There are many good reasons to head to Leça da Palmeira and eat chef Rui Paula's food. Besides his creative and gastronomic skills – which he already demonstrated elsewhere, such as DOC in the Douro and DOP in downtown Porto –, dining the Casa de Chá da Boa Nova (designed by architect Siza Vieira) makes everything seem different: that's due to the dramatic landscape. Every meal starts with an aperitif in a room overlooking the ocean – the restaurant is built on top of the shoals. The same ocean (or one like it) is also on the menu – one of the tasting menus, the Atlântico, is entirely composed of seafood. The Mar e Terra is more of a surf & turf mix, while Boa Nova offers lighter fare.
