Restaurants and Cafés

In the small borough of Boavista dos Pinheiros in Odemira in a quiet street, there is a restaurant called the Tasca “O Bernardo”, that attracts clients from all over the country. Run by Elisabeth Marcelino, German by birth, but her family worked on the land, is installed in a typical Alentejo dwelling and is divided into three spaces: the main room, with rustic tiles, the covered patio with the floor in wooden planks and the terrace, where most of the year the sun shines that characterises this part of the country. Antique furniture, restored and painted, make up the décor, as well as objects linked to country life, namely drinking spoons made of cork, yokes and zinc cups, some of which were offered by clients and friends, aware of Elisabeth’s taste for vintage and antiques.  

The atmosphere is relaxed, albeit elegant, and pulls in people from various parts of the world, pleased by the kindness of the polyglot owner and by her skill in the kitchen, interesting point is that she spent so much time in the north but feels at home in Alentejo. 

The menu starts with flavours from the South, among which are lightly boiled carrots, seasoned with garlic and coriander, fish roe salad, octopus salad and Serpa Cheese PDO, besides the soups that include dogfish soup and açorda with poached egg and bacalhau. The main dishes include grilled sea bream with coriander and garlic sauce, grilled sole and butter sauce and pasta and sea bream for the fish. For the meat there is Alentejo tenderloin steaks, grilled plumas or secretos, Portuguese style meat, carne de porco à alentejana, grilled sirloin steak with green pepper or fresh mushrooms. There are no vegetarian dishes on the menu but if anyone requests, the chef will concoct some appetisers that are as good as any of the others. 

Desserts not to be missed, in addition to the conventual desserts, are dark chocolate mousse and ice cream with flambé cherries. A wine cellar with wines of the region and some from outside the region. Service efficient and friendly!