAQ

Do You Offer Traditional Portuguese Cuisines?

Cape Verde makes an incredible winter destination for the beautiful waters and the amazing local cuisines. Fortunately, Restaurante Tavares is dedicated to ensuring you enjoy Portugal’s traditional culinary delights without ever leaving the country. Besides traditional cuisines, our skilled chefs have incorporated Portuguese spices and ingredients with other cuisines to create tasty American variations of popular dishes. Be sure to check our menu for more information on dishes and their prices!

Where Do You Source Your Ingredients?

At Restaurante Tavares, we strive to make everything fresh and tasty, so we use the highest quality ingredients sourced from the finest local farms in America. Fortunately, all traditional Portuguese spices are available locally, meaning there are no cutting corners when preparing our dishes. Only authentic Portuguese spices make it to our kitchen for a fine dining experience.

Is Portuguese Food Spicy?

Portuguese cuisines at Restaurante Tavares are fresh, balanced, and tasty. Most of the recipes are also packed with vibrant and spicy ingredients with vegetables, fruits, seafood, plenty of sweets, and meat. As such, the food is not only tasty but also healthy.

What can you order at Restaurante Tavares?

While Portuguese restaurants in America have been ignored for years, Restaurante Tavares doesn’t play second fiddle to restaurants from other Mediterranean countries. Our cuisines balance modern and century-old traditional Portuguese cuisines with American variations inspired by various local ingredients. Some of the most popular foods on our menu include:

Traditional Bacalhau

Historically, bacalhau is one of Portugal’s staple meals prepared from dried, salted cod. There are various ways to prepare bacalhau in the Portuguese culture, depending on which part of the country you’re in.

Get the Ceviche

With seafood being one of Portugal’s main calling, you won’t miss ceviche in many Portuguese restaurants. Our ceviche is always fresh, with a light, bursting, and refreshing citrusy flavor that leaves you craving for a weekend at Portugal’s seashores.

Meat and Soups

Like in local Spanish restaurants, Restaurante Tavares has a host of beef, pork, chicken soups, and meat. Our meat is seasoned with native Portuguese spices, with the main starter soup being Caldo Verde, a popular cuisine made with sausage cuts, potato puree, and sliced kale.

Pastries

While catholic workers historically prepared Portugal’s pastries, Restaurante Tavares has brought the country gourmet secrets to the American backyard. Pasteis de Nata is among the most famous treats at Restaurante Tavares, thanks to its rich, creamy texture and taste.