Rendezvous Monchique.

Amid a sea of restaurants, they tower up like lighthouses. Vegetarian and vegan cuisine has a lonely time alongside myriad fish and meat dishes. But meat-free meals are what’s best for both body and soul. They taste fantastic … once you know how to prepare them. And there are some basic rules to observe when you go shopping; all foodstuffs should come from local, organic and ecological producers, be whole-grain products, untreated as far as possible, and seasonally harvested. Vegetable pizza, potato stew with chick peas, pasta with cherry tomatoes and rocket, or the famous quiche Lorraine, a brightly coloured vegetable tart, are just a few of the possibilities. And then there are the desserts: coconut panna cotta with raspberries, poached pears with almond foam or a simple rice pudding with cinnamon.

Today
In the uplands of Monchique (400 km2, population 7,800, Foía 902 metres), one such lighthouse has been in existence for five years. On the door, it says Ochálá Tea House and you can find it in the town centre. The lighthouse keepers Isabel Maria Nunes Mira (50) and Christian Major (52) open their door for business at nine in the morning. As only chicken piri-piri or pork and game dishes had been served up in Monchique for several generations, they had the idea of doing something better. They wanted to try things out that the town had never seen before. The first steps are always the hardest. The first locals often peered in through the main door and continued on their way. But the global village of people who have moved into the area are not so retiring. About an eighth of all newcomers to Monchique are “estrangeiros”, from England, Germany, Holland and elsewhere. For them, Ochálá has become something of a focal point. They had free internet here before the local authority started advertising its own. And meanwhile, the tea house has also become a mecca for the locals.
Before
Christian, who is originally from Quebec and an interior architect by profession, was in his element when he started bringing some light into the darkness of the house: wood furniture and walls, warm lighting, all combined with the mosaic tiles of the old floor. Then he took to the kitchen and became a baker and chef. His partner Isabel, a Monchiquense born and bred, took charge of the front of the house: she prepares and serves tea, coffee, fresh fruit juices and the many small, mostly vegetarian dishes. Cakes and tarts, crêpes, bagels, scones, muffins and croissants, they make the quiche and sandwiches themselves (Christian), and many of the herbal teas come from their own garden – the salads, vegetables, cheese and eggs come from local producers. But the best thing is the baklava (€0.70), a sweet made from almonds, honey and puff pastry along with a chá gorreana verde (green tea from the Azores) or an orange pekoe (black tea)…
Prices are reasonable: salads between €2.50 and €4.75, crêpes from €1.75 to €2.75, and you can get the vegetarian dish-of-the-day at lunchtime for as little as €4.75, e.g. a vegetarian lasagne. If you’re ever in Monchique, a visit to Ochálá is highly recommended.
Ochálá Tea House • Rua Dr. Samora Gil 12 • 8550 Monchique • Portugal •Tel 00351-282.912.524 • e-mail: imira@sapo.pt • Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9.00-19.00, Sat 9.00-14.00, Sun closed.