Cuisine

Cape Verde is heaven for fish lovers. After a hard day on the beach, water or golf course, you can visit your latest favourite seafront restaurant and enjoy the catch of the day, including superb grilled lobster, tuna, octopus and swordfish. More adventurous eaters can try freshly fried moreia, or moray eel.

The islands’ food is basically Portuguese but there are many unique dishes, such as pastel com diablo dentro (pastry with the devil inside), a mixture of fresh tuna, onions and tomatoes, wrapped in a pastry made from boiled potatoes and corn flour, deep fried and served hot. Another delicacy is cachupa, a hearty, slow-cooked stew of vegetables, herbs and, in the ‘rich-man’s’ version, meat or chicken. Cachupa takes so long to prepare that some restaurants put a sign in their windows to indicate when they will next be serving it.

Jams and semi-dried fruits are a local speciality and often served with fresh goat’s cheese as a delicious dessert. Homemade sweets tend to be flavoured with coconut, peanut or papaya.

The perfect accompaniment to any meal is the local beer, Coral, or a very drinkable wine made from grapes grown on the volcanic slopes of the island of Fogo. And for the adventurous drinker, there is the ubiquitous grogue, rum distilled from sugar cane and named after the grog traditionally served to British sailors.

The Estrela Santiago resort will include a wide range of restaurants, from fine dining to more casual eating, and featuring the best of local, European and international cuisine.