Terra Nostra Garden Restaurant

How would you rate a restaurant where everything that is brought on your table is simply uneatable. The atmosphere of the restaurant makes one have high expectations, but the disappointment starts as soon food is served. Servants try to be professional but the whole experience actually spoils the complete stay to this hotel, which is a great place to be actually. We were served an amuse-gueule of seafood - all you could taste was mayonnaise. As a starter, a dish of sliced sword-fish was served. The slices were "buttered" with nothing more than thick layers of Philadelphia cheese, totally overpowering the fish. The pot au feu traditional soup came in a cold plate, containing a wrap made of uncooked coal leaves - unbearable. Then our main courses, the tuna steak plate and Azores Angus steak were the absolute confirmation that this restaurant is run by a cook who has absolute no idea of what he is doing. The Angus steak was a tough as a leader shoe, the tuna steak was presented on something totally over-cooked... couldn't even be described what it was. We sent both plates back to the kitchen and asked just for a slice of pineapple (nothing can go wrong with that). To complete it all, the sommelier (a nervous guy who seems to have a knowledge of wine not reaching further than stating that all wines he served are "fantastic" brought us a 2016 for a 2015 Pico Branco wine, selling it to us that the 2016 was actually the more expensive one, so we should feel honoured we accidentally got the wrong bottle.... the overall experience to this restaurant (which could have made this hotel an absolute top place) was a very big disappointment. At the end, the hotel manager also gave us the wrong signal by still charging the food, just offering us the (wrong) bottle of 2016 Pico wine (which you can by in any SolMar supermarket for 10euro) free of charge. Please get somebody in this hotel restaurant to cook and manage to a basic standard! It's ruining the complete experience as it is currently. We will definitely not come back! Ow - just wanted to give it another try by ordering after dinner a chocolate mouse (just to feel something in the stomach after this disastrous meal) - the cook managed also here to mess up. The mousse had a liquid layer in the bottom of the jar. Clearly he didn't manage to have the right amount of fat, eggs and sugar. Here a tip to the cook; mix the stiffened egg-white to the melted chocolate, butter, yolks mixture - don't mix it any other way!!! It's basic knowledge.

We went there for the Cozido das Furnas. The portions were insanely big. The waiters were really nice, helpful and polite. Possibly the best service we had while in the island. The wines were overpriced considering this is Portugal. Had I not be interested in trying the Cozido I'd be inclined towards the steak since that's all I eat. The person next to me had a portion which looked amazing. The gardens are gorgeous and the hot thermal water is a treat. I think for the Portuguese reality this restaurant is overpriced. I didn't feel they were fussy at all like other people expressed here. I certainly prefer this than other places in the city centre where waiters have no work ethic at all.

This restaurant is located within the Terra Nostra Garden Hotel and is excellent without being too pricey. They are noted for their cozido which was excellent. Service is superior.I chose the option that included appetizer, main course and desert which is a good value. I recommend it highly.

We stayed at the hotel and that was great, had a very nice breakfast in the restaurant every morning. Tried the restaurant for dinner and were a little disappointed, food wasn't bad but didn't meet our expectations.

First of all, the staff is great. More than 10 people waiting to serve you is amazing. All with a smile on their faces and with the very best of intentions. We did not come across a restaurant like that. Amazing.Then the ambiance. We came to the restaurant and heard Piano music. Apparently in the bar, as in the restaurant the only thing you hear is talking of other guests. Mini candle on the table. That's it. Not very appealing I am afraid.Did I tell you about the staff?? They are great. One for menu, one for drinks, one for bread, one for oil. It's not sarcastic, it's really nice.The drinks. We thought to celebrate with glass of bubbly wine. Not available. But ... They could go to the bar and get what we want. But no bubbly wine, so instead we ordered white wine, which was good.But then the food. Maybe the cook had problems, maybe he/she had a bad day. Starters: smoked sword fish. Just salty. With piece of old bread around it. No flavors. In addition Angus tartare. Was nice, but throwing few dry leaves of rucola on it, does not add value.Main course: Cozido. I expected nice tasty traditional food, prepared in the Caldeira. Instead I got overcooked, tasteless (but salty) pieces of everything in my plate. Not appealing and not nice, especially not with salty rice.Fish was supposed to be grilled with hollandaise sause. Hmmm. Not really. The fish was fried and after we returned it, it was supposedly grilled. It just did not look, nor taste like that. At least the dessert (chocolate sphere with passion fruit) made up for dinner sadness a bit.The staff, they are great as I mentioned before, brought us two glasses of Port wine for our wedding anniversary.80 Euro ..... And bad food. Be warned.

€32 for over cooked lobster starter was a horrible beginning to the meal.A main Cozido that was served in two sections (15 mins apart) was beyond a joke - why would you want the broth / rice at the same time as the meat? Cozido itself was bland and unimpressive. Inedible rice (when it came) that was minutes away from being cooked.Only positive was rabbit ravioli starter and a good wine suggestion by the sommelier.Overall very disappointing - lazy cooking, apathetic staff when we complained and a sense that the restaurant really thinks it is much better than it actually is.

We stayed at the Terra Nostra Hotel and ate at the restaurant our last night there. The service was fabulous and the food was delicious! Their Azorean sweet bread is heaven! My husband and I had the price fixed menu, you were able to have an appetizer, main and dessert. For our appetizers my husband had sashimi and I had a lobster ravioli and both were delicious!For our main course we had fresh fish fillets and sirloin steak! Both portions were very generous and tasted amazing! My husband said it was the best steak he ever had! Pineapple crepes was our dessert and they were amazing!! Even though we were so full from dinner I found room for dessert!Food was a bit pricier because we were in a nice hotel but it was well worth it; delicious, generous portions and very wonderful staff and service who made our dining experience so warm and special!