Amazing place. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. We had soup, chips, all three vegan dishes, vegan ice cream and mango mousse (very rare to have vegan desserts in restaurants, awesome). Top!

A wonderful overall experience five stars!! Front of house : The historic building (which Fernando will happily talk about), is a beautiful marriage of old and new to create a unique dining experience. The staff, both Fernando and Joanna, were friendly, attentive and welcoming. They both seemed ro relish a chance to practice their English while i practiced my Portuguese. Back of house: overall the food was excellent. The pheasant canja we chose for starters was rich and perfecrly seasoned. Some canja are too salty for my tastes but all the flavours here were brought to the fore and a delight. We decided to go for a selection of petiscos instead of mains. I could not decide which was my favourite. The sausage with curry and apple flavours, the fresh salada do Pomar, or the salmon ceviche. Everyrhing was beautifully presented. Not really a dessert person, but walking around the steep streets of Covilha meant i felt i could be a little naughty. Was not disappointed. Overall a wonderful experience and would recommend to everyone.

We arrived at peak lunch hour and 5 out of 6 meat dishes weren’t available. We ordered risotto and waited for 1 hour 45 minutes for our food (that is not an exaggeration). Not once during this long wait did the staff check in on us, apologise, compensate us in anyway or offer anything. A long wait later the food arrived cold and not fresh. Would not recommend. Extremely expensive and the most disappointing start to our holiday.

The place is very nice, the food was good. We didn't like the fact that the place has no ventilation and all the clothes smell of food

Ambiente and service leaves nothing to be desired. The menu offers a great variety and food presentation and taste live up to the overall dining experience. Try the brulee sobremesa!!

This restaurant name is the phonetic spelling of "alquimia" (alchemy), and that is exactly what you would think is going on in this charming hidden gem in the heart of old Covilhã in Serra da Estrela. When we first arrived the restaurant was empty and our host was training a new waiter so was being shadowed rather alarmingly in everything from placing cutlery to taking the order. Set in a cosy old stone building with walls covered in textile art (the specialty of Covilhã), books, musical instruments and other quirky decorations. The menu is presented entirely in Portuguese (which is a good indication of the quality to be expected) and is mainly seasonal and local. Our host could not have been more accommodating or welcoming - he learned and addressed us both by our first names, he made recommendations when asked, and he cracked jokes all the way through the meal as well. The couvert (which we explicitly requested) was herbed butter, olive tapenade, 4 types of bread and organic olive oil. All delicious, especially the cornbread - divine. We asked for duck breast in honey, port and orange with puree sweet potato, and slow-braised pork cheeks with pumpkin and greens. Both were popping with flavour and incredibly moreish. Our host chastised us for not cleaning the entire plate, but we explained this was only so we would have space for dessert. We asked for the salted caramel chocolate cake with cinnamon ice cream (what a revelation that was! Such flavour), and a little glass of port to go with it. I would return in a heartbeat, and I think I shall!

Great great great food ever. Service is excellent, not only the plates but history about the place before becoming a amazing restaurant. Order Octopus, you can eat beef at home!

Awesome food, one of the best places I’ve visited in Portugal. Quality of food is so high, We ordered only vegetarian food, everything was delicious. Waitress was very polite and attentive and friendly. I highly recommend this place!