Antonio was established in 2007 in Taipa Village by Portuguese national António Cohelo who decided to lead his career as a chef after years of service in the military army.
The visit
I made a reservation though Open Table for a Sunday lunch with a friend. I was attracted by the promise of authentic Portuguese dishes and top-shelf ingredients. The restaurant is located in a quiet street of Taipa village, a must-see neighborhood if you are touring Macau.
Outside the restaurant’s awards are proudly displayed. It is a “table” in the Hong Kong and Macau Michelin Guide.
Upon arrival we were offered some bread and butter and some olives.
We decided to share two appetizers. The first was the classic codfish cakes (pasteis de bacalhau). They were very delicate but strangely the codfish taste was almost absent. They were quite different from those I experienced in Lisbon.
The second appetizer was a squid salad. Everything about this dish was perfect: the squid, imported, was super-tender and the flavors were well balanced.
My friends has a squid ink rice with codfish. He was happy with it, but the flavor did no stand out.
I went for what probably was a boring dish: a lamb shank. The dish was perfectly executed with a nice set of vegetables.
We had dessert elsewhere.
The check
The final check was 1151 MOP (142 USD, or 71 USD per person). The food was ok, however, I left with mixed feelings. In the end the premium for imported ingredients dd not pay off and at times the flavors were bland. In comparison, I got more value in a restaurant like Guincho a Galera. Most of the diners were tourists. Unfortunately, the impression left is of an overpriced tourist restaurant, even if the food is not disappointing.
A tip: in front of the restaurant there is another restaurant by Antonio called Tapas de Portugal. It seems to have the same dishes but in smaller portions and comparatively lower prices. It may be a good starting point to try Antonio’s cuisine.
Ps: even if they double checked my name upon arrival, they communicated to Open Table that I was a no show. Quite annoying.
Where in Macau:
7 Rua dos Clerigos, Taipa
Website: https://antoniomacau.com.