Taverna Da Matilde

Absolutely immaculate experience. If you have the chance to visit this tavern do yourself a favor and go. We were the only ones there for dinner on January Apparently lunch that day was the busiest they've ever had, so they were out of several things. It didn't matter. The olive oil, vinegar, bread, cheese, wine and ham were all homemade and exquisite. The queijo da ilha was incredible, and came with unbelievable homemade onion and piri piri jams. The delicious chouriço was fire roasted at our table. For main dishes we had the carrot rice and friginada, both of which were unique and amazing. Both the desserts (rice pudding and creme de leite) were also great. At the end, try the homemade ginjinha if they still have some. It's the best we've had: it had a deeper flavor than any of the others, almost like an aged port. The restaurant feels like the living room of a medieval house, because it is one. Laura was the only person working there; she treated us like guests in her house, eagerly explaining every detail of the meal. She helped us pick the best things to try and gave us extra helpings of our favorites. Just a rare and unmatched level of hospitality. This was the best food and service we've had in Portugal so far, and we've had incredible food here, including at Michelin-starred restaurants. If you're anywhere near Ourém, stop what you're doing and check it out.