Good to know
Good to Know
- Santa Maria is the primary dining hub with the widest restaurant variety; Espargos offers more local/authentic options at lower prices
- Lunch specials ('prato do dia') offer excellent value; visit during 1-3 PM when fishing boats unload their catch for the freshest seafood
- Dining pace is relaxed—do not expect quick service; it's part of the local culture
- Cash in CVE is preferred for local restaurants; larger establishments accept cards but many smaller venues do not
- Hotels increasingly cater to vegetarian requests with advance notice; local restaurants' options are more limited but traditional vegetable stews and plant-based versions of cachupa can be requested
- Service charges are not always included; tipping 5-10% at upscale restaurants is customary
- Euros are widely accepted in tourist areas but often at an unfavorable rate (1 EUR = 100 CVE tourist rate vs. official 110.265 CVE); use ATMs for better exchange rates
Supermarkets
Municipal Market Santa Maria
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Description
- Main market for fresh produce, fish, and prepared foods
Seafood Market
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria Pier
- Description
- Direct access to fresh catch at Santa Maria Pier; fishermen sell daily catches in early afternoon
Budget
Pubim
- Price Range
- CVE 1,500
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Cape Verdean local dishes, seafood
Compad
- Price Range
- CVE 1,800
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Cape Verdean cuisine, fish and meat
Café Criolo
- Price Range
- CVE 2,000
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Traditional Cape Verdean dishes, cachupa, seafood
Restaurant Relax
- Price Range
- CVE 2,200
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Cape Verdean and European dishes
High End
Farolin Restaurant (Odjo D'Água Hotel)
- Price Range
- CVE 6,500
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Seafood, steak, Portuguese-Cape Verdean fusion
Chez Pastis
- Price Range
- CVE 5,800
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Italian and Cape Verdean fusion, seafood
Soul Kitchen
- Price Range
- CVE 6,200
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Gourmet fusion, tuna sashimi, cacio e pepe pasta, seafood
Nami Asian Restaurant
- Price Range
- CVE 7,000
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Sushi, teppanyaki, Asian cuisine
Mid Range
Baraonda
- Price Range
- CVE 3,500
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Italian and international cuisine
Barracuda Restaurant
- Price Range
- CVE 4,000
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Fresh seafood, grilled fish, traditional Cape Verdean
Meky's Burger Bar
- Price Range
- CVE 3,200
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Artisanal burgers, vegetarian options, gluten-free
Cape Fruit
- Price Range
- CVE 3,000
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Smoothies, salads, wraps, vegan and vegetarian
Delivery Services
Limited Delivery Availability
- Description
- Most dining in Sal is restaurant-based or market-focused; formal delivery services are not widely documented. Taxis can be arranged to transport food, or hotel concierge services may assist with arrangements
Local Must Try Dishes
Cachupa
- Description
- Cape Verde's national dish; a hearty stew made with corn, beans, vegetables, and meat or fish
Cachupa Refogada
- Description
- Fried version of cachupa with eggs and sausages, popular for breakfast
Grilled Fresh Fish
- Description
- Tuna, wahoo, grouper, and moray eel grilled and served with rice, salad, and fried plantains
Caldeirada
- Description
- Fish stew made with variety of fish and seafood, vegetables, and spices
Grilled Lobster
- Description
- Fresh lobster served with garlic butter and rice, popular in upscale restaurants
Pastel Com Diablo Dentro
- Description
- Crispy fried pastry filled with spiced tuna
Carpaccio
- Description
- Raw tuna sliced finely and marinated in lime, oil and salt
Percebes
- Description
- Sea barnacles boiled and served with lemon
Canjo
- Description
- Soup with chicken, rice, onions and carrots
Buzio
- Description
- Traditional slow-cooked stew made with shellfish and soya sauce
Vegan And Vegetarian Dining
- Description
- Vegan and vegetarian options are available in tourist-focused restaurants in Santa Maria, with growing awareness of plant-based dining. Traditional dishes like vegetable cachupa can be requested at most restaurants.
Venues
Cape Fruit
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Description
- Dedicated cafe with smoothies, salads, wraps, and prominent vegan options
Giramondo
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Description
- International restaurant with explicit vegetarian and vegan menu options, salads, pastas, and vegetable curries
Soul Kitchen
- Neighborhood
- Santa Maria
- Description
- Gourmet restaurant with extensive vegetarian and vegan options on menu
Halal Dining
- Note
- No documented halal-certified restaurants or services found for Sal
Gluten Free Dining
- Description
- Gluten-free options available at select restaurants; Meky's Burger Bar explicitly offers gluten-free buns upon request. Many naturally gluten-free dishes (grilled fish, rice-based meals, corn dishes) are available, but awareness is growing and advance notice is recommended
Michelin Restaurants
- Note
- No Michelin-starred restaurants documented in Sal
International And Fusion Cuisine
- Asian
- Nami Asian Restaurant specializes in sushi and teppanyaki; some restaurants also offer Vietnamese-inspired dishes
- Italian
- Multiple establishments throughout Santa Maria offer traditional Italian pizza and pasta at reasonable prices, including Baraonda, Leonard's Italian Restaurant, and several waterfront venues
- Seafood Focus
- Abundant fresh seafood options across all price ranges, emphasizing daily catches of tuna, wahoo, and local fish
- Portuguese Fusion
- Portuguese-Cape Verdean fusion cuisine available at higher-end establishments like Farolin and Chez Pastis
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this food & dining research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.myguidecapeverde.com
- 2.tripadvisor.com
- 3.tripadvisor.com
- 4.tripadvisor.co.uk
- 5.simplycapeverde.com
- 6.sodadetour.com
- 7.capeverde.co.uk
- 8.wanderlog.com
- 9.ilhadosalofficial.com
- 10.flyedelweiss.com
- 11.excursionmania.com
- 12.capeverdeislands.org
- 13.aveganvisit.com
- 14.en.wikipedia.org
- 15.visit-caboverde.com
- 16.xe.com
- 17.wise.com
- 18.travelwithhello.com
More About Sal
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.