Food · Azores · Portugal
What to eat in Azores
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Azores, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Lacobrigo, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Cozido das Furnas, São Jorge cheese and Bolo lêvedo. Watch the pots come out of the ground at Lagoa das Furnas in the late morning, then eat the stew at a village restaurant. Book cozido lunches in Furnas a day ahead, especially on weekends.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Cozido das Furnas
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 7
- Tipping
- Tipping is modest; rounding up or leaving 5–10% in restaurants for good service is…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish
1.Cozido das Furnas
A stew of beef, pork, chicken, chouriço, blood sausage, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and yams cooked for about six hours in a pot buried in the volcanic ground beside Lagoa das Furnas.
Where: Restaurants in Furnas serve it at lunchtime; book a table and arrive at midday.
Dish · Vegetarian
2.São Jorge cheese (Queijo São Jorge)
A hard, spicy cow's-milk cheese from São Jorge island with protected designation of origin, aged for several months. It is often served as a starter with bread and pepper paste.
Where: Supermarkets, cheese shops and the Mercado da Graça in Ponta Delgada, and cooperatives on São Jorge.
Bakery · Vegetarian
3.Bolo lêvedo
A lightly sweet, flat round muffin-like bread originally from Furnas, eaten split and toasted with butter or used for burgers and sandwiches.
Where: Bakeries and cafés across São Miguel; the Furnas originals are sold in the village.
Dish
4.Limpets (Lapas)
Limpets grilled in a cast-iron pan with garlic, butter, lemon and pepper paste, served sizzling as a starter.
Where: Seafood restaurants on the coast of every island, especially in fishing villages.
Dish
5.Alcatra
Terceira's signature dish of beef slow-cooked in an unglazed clay pot with wine, bacon, onions, garlic, allspice and bay leaves, served with sweet massa sovada bread.
Where: Traditional restaurants in Angra do Heroísmo and across Terceira, and at Holy Spirit festival meals.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Azorean pineapple (Ananás dos Açores)
Small, very sweet and aromatic pineapples grown in glasshouses on São Miguel, eaten fresh or as jam, liqueur and desserts.
Where: The Mercado da Graça in Ponta Delgada, plantation shops and restaurant dessert menus.
Dish
7.Octopus stewed in wine (Polvo guisado em vinho)
Octopus stewed slowly in red wine with onions, garlic and spices, a Pico speciality often paired with local wine.
Where: Restaurants in Madalena and Lajes do Pico, and seafood places across the archipelago.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Queijadas da Vila
Small, sweet tarts of fresh cheese, sugar and eggs in a crisp case, made in Vila Franca do Campo for centuries.
Where: Bakeries in Vila Franca do Campo and cafés across São Miguel.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Azorean tea
Green and black teas grown without pesticides on São Miguel's north coast, at plantations such as Gorreana and Porto Formoso.
Where: Plantation tasting rooms on the north coast, cafés and supermarkets for souvenir packs.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Pico wine
Wines from the lava-walled vineyards of Pico, especially mineral, salty whites from the Verdelho, Arinto dos Açores and Terrantez do Pico grapes, as well as the traditional fortified 'lajido'.
Where: The Pico wine cooperative and producers near Madalena, and wine lists across the islands.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Kima
A passion-fruit soft drink made in the Azores and found in nearly every café and restaurant on the islands.
Where: Cafés, restaurants and supermarkets throughout the archipelago.
Food experiences
Cozido lunch in Furnas
Watch the pots come out of the ground at Lagoa das Furnas in the late morning, then eat the stew at a village restaurant.
Tea tasting on the north coast
Visit Gorreana and Porto Formoso to see 19th-century tea machinery and taste the island's teas.
Mercado da Graça
Ponta Delgada's covered market sells São Jorge cheese, pineapples, passion fruit and fish; there are small food counters inside.
Wine tasting on Pico
Walk through the basalt-walled vineyards and taste salty Verdelho whites at the cooperative or small producers.
Quick bites and street food
- Bolo lêvedo — Bakeries and cafés across São Miguel; the Furnas originals are sold in the village.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 7 are usually vegetarian: São Jorge cheese, Bolo lêvedo, Azorean pineapple, Queijadas da Vila, Azorean tea, Pico wine and Kima. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Book cozido lunches in Furnas a day ahead, especially on weekends.
- Bread, butter, cheese and pepper paste brought before the meal are usually charged if you eat them.
- Restaurants outside Ponta Delgada often close early; plan dinners on smaller islands in advance.
- Lunch is usually from about noon to 3pm and dinner from 7pm.
- Azorean beef is grass-fed and good value; a steak is a reliable order almost anywhere.
Tipping
Tipping is modest; rounding up or leaving 5–10% in restaurants for good service is appreciated but not expected.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bom dia | Good morning |
| Obrigado / Obrigada | Thank you (said by a man / a woman) |
| A conta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Lagoa | Lake |
| Miradouro | Viewpoint |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Azores famous for?
Cozido das Furnas, São Jorge cheese, Bolo lêvedo and Limpets. A stew of beef, pork, chicken, chouriço, blood sausage, cabbage, carrots, potatoes and yams cooked for about six hours in a pot buried in the volcanic ground beside Lagoa das Furnas.
+Is Azores good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including São Jorge cheese, Bolo lêvedo and Azorean pineapple.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Azores?
Tipping is modest; rounding up or leaving 5–10% in restaurants for good service is appreciated but not expected.