Restaurant in Sintra, Portugal
Portuguese-Japanese tasting menus, Michelin-starred, book ahead.
Midori is Portugal's oldest Japanese restaurant — open since 1992, Michelin-starred since 2024, and ranked in OAD's Top Restaurants in Europe. Operating on two tasting menus (seven and nine courses) inside the Penha Longa hotel near Sintra, it is the strongest fine-dining option in the region for a special occasion dinner. Book four to six weeks ahead for weekends; the room is small and fills fast.
Midori costs €€€€ and operates on tasting menus only — two sittings per evening, Tuesday through Saturday. For that spend, you get one of Portugal's oldest Japanese restaurants (open since 1992), a Michelin star earned in 2024, and a ranked position at #361 in Opinionated About Dining's Leading Restaurants in Europe 2025. If you are planning a special occasion dinner near Sintra and want something genuinely different from the Portuguese fine-dining mainstream, book here. If you want à la carte flexibility or a shorter evening, look elsewhere.
Midori sits inside the Penha Longa hotel at Quinta da Lagoa Azul, set against the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. The room does a lot of work before a dish arrives: large windows frame the wooded hillside, a mural by a Portuguese artist runs along the wall, vinyl panels absorb the acoustics, and an open kitchen keeps the evening from feeling sealed-off or over-formal. For a special occasion dinner, the setting reads as considered rather than showy — which is the right register for the food that follows.
The kitchen operates under chef Pedro Almeida, with resident chef Tiago Santo running service nightly. The approach is Portuguese produce filtered through Japanese technique: fermentation, precision butchery, and restrained seasoning applied to local ingredients rather than imported Japanese ones. The result is not fusion in the loose sense. Dishes like roasted tomato nigiri or Kakuni-style beef tongue with scorched aubergine are specific and committed to a point of view. The dessert course , Hachi, built on honey and oats , lands as a deliberate contrast to the savoury precision that precedes it.
Two tasting menus are on offer: Kiri at seven courses and Yama at nine. Neither is described as a lighter or introductory option; the difference is depth rather than register. First-timers without a strong preference should ask the team which suits the evening's pace. Both menus reflect the same kitchen logic, so the choice is mostly about how long you want to be at the table.
Midori's wine and drinks program sits inside a hotel property, which typically means a well-resourced cellar managed by a senior sommelier. The Portuguese wine list at this level , a Michelin-starred hotel restaurant in the Sintra-Cascais corridor , tends to run deep on Douro and Alentejo reds and on regional whites from Vinho Verde and the Lisbon DOC. Pairing by the glass or a full wine pairing alongside the tasting menu is the format that works leading here; the kitchen's Japanese-Portuguese framework rewards guided pairings over solo selection. Specific list details are not publicly confirmed, so ask when booking whether a pairing is available for both menus and what the supplement runs.
Midori opens Tuesday through Saturday, evenings only, from 7 PM to 10:30 PM. Monday and Sunday are closed. For a Michelin-starred tasting-menu restaurant with fewer than 60 Google reviews publicly listed, the seat count is clearly small , expect a compact dining room. Book at least four to six weeks ahead for weekend evenings, and further in advance if you are travelling for a specific date. Walk-ins are not a realistic option. The hotel connection means the concierge at Penha Longa can assist with reservations if you are staying on property; otherwise, contact the restaurant directly through the hotel.
Friday and Saturday evenings fill first. Tuesday and Wednesday offer more flexibility and a quieter room. If the occasion allows a mid-week dinner, those nights give you a better chance of securing a booking on shorter notice.
Midori is built for the kind of evening where the meal is the plan, not the prelude. The tasting-menu format, the remote hotel setting, and the Michelin-starred price point all point toward couples on a milestone occasion, small groups willing to commit to a set menu, or food-focused travellers staying in the Sintra area who want to eat at the region's most credentialled table. It is not the right call for a casual dinner, a large party, or anyone resistant to a structured multi-course format.
