Associação Agricola de São Miguel

In São Miguel, when it comes to traditional bife à regional, there are two main players:

Associação Agrícola de São Miguel and Restaurante O Galego.

There’s been a friendly “war” going on for years about which one is better. People have strong opinions. Families are divided. I’m joking… kind of.

What I can say without hesitation is this: Associação Agrícola is very, very good. And more importantly, it’s consistent.

It’s a big restaurant. Big dining room, big tables, big capacity. But don’t let that fool you. It’s almost always full. If you don’t book, you’re gambling.

Now, yes, they serve other dishes. Other meats. Fish. But I’ll be honest: I’ve never ordered anything besides the steak. When something works, you don’t experiment.

The steak is excellent. Juicy, properly cooked, full of flavor. It’s what they’re known for and they deliver.

• →They have a burger made from the same fresh meat as the steak. It’s huge. And ridiculously cheap for the quality. Last time I checked it was around 14 euros and easily feeds two people. Seven euros each for that level of meat is almost unfair.

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