The beauty of the Barracuda Restaurant is not the beachfront location, al fresco dining experience or consistency in cuisine, but the fact that when ordering from the menu, you may find your chosen dish unavailable. Why is this a benefit? You can be rest assured that what you do find available to eat, is perfectly fresh.
I recall one day asking for the Percebes, but they were unavailable. An hour or so later, the fisherman arrived and they were back on the menu. One day tuna is on the menu, the next day not. Serra OK today but tomorrow, not. Today we ordered the Cataplana de Marisco, the mixed seafood platter. Not available as there was no fresh lobster.
Closed on Mondays, the restaurant is open throughout the day for lunch and dinner with choices of shaded indoor our al fresco dining. The waiting staff are always pleasant and polite.
My two favourite dishes here are the Serra Encebalado and Percebes.
Known globally as Wahoo, the Cape Verdian name is Serra. The fish is of the same family as mackerel and tuna. The flesh is of a white colour and dense, firm texture and highly regarded by many gourmets. Wahoo is considered a premium priced fish in areas of the world including Hawaii, Bermuda the Caribbean.
Served grilled, Serra Encebalado A succulent steak with no bones. Served with an onion and orange sauce, seasoned I think with green whole peppercorns. Accompaniments are of rice, chips or salad. If Serra is unavailable or not your preference, Tuna Encebalado is an alternative.
My wife’s favourite are the Tuna Carpaccio, a cold plate of raw and thinly sliced Tuna with an olive oil dressing with granular cubes of red and green peppers. Her other delight is the fish skewer. Again served with a choice of two of rice, salad or chips it is a single kebab skewer of Serra interlaced with onion pieces.
We tend to always share a bottle of Chã Fogo which is reasonably prices at 2,000CVE, finishing off the meal with a cheeky Coconut Pie. Like a Creme Brûlée, but bigger and dusted with desiccated coconut.
As aforementioned, the beauty of the Barracuda is that there is consistency in the menu. If any ingredient is unavailable, the dish is off. Unlike others where substitutions are made. They have been awarded a Certificate of Excellence in 2016 for outstanding food hygiene and advertise a heart defibrillator in case of medical emergency.
Other popular dishes are the Paella or Jambalaya. If you have not tasted before, don’t be put off by photographs, try the local delicacies of fresh Percebes and Cracus.
