Today's dining experience has taken us to a long standing café with great eats and great atmosphere. Café Sintra, named after the owner Manuel's hometown in Portugal near Lisbon, is always a great place to gather and today was no different. With a great soccer game on the TV and the hum of happy patrons chattering, you feel the warmth and excitement prior to even ordering your food.
We decided to begin our experience with their home brewed jasmine fruit ice tea. This tea is wonderful down to the very last sip with bold spices and a touch of sweetness. It paired perfectly with the rich flavors of our lunch today.
To begin, we split a cup of the Portuguese Chicken Stew. Featuring shredded chicken, white beans and roasted chilies topped with mozzarella and sour cream, this stew was just comfort in a cup. We were extremely impressed with how these flavors melded together and we could have easily just had a bowl on this chilly October day.
We continued this culinary journey with the Algarve sandwich, a wonderful combination of prosciutto, goat cheese, grilled tomatoes, mixed greens and balsamic on the perfect bread roll. This sandwich was delicious and a great, light and refreshing lunch that did not weigh you down. We also ordered the Linguica pizzeta to really get a taste of Portugal. The flatbread was crispy and held up well against the toppings of red onion, roasted pepper, mozzarella and linguica. The mozzarella was wonderfully creamy and the linguica was fantastically seasoned and really left this dish being a crowd pleaser.
Overall, from breakfast to lunch, Café Sintra featured bold, Portuguese flavors and there is a little something for everyone in this staple restaurant of downtown Bend. The atmosphere is casual and inviting and great for a quick lunch during the workday or a leisurely brunch with friends. They have great espresso and adult beverages as well that we did not partake this time around. You can also enjoy Café Sintra in Sunriver, Oregon when you visit there as well! Needless to say, we are looking forward to our next dining experience at this wonderful location.
-The Bend Premier Foodies
