Macau is famous for its cuisine and for the quality of the food served by the territory's restaurants and hotels. There is plenty of good food to be had in Macau, with a particular emphasis on the territory's native cuisine, Macanese food - a fascinating blend of Portuguese and Asian elements. The Portuguese elements include fresh bread, cheap imported wine and coffee, as well as an array of dishes ranging from caldo verde (vegetable soup) to bacalao (dried salted cod).

Some authentic restaurants nearby the seafront and the hotel Lisboa that have good Portuguese dishes on the menu are also can be found. You can find good Portuguese restaurants close to the A-Ma Temple along Rua do Almirante Sérgio, in the city centre on Rua Central and Travessa de S.Domingos, and in the NAPE area near the Kun Iam Statue. On the islands there are many excellent Portuguese restaurants: on Rua do Cunha and Rua Fernando Mendes (in Taipa) and on Hac-Sa beach and Coloane Village.

Besides that, many hotels have good restaurants where you can taste Portuguese, Chinese or Continental dishes. Over the centuries Macau formed a unique cuisine that combined elements of Portuguese, Chinese, Indian, and even Malay cooking. Known as Macanese cuisine, it is served in restaurants along Rua Almirante Sérgio, on the Praia Grande, in the NAPE and on Taipa.

The most popular dishes are African Chicken (grilled in piri piri peppers), Tacho (a hearty stew of Chinese vegetables and different meats), Galinha Portuguesa (Chicken cooked in the oven together with potatoes, onions, egg and saffron), Minchi (minced beef with fried potatoes, soy, onions and a fried egg), Linguado Macau (Macau sole fried and usually served with green salad) and Porco balich'o (Balicho' pork). And for dessert try Jagra de ovos (sweet egg tart).

Straightforward Cantonese restaurants, often serving dim sum for breakfast and lunch, are also plentiful, though you'll find wine on the menus even here. Dim Sum is accompanied by tea, usually jasmin tea (Heong pin t'chá) or red tea (Pou lei). Part of the fun of this the meal lies in the variety of smells, tastes, sizes and ways of cooking. Here are the names of some Dim Sum favourites: Há Kau (steamed dumplings filled with shrimp), Shiu Mai (steamed dumplings stuffed with pork and shrimp), Tsun Guen (shrimp fried rolls, stuffed with pork, chicken, mushrooms, bamboo sprouts and beans), Char Siu Pau (steamed buns stuffed with pork), Ngau Iók (little beef balls seasoned with ginger), Tchau min (fried noodles) and Tchau fan (fried rice).

Alongside the local dumplings and noodles, Macau's numerous snack bars often offer fresh-milk products such as fruit milkshakes and milk puddings, unusual for China. You might not get a meal served much after 10pm. Costs, however, are nearly always lower, with bills even in smart venues usually not exceeding 150-250 ptca per head.

Food from other parts of the world is, of course, readily available in Macau and you'll find plenty of excellent restaurants serving Italian, French, American, Brazilian, Japanese, Korean and Mozambique cuisine as well as dishes from Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Macau has a fine selection of coffee shops, in Portuguese, Italian and American style (especially around Travessa de S. Domingos and Rua Pedro José Lobo, in the city centre, and Rua de Nagasaki). They offer a wide variety of superior blends in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. They all also sell delicious pastries -- not to be missed are Macau's version of the traditional Portuguese egg tart, or pastel de nata, and coconut cake. Also available are soft drinks, juices and cocktails.

Macau Cafes and Restaurants:

A Bica
Type of Cuisine : Portuguese and Macanese
Address : 223-225, Av. do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues.
Business hours : 11.00am - 10.30pm
Tel : (853) 3910168

Cafe da Barra
Type of Cuisine : International
Address : Pousada Santiago
Business hours : 6:30am - 12:00pm
Tel : (853) 378111

Federal Restaurant
Type of Cuisine : Chinese
Address : 19-21, Av. do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, 5th/F1.A
Business hours : 8.00am - 11.00pm
Tel : (853) 313313

Furusato
Type of Cuisine : Japanese and Korean
Address : Avenida Infante D.Henrique, Hotel Lisboa, 1st/Fl.
Business hours : Noon - 3:00pm; 6:00pm - 1:00pm
Tel : (853) 388568/577666 ext.1137

Jade Garden
Type of Cuisine : Chinese
Address : 35-39, Rua do Dr. Pedro J. Lobo
Business hours : 8.00am - Midnight
Tel : (853) 710203

Kruatheque
Type of Cuisine : Thai
Address: 15, Rua de Henrique de Macedo
Business hours : Noon - 3:00pm; 6:00pm - 6:00am
Tel : (853) 330448

La Torre
Type of Cuisine : Italian
Address : Praia de Cheoc Van. Coloane
Business hours : 9:00am - 11:00pm
Tel : (853) 880156

Litoral
Type of Cuisine : Portuguese and Macanese
Address : 261 - A, Rua do Almirante Sergio
Business hours : 12.00pm - 3.00pm; 7.00pm - 11.30pm
Tel : (853) 967878

Santos
Type of Cuisine : Portuguese and Macanese
Address : 20, Rua do Cunha, Taipa Island
Business hours : 12.00pm - 3.00pm; 6.00pm - 10.00pm
Tel : (853) 827508

Solmar
Type of Cuisine : Portuguese and Macanese
Address : 11, Rua da Praia Grande.
Business hours : 11.00am - 10.30pm
Tel : (853) 574391

Tak Heng Hoi Sin Fo Wo
Type of Cuisine : Chinese
Address : 10E, Rua da Ribeira do Patane
Tel : (853) 517970
also at :
Address : 16, Rua das Lorchas
Tel : (853) 572092
Business hours : 6.00pm - 4.00am