Évora is one of the best places to eat in Portugal. Alentejo cuisine is robust and deeply flavoured — built on pork, olive oil, garlic, bread, and the extraordinary local wines. The signature dish is açorda alentejana, a thick bread soup made with garlic, coriander, and a poached egg. Carne de porco à alentejana (pork with clams) is the dish that made the region famous outside Portugal.
The restaurants around the Praça do Giraldo cater mainly to tourists; better value and more authentic cooking is found in the streets behind the cathedral and in the lanes between Largo das Portas de Moura and the São Francisco church.
Tasquinha do Oliveira — a cramped, beloved local restaurant near the cathedral that has been serving traditional Alentejo cooking for decades. No reservations; arrive early or wait. The açorda here is definitive.
Restaurante 1/4 para as 9 — smart modern Alentejo food in a converted town house, excellent wine list of local producers. The migas (bread-based side dish) and the pork are particularly good.
Café Arcada — one of the oldest cafés in the square, under the arches of Praça do Giraldo. Good for a morning pastry and coffee or a glass of local wine in the afternoon.
The local wine to drink is from the Alentejo DOC — look for Esporão, Herdade do Esporão, or ask the restaurant what they recommend from small producers. The white wines, especially the Antão Vaz varietal, are much better than their reputation outside Portugal.