A few vegan options. Everything is organic. We went twice to have dinner there during our stay in Madalena, Pico.
I went for their chili dish on the first night and it was very good. On the second night, i tried their salad. The salad as you can see in the photo is different vegetables, tofu and noodles placed together with peanut butter sauce in the middle. The salad was a bit boring. I preferred the chili dish way more.
Updated from previous review on 2024-08-13
J Thae
When it comes to eating, the taste depends heavily on the dish. We had a delicious beef rendang, but also by far the worst gado gado we have ever eaten. For a price of 18 euros for the Gado Gado, which was simply bland, that was simply not enough. The portions aren't particularly big either. Even the beautiful presentation doesn't help. The iced teas only taste like sugar syrup, so it's better to switch to other drinks here. But I found the atmosphere in the restaurant much worse. The employees seemed distant, listless and cold. When we asked if everything was OK and we replied that we didn't find the Gado Gado that tasty, the only comment we received was "I see". It's a real shame, I was hoping for a lot more.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Laurent Serrault
Finally a very good restaurant on these islands Excellent curry of the day Extraordinary chicken burger I wholeheartedly recommend it to you
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nik D
awesome food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Joshua Hügli
Curry of the day was delicious and also the sweet and sour pork! The service was very nice as well. Passionfruit cheesecake mousse was awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheesecake, Passion Fruit Dessert, Curry of the Day
Rob H
Very tasty food and friendly service. Prices relatively more expensive than other restaurants but still fine. Around 19 euros for a main course. Too bad you don't get any vegetables with it (except for the Gado gado of course). Even the children's menu didn't include vegetables. Only wash plain rice with chicken or pork. But certainly a good and neat restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Pascal Aulagnet
Small restaurant but the food and the service are 5 stars. Vegetarian salade and chili are very good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David S.
Great Resti. Nicely decorated. Friendly service. Delicious meal. Recommended
Vegetarian options: Serves veggie dish
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Simone Pedrazzini
Review in Italian and English
Pico, Mercado Bio - An interesting place with ups and downs
Pico, Mercado Bio is a very interesting place, well furnished and located in the heart of Madalena. The atmosphere is welcoming and the interior design is meticulous in detail, making the visual experience pleasant. The staff is friendly, even if sometimes a little hasty.
The selection of cocktails is not very vast, but still interesting, with some "signatures" worthy of note. The menu of dishes is well constructed and, reading the menu, the dishes look very promising.
Now let's move on to the sore point. I firmly believe that a restaurant has every right to present its dishes as it sees fit and to set the prices it deems appropriate. As a cooking enthusiast, I understand the work and cost of quality raw materials (the better they are, the better the food). The chef's ability is crucial and closely linked to these aspects. I don't complain about paying a certain price in a starred or otherwise renowned restaurant.
However, I found the food at this restaurant to be not particularly great. The taste was nice, but not great. The entrees were good but served a bit roughly (for example, a green avocado cream on green salad, which could have been presented with more care, and the tuna meatballs with too much coriander, whose predominant flavor overpowered everything else ).
The main course, a sweet and sour pork stew, was plentiful but perhaps not best accompanied with rice. Long-cooked meat needs its sauce, otherwise it risks becoming monotonous, and rice doesn't help improve the situation. In essence, the dish was good, but nothing more, certainly not up to the decor and atmosphere of the place. Price not excessive although high in my opinion.
Pico, Mercado Bio - An Interesting Place with Highs and Lows
Pico, Mercado Bio is a very interesting place, well-decorated and centrally located in Madalena. The atmosphere is welcoming, and the interior design is thoughtfully detailed, making the visual experience pleasant. The staff is friendly, although sometimes a bit brisk.
The cocktail selection isn't extensive, but it is interesting, with some noteworthy "signature" drinks. The menu is well-constructed, and the dishes seem very promising when you read about them.
Now, let's address the downside. I firmly believe that a restaurant has every right to present its dishes as it sees fit and to set prices it deems appropriate. As a food enthusiast, I understand the work and the cost of high-quality ingredients (the better they are, the better the food). The chef's skill is crucial and directly connected to these aspects. I don't complain about paying a certain price at a starred or highly regarded restaurant.
