São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores archipelago of Portugal, is known for its stunning volcanic landscapes but also for its insane food scene. When my husband and I visited in July 2023, we were wowed by the incredible, fresh, unique cuisine.
There’s a reason why folks call the Azores “the Hawaii of the Atlantic.” Volcanic soils, lush pastures, and surrounding Atlantic waters make this island a literal paradise—especially for food lovers. From traditional dishes passed down through generations to fresh seafood and creative takes on classic Portuguese sweets, São Miguel’s culinary scene is a treasure trove just waiting for you to dive in.
As a seasoned traveller who has explored over 40 countries and a chronic foodie with a taste for the extraordinary, I’m here to guide you through São Miguel’s food wonders with this personal and specific São Miguel food guide. Whether indulging in Cozido das Furnas, a hearty dish slow-cooked in volcanic steam; tasting the freshest pineapple; or sampling tangy island cheeses and volcanic-grown wines, São Miguel offers a culinary adventure like no other.
Get ready to unlock São Miguel’s gastronomic secrets with a globetrotter’s hunger for exceptional flavour in this São Miguel food guide.
1. Grass-Fed Steak (Bife à Regional)
The Azores are well known for their high-quality, grass-fed beef — bife. On São Miguel we witnessed many island cows grazing on lush green pastures. Due to the temperate climate, this is the case year-round, resulting in some of the most flavourful and tender steaks you’ll ever try.
A popular way to enjoy this meat is Bife à Regional, traditional Azorean steak cooked in garlic, wine, and a hint of chili, served with a fried egg on top. Locals often pair this with a side of sautéed potatoes or rice to make a hearty and satisfying meal. When you’re in Ponta Delgada, I highly recommend waiting in line at A Tasca for cosy ambiance and quality local food. When we visited, their steak was absolutely fantastic!
2. Azorean Cheese (Queijo de São Jorge)
Cheese lovers, get ready for a soul-eclipsing body experience in the Azores! Cheesemaking has been a cherished tradition here for over 500 years, dating back to the first Flemish settlers. Dairy is everywhere, and I highly recommend sampling the island’s cow and goat milk cheeses at local markets and specialty shops.
Don’t miss the famous Queijo de São Jorge from the nearby island of São Jorge, widely available on São Miguel. This semi-hard cheese, with its nutty, tangy flavour that deepens with age, pairs beautifully with local wine, fresh bread, and island-made jam.
My top pick is Queijaria Furnense in Furnas, a shop and restaurant known for its cheese bonbons, creamy cheesecake, and a fantastic selection of local, grass-fed cheeses aged from 1 month to several years. Their unique brine, made with carbonated water from Furnas’ thermal springs, adds a special touch.
Younger cheeses are creamy, while aged ones are firmer, and you truly can’t go wrong. When we visited in 2023, the kind owners—six years into their business—offered us generous samples before we chose two to take home. If you try the cheese bonbons, grab a box with two of each flavour—you’ll thank me later!
3. Bread and Sweet Bread (Bolos Lêvedos & Massa Sovada)
Bread is a key player in São Miguel’s culinary scene, and two types stand out. Bolos Lêvedos, a sweet, fluffy flatbread from the village of Furnas, is often served warm with butter, jam, or alongside main dishes. They are basically larger-sized Portuguese-style English muffins. We ended up buying several packages of this bread from local grocery stores in Furnas — and as someone who is not typically a bread person, it was damn good! Bolos Lêvados made a great vehicle for the grass-fed cheese diet we put ourselves on for the week.
Massa Sovada, is the second type of bread you will be sure to run into on the Azores: light, sweet, and often enjoyed during festive occasions, but found year-round. Its pillowy texture makes a perfect snack or companion to morning coffee. I enjoyed this bread alongside an omelette and salad at Intz48 Coffee Roasters Azores in Ponta Delgada.
4. Peixe do dia – Fresh Fish of the Day
Given São Miguel’s location in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s no surprise that fresh fish is a major part of the local diet. Many restaurants offer a fish of the day, caught fresh and simply grilled or baked with herbs and olive oil. Popular catches include grouper, parrotfish, bluefish, barracuda, tuna, sea bream, and wrasse.
Each dish is prepared to let the fish’s natural flavours shine, often accompanied by boiled potatoes and fresh vegetables. Be sure to ask what’s in season and fresh for an authentic Azorean dining experience.
One local spot off the beaten track is Bar Caloura on the south coast of São Miguel. This is great if you want to get out of Ponta Delgada for the day. Before visiting, we spent time in the sun and water at nearby beaches: Praia Pequena de Água d’Alto and Praia de Água D’Alto Grande.
The beautiful outdoor patio has a killer view and I recommend sharing peixe do dia—fish of the day—complete with cooked tomatoes, potatoes and an all-you-can-eat self-serve salad bar!
5. Lapas – Limpets
For an authentic taste of the sea, try Portguese lapas (limpets), which are small, shell-like mollusks harvested from the rocky shores. These ocean delicacies are typically grilled with garlic, butter, topped with a squeeze of lemon, and often served as an appetizer.
Their texture is slightly chewy, similar to mussels or oysters, and their briny flavour captures the essence of the Atlantic. Altogether, they’re a perfect seaside snack.
6. Cozido das Furnas
Probably São Miguel’s most famous dish is Cozido das Furnas, a traditional stew cooked underground using volcanic steam. In the village of Furnas, large pots filled with meat, vegetables, and sausage are buried in the hot earth and left to cook slowly for several hours. This method gives the stew a distinct, smoky flavour that’s honestly unlike anything you’ve tried before.
