Restaurants in Porto de Galinhas

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Barcaxeira

Tucked into a gallery of shops at the edge of the pracinha is a restaurant called Barcaxeira. (The name is combination of "barco", which means boat and "macaxeira", which is the Northeastern Brazilian name for sweet cassava ? a staple food in the Northeast of Brazil.) Barcaxeira has a pleasant atmosphere and good food at reasonable prices (R$20 per person plus drinks. It is also, according to one local, a restaurant more frequented by visitors from Recife than from farther away.

Barcaxeira's specialty is macaxeira gratinada, puréed macaxeira mixed with meat and cheese, and baked. Like a pizzeria, there are three sizes and a variety of options of meats and cheeses. Barcaxeira also has salads, pastas, fish, and meat dishes.

Beijupirá

Beijupirá has the distiction of being the most expensive restaurant in Porto de Galinhas. We recommend you go to Peixe na Telha (see below) rather than Beijupirá.

The entrance is flanked by trees, and the well-ventilated dining area feels very open. Dinner and a drink will come to about R$50 per person, but for those with the money to spend, the meal is well worth the price. The specialty is filet of cobia (beijupirá in Portuguese), the king of fish, prepared in a variety of methods. The menu is heavily tilted toward the sea, with excellent lobster and shrimp dishes, but has plenty of options for diners who don't like seafood. The food is excellent, as is the service, and the restaurant itself is beautiful. Beijupirá has an extensive wine list. There are menus available in English, German, Italian, and Finnish, not to mention Portuguese.

Peixe na Telha

One of the best options in Porto de Galinhas is Peixe na Telha. A telha is a curved clay tile, used to roof houses (and cook fish). The specialty is fish baked in this clay container, but the menu is one of the largest in the city. It focuses on seafood, but there are chicken and beef dishes for those who prefer land-based food. The restaurant is accessible from both the road and the beach. The restaurant provides a free shower for diners who have just left the beach, and for a small price (R$5 to R$15 depending on the items) will guard valuables for the duration of the meal. The food is excellent, and costs R$ 35 to R$ 50 per person (prices in 2012).

The restaurant is directly in front of the natural tide pools, and all but the very back of the dining room has an excellent view of the ocean. The dining room is large enough that even on the busiest days the wait for a table shouldn't be longer than fifteen or twenty minutes. There are a few uncovered tables in the front, but most of the dining room is under cover, if not exactly indoors. The street entrance is through a mostly covered walkway, and the beach entrance is completely open, so the dining room is well ventilated and cool even on the hottest of afternoons.

Peixe na Telha is located on the Rua das Piscinas Naturais (Street of the Natural Pools), less than 100 meters from the Pracinha.