Taberna Clandestina

I’d been in Cascais photographing the Harley-Davidson H.O.G. Rally and asked a friend who knows the area well if he could recommend somewhere good for lunch. He suggested Taberna Clandestina, a small restaurant serving traditional Portuguese food with a few Italian influences. I ordered the Bochechas de Porco Preto Alentejano Estufadas com Gratin de Batata (slow-cooked Alentejo black pork cheeks with potato gratin), along with a glass of their own Clandestino blend wine.

I’d never come across pork cheeks before, so I did a little research afterwards. The Alentejo black pig is native to Portugal, and because the cheek is quite a tough cut, it’s slow cooked until it’s incredibly tender. The meat literally melted in my mouth, while the creamy potato gratin was just as good. The Clandestino blend paired perfectly with the meal and, judging by the name, I suspect it’s produced especially for the restaurant.

Taberna Clandestina has a lovely outdoor dining area, with additional seating inside if the weather isn’t playing ball. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the food they serve. Looking around at what everyone else was ordering, there were several dishes I’d happily come back to try, so this certainly won’t be my last visit.