Oh! Vargas. If we take a look at the title of this restaurant, the slogan “Oh Vargas” is difficult to listen to in our heads, as if calling for that Vargas consideration. And that is how the title of this restaurant in Santarém appeared, extra exactly in Portela das Padeiras, one of many areas that has amassed expertise, in addition to years of life, greater than 40 years to be precise. It was the restaurant’s prospects who gave it its title at a time when the proprietor was not considering of constructing a model, however solely serving high quality conventional meals. The title and the delicacies endure and dwell on.
OhVargas! really has a brand new life, since Might 2019, when it reopened after a significant intervention that lasted almost two years, carried out by Manuel Vargas, who’s the third technology in command of the enterprise, and by Teresa Esteves, his spouse. From the casual warung of grandparents’ period or the restaurant signed by dad and mom, we solely discover the deal with as a result of issues are completely different now. “I often say that we have now 200 seats”, answered Manuel Vargas to the query “what’s the capability of the restaurant”, which has grown with the final renovations.
Two restaurant rooms, the second geared extra in direction of teams.
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Immediately we discovered three completely different areas: the principle room, which works primarily à la carte and which fills up at lunchtime in the course of the week, the second room which is right for teams or occasions, which is extra sheltered and the place the house joints are for bullfights and pitchforks of Santarém, whose posters line the partitions of this house and on the very least (though not totally operational now), the terrace which in hotter climate is embraced by Wisteria that’s greater than 200 years outdated, although in winter we do not have an opportunity to understand all its splendor. One of many novelties for 2023 is to be exact the outside house, because the intention is to supply a terrace with a bar and host occasions with a DJ.
Out of doors house shall be one of many sizzling summer season sights this yr.
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With a brand new face, however with the identical premise – to remain robust in conventional delicacies, the place grilled meats are outstanding – the house owners additionally personal Oh!Rio, in Valada do Ribatejo, a seasonal restaurant, centered extra on fish.
In command of the restaurant since August 2019 is Chef Rui Lima Santos who beforehand labored in kitchens equivalent to Arola, Bica do Sapato or The Presidential. The chef at Oh!Vargas said that “we needed to offer it a brand new look by that includes modern delicacies. However good meals.”
And it stands out in veal croquettes (2€), the place the flesh breaks down into threads, in rabbit marinade (9€), crisp proposal, in open omeletteimpressed by Gordon Ramsay, however with smoked cod (9€), o.ok Txistorra’s pet (6€), which was successful that carried over from the earlier letter and remained within the winter letter, at Bairrada-style hen (8€), a twist on the well-known Portuguese gastronomic space, at cod loin with onions with coriander soup and mashed potatoes (60 €), aged 13 months, from Iceland, and one of many dishes on the menu which you could share and serve as much as 4 folks, or one of many garnishes, equivalent to grilled rice with sausage (6.5€), made with sausage inventory, or in a vegetarian choice, carolina pumpkin (14€), amongst different dishes you may study extra about right here. Winter mail shall be accessible no later than Might.
Manuel Vargas and Chef Rui Lima Santos.
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Honorable point out additionally for the standard dessert farofias (5€) from the restaurant, made with cream or orange blossom Alfeizerão sponge cake with rosemary ice cream (6€). You could be fortunate sufficient to seek out one. Orange piewhich, though the menu just isn’t fastened, will be made with oranges from the restaurant’s backyard.
For individuals who comprehend it nicely, it isn’t stunning to listen to that Oh!Vargas is the restaurant with the perfect wine cellar in Santarém. And it does this as a result of it references greater than 300 wines, of which almost 100 are wines from the Tagus or by a partnership with Juve & Camps. However this isn’t the one restaurant partnership, the place you may also discover Riedel merchandise on the market or purchase cigars and cigars due to the partnership with Casa Havaneza.
The reality is anybody who knew the Oh!Vargas ex would acknowledge that rather a lot has modified. And alter is sweet. “For me, the evolution within the kitchen is: shopping for good merchandise, there’s a little bit of transformation, treating the merchandise nicely and what we usually cannot do at dwelling, we do right here”, summarizes Manuel Vargas, who began working in eating places on the age of 13 , however handed by different areas – specifically Taská, additionally in Santarém, and the undertaking within the Algarve, accumulating 25 years of expertise within the discipline – earlier than embracing the household enterprise. “What we would like is to have a special product, cooked with care”, enhances Rui Lima Santos, displaying that he’s according to the considering for a brand new life for Oh!Vargas.
The invitation was made: the detour from the motorway is not too massive, simply 5 minutes away by automotive. And good meals at sincere costs cannot damage.
SAPO Life-style is right here at Oh!Vargas on the restaurant’s invitation.