For context within Portugal's fine-dining tier: Belcanto in Lisbon and Casa de Chá da Boa Nova in Leça da Palmeira operate in the same price band with two Michelin stars each. Midori's one-star positioning means it sits just below that tier on raw credential, but the Japanese-Portuguese concept has no direct equivalent in the country , which is the more relevant point for anyone choosing between them. If you are specifically in the Sintra-Cascais area and want a destination dinner, Midori is the address. See our full Sintra restaurants guide for the wider picture, and our Sintra hotels guide if you are staying overnight.
Quick reference: Tue–Sat, 7 PM–10:30 PM only. Closed Mon and Sun. Two tasting menus (7 or 9 courses). Book 4–6 weeks minimum for weekends. Hotel setting at Penha Longa, Quinta da Lagoa Azul, Sintra.
Midori runs tasting menus only , no à la carte. Choose between the seven-course Kiri or the nine-course Yama when booking. The concept is Portuguese produce cooked with Japanese technique, so expect restrained, precise dishes rather than a broad Japanese menu. The restaurant is inside the Penha Longa hotel outside central Sintra, so you need a car or a taxi. Budget €€€€ per head before drinks.
Yes , it is one of the stronger choices in the Sintra region for a milestone dinner. The Michelin star (2024), the hotel setting, and the tasting-menu format all support a celebration framing. The room is intimate and the open kitchen keeps the atmosphere engaged rather than hushed. It works better for couples or small groups than for larger parties.
The restaurant's seat count is not publicly confirmed, but the format , a hotel fine-dining room running tasting menus , typically means limited capacity. Groups of four to six are manageable; larger parties should contact the hotel directly and ask about availability and whether a private arrangement is possible. Call Penha Longa hotel to reach the restaurant team.
For a Friday or Saturday evening, book at least four to six weeks out. For weekday evenings, three weeks is a reasonable lead time. Given the Michelin star and small seat count, do not leave it to the week before , especially if your dates are fixed around travel plans. Hotel guests at Penha Longa can request reservations through the concierge.
Lab by Sergi Arola is the most direct local alternative at €€€€ with a creative tasting-menu format. If you are willing to drive further, Ocean in Porches and Fortaleza do Guincho in Cascais operate in the same price band. For Portugal's most decorated kitchens, Belcanto in Lisbon is a 45-minute drive and carries two Michelin stars. See our Sintra restaurants guide for the full comparison.
For what it delivers , a Michelin-starred, concept-driven tasting menu inside a hotel with a serious setting , yes, the €€€€ price point is in line with the category. The Japanese-Portuguese concept has genuine depth and a 30-year track record. Where it does not beat the price-value equation is if you are comparing it to two-star restaurants in Lisbon at similar spend. For the Sintra area specifically, it is the strongest fine-dining option available.
Yes, assuming you want a structured evening and are travelling to the Sintra area. The kitchen's approach , Japanese technique applied to Portuguese produce , is coherent across both menus, and dishes like the Kakuni-style beef tongue and roasted tomato nigiri represent a clear point of view rather than a generic tasting format. The nine-course Yama gives more range; the seven-course Kiri is the better call if you are unsure about the format or prefer a shorter evening.
