Mercearia Gadanha

A Grocery Store with the Soul of a Restaurant, a Cuisine with Alentejo Identity

In the historic centre of Estremoz, where marble shapes the urban landscape and tradition remains alive in everyday life, Mercearia do Gadanha stands out as a unique space where gastronomy, memory, and territory intersect.

More than a restaurant, it is a hybrid concept that recovers the essence of traditional grocery stores, places of gathering, local trade, and community identity, reinterpreting it in a contemporary context where eating, tasting, and taking home are all part of the same experience.

Concept and Philosophy

Mercearia do Gadanha builds its proposal around a clear idea: to value Alentejo through its products, producers, and recipes, respecting authenticity while introducing a modern approach.

Under the guidance of chef Michele Marques, the cuisine is based on a rigorous curation of local and seasonal ingredients, many of which are also available in the grocery section. This direct connection between product and dish reinforces the transparency and authenticity of the experience.

Recognition by the Michelin Guide validates this approach, highlighting the consistency and quality of a concept that respects its roots while evolving in form.

An Experience of Sharing and Discovery

The menu reflects the spirit of traditional Alentejo tables, where sharing is central and flavours unfold progressively:

• Petiscos and starters that invite relaxed tasting, featuring regional products such as cheeses, cured meats, preserves, and seasonal preparations.
• Main dishes that reinterpret traditional recipes, maintaining depth of flavour with greater lightness and technical precision.
• Daily specials that follow the rhythm of the seasons, reinforcing the connection to fresh, local produce.
• A carefully curated wine selection, with a strong presence of Alentejo producers, complementing the experience in a coherent way.

This approach allows each visitor to shape their own journey, balancing discovery, memory, and innovation.

From Product to Table and from Table to Home

One of the defining elements of Mercearia do Gadanha is the continuity between the meal and the grocery. Many of the products used in the kitchen can be purchased on-site, extending the experience beyond the table.

This dimension strengthens the connection to the territory and transforms the visitor into an active participant, not just a consumer, taking home flavours, references, and the identity of Alentejo.

Ambience and Identity

The space maintains an aesthetic that balances tradition and contemporaneity. Elements that evoke the old grocery store coexist with a modern design language, creating a welcoming, informal yet carefully curated atmosphere.

The service, attentive, knowledgeable, and close, enhances an authentic experience, where the pace is relaxed and aligned with the Alentejo culture of hospitality.

Gastronomy within the Dark Sky® Alqueva Territory

Located within the Dark Sky® Alqueva territory, Mercearia do Gadanha is part of a broader experiential framework.

Its relative distance from the Official Dark Sky® Alqueva Observatory allows the gastronomic experience to be complemented by the observation of one of Europe’s most preserved night skies. After a meal defined by authenticity and a deep connection to the land, visitors are invited to explore the immaterial dimension of Alentejo—its silence, vastness, and star-filled firmament.

Mercearia do Gadanha thus establishes itself as more than a restaurant: it is a meeting point between product, tradition, and contemporaneity, integrated into a territorial experience that extends from the table to the sky.