However, in this restaurant, I found the food not particularly exceptional. The taste was nice but not outstanding. The starters were good but served somewhat haphazardly (for example, a green avocado cream on green salad, which could have been presented with more thought, and tuna meatballs with too much cilantro, whose dominant flavor overwhelmed everything else).
The main course, a sweet and sour pork stew, was generous but perhaps not best served with rice. Slow-cooked meat needs its sauce; otherwise, it can become monotonous, and the rice doesn't help improve the situation. Essentially, the dish was good, but nothing more, certainly not matching the ambiance and decor of the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Kenza Vionnet
Slightly more expensive than other places but great quality food. Delicious curry and a very calm atmosphere. Perfect for solo-travellers as you can eat at the bar with a view on the kitchen ?
Good place to eat. Very generous portions in a well-kept and decorated restaurant with very good service. We would only point out that they did not have many options for food on the menu. No fish and little variety. Perhaps due to the Asian mix of the culinary proposal. For the rest we will return
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
John Kooistra
Good food, atmosphere less likely due to the European Championship match Portugal.
But food highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karin Schreurs
Cozy small restaurant, delicious food and very pleasant service. Worth repeating ??
Vegetarian options: Wide choice of vegetarian and vegan food
Dietary restrictions: Also gluten-free dishes on the menu
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hugo F
Mercado Bio offers quick and healthy vegan options in a place where few are available. I tried the bean chili, which was a nice portion but tasted fairly standard. A side of rice and as 3.50 euros, which seemed a bit steep. The lentil curry was delicious and came with rice but was a third of the size of the bean chili so I found the portions between dishes rather confusing. Still, if you are vegan and have already had O Cinco across the street, this is a decent option.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Gloria Sarmento
tivemos um almoço maravilhoso hoje com ótimo atendimento!!! Provámos 3 pratos veganos diferentes e partilhámo-los na nossa mesa, sugestão do nosso servidor! é altamente recomendável!
Vegetarian options: Tasty Vegan options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice Noodles with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce, Vegetarian Chilli, Curry of the Day
A few vegan options. Everything is organic. We went twice to have dinner there during our stay in Madalena, Pico. I went for their chili dish on the first night and it was very good. On the second night, i tried their salad. The salad as you can see in the photo is different vegetables, tofu and noodles placed together with peanut butter sauce in the middle. The salad was a bit boring. I preferred the chili dish way more. Updated from previous review on 2024-08-13
When it comes to eating, the taste depends heavily on the dish. We had a delicious beef rendang, but also by far the worst gado gado we have ever eaten. For a price of 18 euros for the Gado Gado, which was simply bland, that was simply not enough. The portions aren't particularly big either. Even the beautiful presentation doesn't help. The iced teas only taste like sugar syrup, so it's better to switch to other drinks here. But I found the atmosphere in the restaurant much worse. The employees seemed distant, listless and cold. When we asked if everything was OK and we replied that we didn't find the Gado Gado that tasty, the only comment we received was "I see". It's a real shame, I was hoping for a lot more.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Finally a very good restaurant on these islands
Excellent curry of the day
Extraordinary chicken burger
I wholeheartedly recommend it to you
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
awesome food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Curry of the day was delicious and also the sweet and sour pork!
The service was very nice as well. Passionfruit cheesecake mousse was awesome.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheesecake, Passion Fruit Dessert, Curry of the Day
Very tasty food and friendly service.
Prices relatively more expensive than other restaurants but still fine. Around 19 euros for a main course.
Too bad you don't get any vegetables with it (except for the Gado gado of course). Even the children's menu didn't include vegetables. Only wash plain rice with chicken or pork.
But certainly a good and neat restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Small restaurant but the food and the service are 5 stars.
Vegetarian salade and chili are very good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great Resti. Nicely decorated. Friendly service. Delicious meal. Recommended
Vegetarian options: Serves veggie dish
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Review in Italian and English
Pico, Mercado Bio - An interesting place with ups and downs
Pico, Mercado Bio is a very interesting place, well furnished and located in the heart of Madalena. The atmosphere is welcoming and the interior design is meticulous in detail, making the visual experience pleasant. The staff is friendly, even if sometimes a little hasty.
