O Condestável – This is a landmark Ribatejo restaurant, famed for its regional food. The menu changes according to seasonal supply of local produce and fish. Whatever the time of year, the appetizers are outstanding, such as hake roe vinaigrette or broad beans braised with sausage. Of the vast array of delicacies a highlight is a sausage and turnip greens risotto with cheeks of Barrancos black pig. And for dessert, why not order a sumptuous chocolate and mint foam with Algarve fig cheese and raspberry sorbet. The wine lives up to the standard of the cuisine, as does the bill – some €40 to €60 per head.
Travessa do Olival, Ereira, Cartaxo
Closed Monday or Tuesday, depending on reservations
Tel: 00351 243719786
A Cascata – A restaurant with a highly praised menu of regional fare. One of the house specialities is maranhos, a cured sausage typical of the Beiras with an unmistakable flavour. Desserts include Abrantes “straw”, Tomar “slices” and walnut “delícia” with egg strands. There is a good wine list and prices are around €20 per head.
Rua Manuel Lopes Valente Júnior, Alferrarede, Abrantes
Closed Sunday evening and all day Monday
Tel: 00351 241361011
Chico Elias – A famous restaurant with a string of awards to its name is a nuisance for the occasional visitor, as prior booking is essential to get a table here. The appetizers are many and substantial, and to sample a few runs the risk of filling the stomach before the main course arrives. The menu includes some unusual dishes, such as rabbit in pumpkin. Tomar “slices” and “drunken pears” sweeten the palate before coffee, which is made the old-fashioned way. Prices range between €25 and €30 per person.
Rua Principal, Algarvias, Tomar
Closed Sunday evening and all day Monday
Tel: 00351 249311067
More suggestions:
Estalagem Vale Manso (Martinchel, Abrantes, 241840000)
O Constantino das Enguias (Almeirim, 243589156)
A Casa da Emília (Alpiarça, 243556316)
Redes ao Mar (Azambuja, 263402239)
A Taberna do Alfaiate (Cartaxo, 243790005)
O Poiso do Besouro (Chamusca, 249760667)
Refeitório Quinhentista (Constância, 249739214)
Remédio d’Alma (Constância, 249739405)
Taberna do Quinzena (Santarém, 243322804)
Pic’s (Torres Novas, 249825580)
Wine Routes 
Ribatejo is a province of fertile plains and gentle climate, heavily influenced by the River Tagus running through it. Vines are evident throughout the three distinct areas of the region; the lush riverbank fields (lezíria), the limestone area north of the river (bairro) and the arid, sandy soils south of the river (charneca). The Ribatejo plains are studded with bulls and horses, reared for bullfighting, a sport which is the life bloodwhose culture dominates the region. It is also rich in flora and fauna, bringing life and colour to the Tagus Estuary Nature Reserve.
