Quite a lot. Perforce their lifestyles,
There are nonetheless some pointers , a knowledge of which may be of assistance on your travels.
These notes refer to one set of experiences in more rural areas of Central/Northern Portugal.
Firstly, Timings and Routines. Many locals `turn to` early here - they may well be up & about from 0700. They will often skip breakfast (pequeno almoco), opting instead for a coffee on the hoof. By lunch (almoca) time, they are hungry and tend to race through the mechanics of the process - regularly eating `out` in a Restaurant. Although the quoted lunch-break is 2 hours, they don’t siesta as in Spain, and certainly trades- / craftsmen are quite likely to have only a one hour stop. Then, at the end of a long working day, the evening meal is normally taken at home and earlyish, allowing for beddy-byes before the process kicks off again int` morning.
How does this affect `others` (ie US!)?
The Portuguese have been here much longer than ANY of us, so even though it clearly upsets some Brits not to be fawned over, THEY -the Portuguese- aren’t about to change the way they`ve been doing things for centuries, simply in order to please us. `Could be worth considering accepting/using their system to your best advantage.
To play their game, maximising YOUR convenience, you may wish to adopt something similar to the following (at least week-day) routine.
Without doubt, it would be possible -for a price- to go `full English` and have everything laid back (ie late!), but that might be missing the point.
Our own experience has been that the following works – combining our less cluttered lifestyle with the readily available local facilities and modus operandii.
Making an assumption (with which your stomach WILL agree, once you`ve tried a Portuguese `diario`
We usually breakfast with toast, cereals, whatever <& of course, tea!>, prepared at home. Before 0900, 0930. This latter is because if we ARE eating out for lunch (more easily achieved than having that meal at night) we know that we’re aiming to be seated from 1230, rarely later than 1300.
This, in turn, is because we normally eat where it’s popular (& they serve `diario` - the two usually go together), meanung that a fixed price covers the entire (set menu) meal from soup to coffee - with bread, olives, wine, main course and sweet in between. – Popularity is fairly measured by the numbers of cars / trucks etc., parked outside. The downside of `hot spots`, however, can be that -although you’d probably be served up until about 1400ish- the more popular menu choices will disappear pretty sharply.
There are a couple of safeguard/benefits. In any but the smallest Restaurant, the lunchtime offering will normally (at least initially) provide at least one fish dish(peixe, pronounced `pesh`!), plus a minimum of two meat (carne) mains (and, frankly, with tables turning over rapidly, they don’t really want to start “a la carte” during that hectic period); but they will invariably to able to rustle up a `grelhado` (grilled meat of some sort: whatever `cut` happens to be in the fridge!) – and this may or may not cost a tad extra.
The Portuguese aren’t really in to portion control, and you’d expect plenty of change from 10 Euro a head for the whole lot. Nor is tipping necessary.
If we go out at night, and certainly where we would
generally go (walking distance from our house!), there are far fewer
diners - many out-of-the-way Restaurants don’t even bother to open
in the evening.
Depending on clientele, dinner will often either FINISH BY or effectively only START AT, 9 o`clock or later. On those occasions, we would generally `round up` the bill, (but usually involving nothing like 10%, on a perhaps very slightly inflated Bill (conta)), and the same general `meal` guidelines apply; except probably for August, posh places or sharp staff.
The second point is about choices. As above, at lunch, they are busy, so probably best to head (through experience or advice ?) for somewhere `safe`, stay with what’s offered, eat what you can, pay your seven or eight Euros, smile and leave.
OK, inevitably, you’ll make an occasional mistake, but rarely will you not manage to have had enough to eat, even if you are `picky`, and eventually you’ll find places with which you are happy.
At night, you may find more choice (possibly because you’ll be offered the house Menu) but this could be reflected in the Bill. If you have sensitive pockets, be especially careful about asking for a bottle (garaffa) of wine. The normally-included house wine is vinho da casa, either tinto (red) or branco (white). Water is agua, `natural` (room temperature), `fresca` (chilled), or `com gaz` (fizzy).
Over time
Meal choices. There really are sooo many variations and names, that the only real option is to go out -possibly in company, sharing and experimenting- try and decide.
Be aware, though
• Genuine Portuguese food (“Menu Tipica”) could be described as an acquired taste **
• Fish may very well be looking up at you from the plate **
• There are endless varieties (& colours!) OF fish, depending on what has been caught – probably within twenty miles & the last ten to twelve hours.
• Lulas and polvo are squid and octopus, respectively **
• They tend to eat more pork (porco) than beef here
• `bife` translates simply as `steak` (so you can have a pork steak!)
• yer actual beef could be vitela (veal, arguably the most common), novilho (bullock), or vaca (cow)
• they eat rabbit (coelha); and leitao (suckling pig) is a speciality, usually served cold **
• most meat is fairly well seasoned; thus it is not normal to deliver condiments to the table (but you can always ask: their cruet contains olive oil and vinegar, if you want salt, it’s sal)
• nor do they generally use side plates – though you’ll quite possibly lift off a serving dish (yourself) onto your dinner plate
• the Portuguese don’t really do vegetarian; nor Pizzas, except in a specialist Pizza place
• the final fall-back
* `mista` anything, is ham & cheese
** in most places, they will recognise estrangeiros (strangers) and usually give guidance – even if they -or you!- find a new skills in sign language; think zoo!
Above all; have fun. Bom `petite.
LASTLY
A summary of a few tips, which you may also find useful.
Eating. (when suffixed “out”, usually only an occasional treat for other than visitors in a land where the concept of family is much deeper than the average wallet), is a considerable occasion and pleasure.
For many local Brits, however, taken here regularly at lunchtime in establishments catering primarily for workers, truck-drivers etc., on one of the main `E-` trunk roads.
Main courses are relatively simple, feature a lot of pork, and can be spice/herb-y.
For the uninitiated diner (restaurant staff will not normally have English);
• Having been ordered, meals will be served as they become available from the kitchen. Heated plates don’t exist, so when it arrives you eat it. Everyone catches up by dessert!
• Simplicity is both the norm and the key. `Diaria` (careful with the pronunciation Ted, it’s “De-aria”, as in an operatic song) are not expensive, rarely exceeding 10 Euros a head, but extras, where offered, will ratchet up the bill once you `go off`. This would involve tubs of butter, spreads, lemonade (bottled water IS normally included) and so on.
• For alternative experience, try one of a surprising number of local wholesome, satisfying and value fast food options often based on bread rolls or soup - quite presentable and perfectly adequate- available in the food malls of shopping centres
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