Where to Eat in Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde's dining culture reflects its unique position as a West African archipelago with deep Portuguese colonial roots, creating a distinctive Creole cuisine known as "culinária cabo-verdiana." The islands' signature dishes like cachupa (a slow-cooked corn and bean stew considered the national dish), cachupa frita (fried cachupa served for breakfast), and fresh grilled lobster showcase the marriage of African ingredients with Portuguese cooking techniques and abundant Atlantic seafood. Each inhabited island has developed its own culinary personality, with Santo Antão known for grogue (local sugarcane rum) and ponche, São Vicente for its cosmopolitan restaurant scene in Mindelo, and Santiago for the most traditional African-influenced preparations. The dining scene balances family-run "restaurantes típicos" serving home-style Creole food with beachfront grills, live music venues where meals extend for hours, and an emerging contemporary dining movement in Praia and Sal.

Signature Dishes and Local Specialties:
• Cachupa Variations: Cachupa rica (with various meats including chorizo, pork, and chicken) is served as the main evening meal, while cachupa pobre (simpler version with fish or vegetables) appears at more modest establishments. Locals eat cachupa frita with fried eggs and linguiça (sausage) for breakfast, particularly on weekends. You'll find cachupa priced between 400-800 CVE ($4-8 USD) at traditional restaurants.
• Seafood Specialties: Lagosta grelhada (grilled lobster) dominates menus on Sal, Boa Vista, and São Vicente, typically priced 2,500-4,000 CVE ($25-40 USD) depending on size. Atum grelhado (grilled tuna steaks), cavala (mackerel), and garoupa (grouper) appear daily based on fishing catches. Percebes (goose barnacles) are a delicacy on Santo Antão and São Nicolau, served simply boiled.
• Island-Specific Dining Districts: Mindelo's Rua de Lisboa and the waterfront Avenida Marginal on São Vicente concentrate the archipelago's most diverse dining options with live morna music. Sal's Santa Maria beachfront strip offers tourist-oriented seafood restaurants with ocean views. Praia's Plateau district on Santiago features traditional Cape Verdean eateries alongside African continental restaurants, while the Prainha area has beachside grills serving fresh catch of the day.
• Traditional Accompaniments and Sides: Every meal includes xerém (coarse corn porridge), djagacida (rice and beans cooked together), or batata doce (sweet potato). Restaurants serve molho cru (raw onion and tomato relish) and molho de pimenta (hot pepper sauce made with malagueta peppers) as standard condiments. Pastel com diabo dentro ("pastry with the devil inside") - fried pastries filled with spicy tuna - cost 50-100 CVE each as popular street food.
• Seasonal and Cultural Timing: August through October brings the best tuna season with lower prices and premium quality. Cachupa is traditionally prepared on Wednesdays and Saturdays in home kitchens, making these ideal days to find authentic versions in local restaurants