Breakfast at Penha Longa’s Il Mercato

As part of a series from my recent trip to Portugal, my stay at Penha Longa included full breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant Il Mercato.

On the way to the restaurant I noticed there were different pieces of art for sale. Each was labeled with the piece’s name, artist and price.

Art.

The restaurant was located upstairs on the second floor.

Table for two? Yes, please. It felt more like eating at a standalone restaurant than being inside a hotel.

As we rounded the corner on the way to be seated, a table set up with coffee, tea and Pastel de nata pastries was pointed out.

I chose a quiet table in the corner near the windows that looked out over the grounds.

Outside seating was available too, but since it was a misty morning a bit on the cool side the inside area was more popular. I was immediately offered tea, coffee, and a selection of juices.

The buffet was really quite extensive. There was an omelet station and plenty of hot items like hash browns, eggs, grilled tomatoes and bacon.

There was a proper meat slicer, and the platters of meat and fish were constantly replenished.

A healthy station held cucumber juice, house-made granola bars, veggie sticks and sliced meats.

There was a separate kids station with fun foods like marshmallows and squeezable apple sauce. A TV with cartoons on mute, some toys and chairs for little people were nearby. At the end of the table were finger sandwiches, cookies and crackers.

All the yogurts were locally made, and there was a good selection of cheeses and fruit.

Loads of cereals, meat, fruit and fruit salads.

Everything was labelled well so there was no confusion.

I loved the breads section which had pastries that were made fresh that morning. As items got low, staff quickly brought out new stock so nothing remained empty.

On one of the mirrors of the restaurant a famous phrase by Virginia Woolf was boldly scrawled, “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” I certainly dined well at this restaurant, and would definitely return!

Did you miss some of the other reviews in this series? Click here for a review of the Penha Longa Premium Room, click here for the Penha Longa Executive Suite, click here to read about the hotel’s B Lounge Restaurant, and click here to read about a Day in Sintra. Thanks for coming along!