Restaurante Lavrador

The place

Lavrador is a small, family-run dining room set back from São Vicente on the road up into the hills, consistently rated the town's top table. The signature move is cooking your own beef or tuna on a heated stone at the table, which turns dinner into a slower, more hands-on affair. The view down the valley toward São Vicente is as much the point as the food.

When to come

Early evening, timed so there's still daylight left for the valley view before you eat.

Worth knowing

• Small dining room — reserve ahead, especially for a window table at dinner
• Set back on a side road above the village — easy to miss the turn
• Hot-stone cooking takes longer than a plated dish — don't go if in a rush
• Best as a dinner stop if basing yourself in or near São Vicente