Ingredients vary, but a typical cozido includes a mix of beef, pork, chicken, smoked sausage (made by blending ground chicken, pork, or rabbit, with bread, garlic, and various spices), morcela – blood sausage, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.
When in Furnas, this volcanic culinary dish is an absolute must. I highly recommend Restaurante Tony’s and you need to reserve one day ahead so that they can prepare your food. Tony’s cozida is served with two types of cabbage, potato, sweet potato, yam, carrots, beef, pork, chicken, regional black pudding sausage and spicy chorizo.
7. Pastéis de Nata (with a twist)
While pastel de nata (Portuguese custard tart) is a beloved national treat across Portugal, São Miguel offers a unique twist. Traditional pastéis de nata are known for flaky crusts and creamy custardy filling, but in the Azores, you’ll find varieties infused with passion fruit (pasteis de maracujá), pineapple and goat cheese. Passion fruit adds a tart, tropical twist, while goat cheese brings a savoury balance to the custard.
These innovative takes on the beloved pastry are delightful for any sweet tooth and when I asked my husband what he wished he ate more of during our week-long trip on São Miguel, this was his answer.
8. Ananás dos Açores – Azorean Pineapple
Azorean pineapple is one of a kind and is symbolic of São Miguel. Grown in greenhouses across São Miguel, this ananá is smaller with a sweeter, concentrated flavour. It’s often served as a refreshing dessert or snack and in many local markets and restaurants.
During our trip, we visited the Ananás Santo António pineapple plantation where you can see pineapple plants growing in greenhouses and watch a video with English subtitles on the process of bio organic farming. Be sure to sample pineapple products: jams, jellies, biscuits, liqueur, etc. We tried fantastic pineapple pastel de nata, fresh pineapple juice and pineapple ice cream.
In a central town square in Ponta Delgada we stumbled upon vendors serving pineapple blended with coconut milk inside a fresh pineapple. We loved this virgin piña colada.
9. Sweets and Cakes
Sweets and cakes hold a special place in Portuguese cuisine, and São Miguel is no exception. Of course Portuguese tarts are the first thing that comes to mind, but there are many more treats including ice cream and cheesecake.
One of the island’s renowned treats is Queijada de Vila Franca do Campo, a delectable pastry made of milk, eggs, and sugar. The best place to get them is Queijadas do Morgado in their namesake town, Vila Franca do Campo, but we were lucky to find one at Café Royal in Ponta Delgada.
10. Azorean Sandwiches
While exploring São Miguel, you’ll come across seriously hearty sandwiches stuffed with the island’s fresh, local ingredients. A standout is the Prego, a tender steak sandwich often served on Bolo Lêvedo sweet bread. Other popular fillings include locally caught tuna, grilled lapas, crispy chicharros (fried mackerel), and grass-fed beef, often layered with a slice of sharp São Jorge cheese.
My husband’s favourite sandwich was the Bifana, a traditional Portuguese sandwich made with thin slices of marinated pork simmered in white wine, garlic, and paprika. He said this literally saved him on the drive from Ponta Delgada to Sete Cidades, near Ponta da Ferraria thermal baths when we were jetlagged and stopped to enjoy one at Rei das Bifanas. This place had a bit of a local day-drinking vibe but the outdoor patio and the food were on point!
11. Caldera-Cooked Corn on the Cob
For a fun culinary experience, try corn on the cob cooked in the Furnas calderas, or milho doce cozido nas caldeiras. Locals use these geothermal hot springs as a natural oven, placing ears of corn directly into the boiling waters to slow-cook them to perfection with the earth’s heat. The result is tender, flavourful corn, with a slightly smoky taste. This traditional cooking method highlights São Miguel’s close connection to its volcanic landscape.
12. Tea, Coffee, Soft Drinks & Thermal Waters
On São Miguel, beverages reflect the island’s natural resources. São Miguel is home to Europe’s only tea plantations, where you can find locally grown green and black tea from Chá Gorreana and Chá Porto Formoso.
Coffee is typically rich and strong, often served as espresso. If you prefer a latte I recommend ordering ‘galão’, tall Portuguese milk coffee.
Kima, a local passionfruit soda, and Laranjada, the orange version, are refreshing favorites among islanders that reflects the Azores’ tropical fruit abundance.
Furnas is renowned for its diverse mineral waters, and its springs are tapped around the city, with each offering a unique combination of minerals thought to have therapeutic effects. Iron, sulphur, and magnesium in the thermal waters are traditionally said to treat skin disease, and remedy the liver and kidneys.
Some springs have a strong metallic taste, and others a distinctive sulphuric scent, but all are said to possess health-boosting properties. Visitors can sample these healing waters from fountains throughout Furnas, and we refilled our water bottles at different springs daily during our 3-day stay. This is a connective experience for those seeking wellness and a taste of the island’s volcanic essence.
A Culinary Adventure Awaits
São Miguel’s diverse culinary options reflects the island’s blend of natural resources and cultural traditions. Whether you’re indulging in a volcanic stew, enjoying freshly caught seafood, or sampling the island’s famous cheeses and sweets, each bite on this Azores island is a journey through its landscape and history.
For foodies and travellers alike, São Miguel offers a truly novel experience. Using the above São Miguel food guide as a reference, make sure to try local specialties, and let Azorean flavours linger on your palate.
How is travel planning for your Azores, Portugal trip going? For more travel savvy tips for your Sāo Miguel adventure and what to do with your time besides eating 😅, delve into the perfect 7-day itinerary in São Miguel and visit Sete Cidades, the ubiquitous attraction of São Miguel.
If you enjoyed this blog post and found it useful, share it with your friends, and tag along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for more Portugal travel tips!
Until we meet again,
♥ Agni
📍Pin for later!👇
