Last but not least, the most important item on all cultural travel itineraries. No? Eating is part of a culture, so I’m gonna go with a resounding yes.
Being the city of students comes in handy if you want to eat hearty meals at affordable prices. Not surprisingly, the restaurant we chose to eat in Coimbra was the recommendation of an old friend, a former University student who lived in the city and knew his way around.
The restaurant has a peculiar name, Zé Manel dos Ossos (in English, it’s something like Bones Joe; I told you, peculiar), but everyone who lives or has lived in Coimbra recommends the place. It’s so famous that even Culture Trip listed it as one of the top 10 restaurants in Coimbra.
There’s nothing fancy about the food, on the contrary. Still, it’s typical Portuguese cuisine, well-cooked, well-seasoned, and budget-friendly.
As usual in these places, portions are beyond generous, you have to like meat (this tavern-like restaurant is known for its goat and wild boar dishes), and everything tastes better if you wash it down with a glass of the Bairrada region’s red wine.
Address: Beco do Forno, 12
Opening hours: noon-3pm & 7.30-10pm Mon-Sat
Average price per meal per person: €12.50 / US $14.77
The university looks beautiful, what a lovely building! Coimbra sounds like a great place to visit, thanks for sharing.
The university looks beautiful, what a lovely building! Coimbra sounds like a great place to visit, thanks for sharing.
Coimbra is usually an underrated city but I like the feeling of it.