Cantina da Praça

Cantina da Praça is a contemporary Portuguese restaurant in Horta, on Faial island, positioned as one of the more refined dining options in the town. The kitchen builds its menu around braised tuna, a fish cataplana (a Portuguese seafood stew cooked in a distinctive copper-clam-shaped pan), and seasonal desserts, applying a more considered, contemporary technique than Horta's simpler seafood grills. The dining room reflects this ambition with a refined, contemporary setting -- more polished furnishings, softer lighting, and a quieter, more intimate noise level than the town's casual cafés and taverns; smart-casual dress feels appropriate, though there is no strict code. The wine list draws on Portuguese options selected to match the richness of the cataplana and braised tuna. Mains run about EUR 20-32 (approx USD 22-35), toward the higher end for Horta. Reservations are recommended, particularly for dinner, given the restaurant's smaller, more intimate format and its position as one of Faial's more ambitious dining rooms.