The Project
TASCA — Authentic Portuguese Restaurant
A project by AHRESP and Turismo de Portugal / VisitPortugal that celebrates and internationally promotes the Portuguese tasca — and unveils a curated guide to authentic houses across the North, Centre and Alentejo.
33
tascas in the guide
3
regions
AHRESP
an AHRESP · Turismo de Portugal initiative
What is a Tasca
A cultural experience only possible in Portugal
The tasca is a small-scale establishment, almost always family-run, with a counter and a kitchen, serving homemade food that is simple and affordable. More than a place to eat, it is a neighbourhood meeting point, a stage for the authentic flavours of our cuisine.
It is a place where you eat as you would at home, served by people you know or recognise, where the gesture of nourishing is repeated and comfort comes as much from the plate as from the relationship. Hard to define exactly, the tasca is — for the Portuguese — instantly recognised.
- Family origin
- Businesses passed down and run within the family, continuing across generations.
- Food
- Daily specials and homemade, regional flavours, close to the domestic world.
- Atmosphere
- A family welcome, affective closeness, a sense of safety and familiarity.
- Social role
- A place of gathering, where eating sits between the domestic and the public act.
The mission
Valuing the tasca as a tourism and cultural asset
The project celebrates and internationally promotes Portuguese gastronomy as a distinctive and sustainable tourism asset. It works on capacity-building, structuring the offer and the tourism promotion of traditional, authentic restaurants — the Portuguese tasca — as living spaces of sociability and culture.
It recognises tascas as living spaces of culture and sociability, fostering closer ties between producers, chefs, local communities and visitors around the ingredients, products and recipes of the North, Centre and Alentejo regions.
- Research and mapping of Portuguese tascas
- Capacity-building and structuring the offer
- Tourism and international promotion
- Consolidating the Network of Portuguese Restaurants Worldwide
International promotion
The tasca, an ambassador abroad
Throughout 2026, the project takes the tasca to strategic markets, introducing international audiences to Portuguese cuisine as an expression of identity and culture — reinforcing Portugal's reputation as a world-class gastronomic destination.
In the Netherlands, the Portugal Food Festival – Taste the Tasca brings to The Hague, on 11 and 12 June, a menu of authentic flavours inspired by comida de tacho. It is during these activations that the curated list of Portuguese tascas is unveiled — an invitation to discover these houses across the country.
Japan
2026 activation
Spain
2026 activation
Germany
2026 activation
Netherlands
The Hague · 11–12 June
More than a place to eat, the tasca is a meeting point for the community, a stage for the authentic flavours of our cuisine, and a distinctive element in the global tourism landscape.
AHRESP
Who promotes it
An institutional initiative
The “TASCA — Authentic Portuguese Restaurant” project is promoted by AHRESP — the Portuguese Hospitality and Restaurant Association, in partnership with Turismo de Portugal / VisitPortugal.
It is co-financed by COMPETE 2030 and Portugal 2030, with the support of the European Union.
Co-financed by the European Union
The spirit of Portugal's tascas is the living symbol of our way of being and welcoming at the table.
Taste the Tasca