There is no confirmed bar-seating option at Midori. The restaurant is a hotel fine-dining room running set menus, which typically means table-only dining. If bar seating or a shorter drinks-and-small-plates format is what you are after, check our Sintra bars guide for alternatives in the area.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midori | Japanese | €€€€ | Open since 1992, this Japanese restaurant is one of the country’s oldest. Its connection to Japanese culture is clear, as Midori means “green”, an obvious reference to the fantastic vegetation surrounding the Penha Longa hotel, merging into the lush mountains of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. An open kitchen, vinyl-covered walls, a beautiful mural designed by a Portuguese artist, and large windows are the backdrop for a pleasant, cosy atmosphere. The offering of talented Chef Pedro Almeida, here served up daily by the young resident chef Tiago Santo, reveals Portuguese cuisine with a Japanese soul, adopting the techniques of the Far East country and applying them to the best local produce. Across two tasting menus — Kiri and Yama, with 7 and 9 courses, respectively — the selection translates into bold dishes like the roasted tomato nigiri, the Kakuni-style beef tongue served with scorched aubergine and tomato, or the surprising dessert of Hachi (honey and oats).; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked #361 (2025); Open since 1992, this Japanese restaurant is one of the country’s oldest. Its connection to Japanese culture is clear, as Midori means “green”, an obvious reference to the fantastic vegetation surrounding the Penha Longa hotel, merging into the lush mountains of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. An open kitchen, vinyl-covered walls, a beautiful mural designed by a Portuguese artist, and large windows are the backdrop for a pleasant, cosy atmosphere. The offering of talented Chef Pedro Almeida, here served up daily by the young resident chef Tiago Santo, reveals Portuguese cuisine with a Japanese soul, adopting the techniques of the Far East country and applying them to the best local produce. Across two tasting menus — Kiri and Yama, with 7 and 9 courses, respectively — the selection translates into bold dishes like the roasted tomato nigiri, the Kakuni-style beef tongue served with scorched aubergine and tomato, or the surprising dessert of Hachi (honey and oats).; Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked #338 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024); Opinionated About Dining Top New Restaurants in Europe Recommended (2023) | Hard | — |
| Belcanto | Modern Portugese, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Casa de Chá da Boa Nova | Portugese, Seafood | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Ocean | Contemporary European, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Lab by Sergi Arola | Progressive Spanish, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| 50 seconds from Martin Berasategui | Progressive Spanish | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Midori and alternatives.
Midori is a tasting-menu-only restaurant inside the Penha Longa hotel on the edge of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, open Tuesday through Saturday evenings only. You choose between two menus — Kiri (7 courses) or Yama (9 courses) — built around Portuguese produce handled with Japanese technique. It has held a Michelin star since 2024 and ranked #361 in OAD's Top Restaurants in Europe for 2025. Plan the evening around the meal: the location and format both demand it.
Yes, and it's well-suited to it. The combination of a Michelin-starred tasting menu, a hotel setting with large windows overlooking the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, and a room described as cosy rather than formal gives it occasion weight without rigidity. The two-menu format — Kiri at 7 courses or Yama at 9 — lets you calibrate the length of the evening. At €€€€, expect to spend accordingly, so set that expectation before you book.
Midori operates inside the Penha Longa hotel, which typically provides infrastructure for group bookings that standalone restaurants cannot. check the venue's official channels to confirm private dining availability and group minimums, as specific capacity figures are not published. The tasting-menu format means groups must commit to the same menu and pace, so it works best for parties who want the meal to be the shared focus of the evening.
Book at least three to four weeks out. Midori is open only five evenings a week and is a Michelin-starred restaurant with OAD recognition, which keeps demand consistently ahead of availability. Weekend slots — Friday and Saturday — will fill faster than mid-week. Because it sits inside the Penha Longa hotel, booking through the hotel reservation system is the most reliable route.
If the hotel-restaurant setting or the Japanese-Portuguese format doesn't suit you, Casa de Chá da Boa Nova in nearby Leça da Palmeira offers a comparably credentialled tasting menu in a landmark Álvaro Siza building on the Atlantic coast — a different mood entirely. For Sintra itself, options at the same price tier are limited, which is part of why Midori holds the position it does in the area.
At €€€€ with a Michelin star, OAD Top 400 Europe placement in both 2024 and 2025, and a concept — Portuguese produce interpreted through Japanese technique — that few restaurants in Portugal attempt at this level, the value case is solid for tasting-menu diners. It is not worth it if you want à la carte flexibility or a shorter, lighter meal: the format is fixed and the commitment is real. Go in with the right expectations and the price holds up.
The Yama menu at 9 courses is the fuller expression of what chef Pedro Almeida and resident chef Tiago Santo are doing here — Portuguese ingredients handled with Japanese restraint and technique. The Kiri menu at 7 courses suits diners who want the experience without a three-hour commitment. Both menus include dishes cited by OAD reviewers as representative of the kitchen's approach. For the price point and the Michelin recognition, the tasting format is where Midori's cooking makes the most sense.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