The selection of cocktails is not very vast, but still interesting, with some "signatures" worthy of note. The menu of dishes is well constructed and, reading the menu, the dishes look very promising.
Now let's move on to the sore point. I firmly believe that a restaurant has every right to present its dishes as it sees fit and to set the prices it deems appropriate. As a cooking enthusiast, I understand the work and cost of quality raw materials (the better they are, the better the food). The chef's ability is crucial and closely linked to these aspects. I don't complain about paying a certain price in a starred or otherwise renowned restaurant.
However, I found the food at this restaurant to be not particularly great. The taste was nice, but not great. The entrees were good but served a bit roughly (for example, a green avocado cream on green salad, which could have been presented with more care, and the tuna meatballs with too much coriander, whose predominant flavor overpowered everything else ).
The main course, a sweet and sour pork stew, was plentiful but perhaps not best accompanied with rice. Long-cooked meat needs its sauce, otherwise it risks becoming monotonous, and rice doesn't help improve the situation. In essence, the dish was good, but nothing more, certainly not up to the decor and atmosphere of the place.
Price not excessive although high in my opinion.
Pico, Mercado Bio - An Interesting Place with Highs and Lows
Pico, Mercado Bio is a very interesting place, well-decorated and centrally located in Madalena. The atmosphere is welcoming, and the interior design is thoughtfully detailed, making the visual experience pleasant. The staff is friendly, although sometimes a bit brisk.
The cocktail selection isn't extensive, but it is interesting, with some noteworthy "signature" drinks. The menu is well-constructed, and the dishes seem very promising when you read about them.
Now, let's address the downside. I firmly believe that a restaurant has every right to present its dishes as it sees fit and to set prices it deems appropriate. As a food enthusiast, I understand the work and the cost of high-quality ingredients (the better they are, the better the food). The chef's skill is crucial and directly connected to these aspects. I don't complain about paying a certain price at a starred or highly regarded restaurant.
However, in this restaurant, I found the food not particularly exceptional. The taste was nice but not outstanding. The starters were good but served somewhat haphazardly (for example, a green avocado cream on green salad, which could have been presented with more thought, and tuna meatballs with too much cilantro, whose dominant flavor overwhelmed everything else).
The main course, a sweet and sour pork stew, was generous but perhaps not best served with rice. Slow-cooked meat needs its sauce; otherwise, it can become monotonous, and the rice doesn't help improve the situation. Essentially, the dish was good, but nothing more, certainly not matching the ambiance and decor of the place.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
Slightly more expensive than other places but great quality food. Delicious curry and a very calm atmosphere. Perfect for solo-travellers as you can eat at the bar with a view on the kitchen ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Good place to eat.
Very generous portions in a well-kept and decorated restaurant with very good service.
We would only point out that they did not have many options for food on the menu. No fish and little variety. Perhaps due to the Asian mix of the culinary proposal.
For the rest we will return
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Good food, atmosphere less likely due to the European Championship match Portugal.
But food highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cozy small restaurant, delicious food and very pleasant service. Worth repeating ??
Vegetarian options: Wide choice of vegetarian and vegan food
Dietary restrictions: Also gluten-free dishes on the menu
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mercado Bio offers quick and healthy vegan options in a place where few are available. I tried the bean chili, which was a nice portion but tasted fairly standard. A side of rice and as 3.50 euros, which seemed a bit steep. The lentil curry was delicious and came with rice but was a third of the size of the bean chili so I found the portions between dishes rather confusing. Still, if you are vegan and have already had O Cinco across the street, this is a decent option.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
tivemos um almoço maravilhoso hoje com ótimo atendimento!!! Provámos 3 pratos veganos diferentes e partilhámo-los na nossa mesa, sugestão do nosso servidor! é altamente recomendável!
Vegetarian options: Tasty Vegan options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rice Noodles with Vegetables and Peanut Sauce, Vegetarian Chilli, Curry of the Day
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