Rotas da Ilha Verde

Rotas is one of the most amazing vegetarian places I've been. The staff is spetacular, the decoration is cosy and original and the food is delicious! They have a wide menu of entrés, mains and desserts. Most of the dishes are ovo-lacto vegetarian but they said they can transform every main dish to vegan. All the food was beautifully plated, tasted amazing, well seasoned and nice portions! Besides the menu they also have a daily soup and two daily mains that you can mix and it'll be more affordable. I was in love with the place and the food and I wish I can go back more times! A important thing to refer is that they are always very full so if you don't want to miss you make sure to make a reservation.

This is the only real vegetarian place in town. All the reviews that come before are accurate and this place is not to be missed. There are some vegan choices, many things can be veganized, but I need to emphasize this is mainly a vegetarian restaurant.

Lunch-
Come early (best to get there when they open) and make use of the group table for 8. There are 2 daily specials for lunch and you can get a mix of the two. Soup is also a great addition.

Dinner-
Make a reservation.
I found the appetizers to be smallish and the best value to be the main dishes.

I always get exited when I go some place new and find veggie restaurants and in this town was no exception. But wasn't expecting such amazing food. Every thing I tried was lovely, terrific presentation and it tasted soooo good. Tried to go there a 2nd time before leaving but was full, no table available. Bad for me, but makes me happy knowing veggie restaurants are popular these days :)

There are not many restaurants in Ponta Delgada to eat great vegan food. But Rotas and A Requinha are an exception. The atmosphere is great, the woman serving us was really lovely. For entree, I took chickpea balls with soy yoghurt sauce and after that salad with mango and avocado. I don't recommend you to take a salad because it is nothing spacial. I have learned that it's pointless to order a salad when you're eating out because you pay the fortune for nothing (it costs 8€).

I also try Lan's restaurants because they should have some vegan options, but it was only one vegan dish: baked beans with rice. Unfortunately, it is not made fresh, they just have it frozen and then they reheat it in a microwave (I know because it was still cold in the middle). So save the money from trying all the options, which was my aim and just go for the best. That should be the main principle for everything in life anyway.

This is not just a Vegetarian restaurant, this is an anthem to great tasty gourmet food, made with care, love and attention to detail! Every one, either vegetarian, vegan, or meat eater should experience the excellency of this cuisine. The staff will make feel at home because that´s the atmosphere of the place! Despite being openly Lacto-Vegetarian you'll also find some vegan dishes on the menu, although almost every lacto-vegetarian dish can be adapted to become vegan.
Be advised to make a reservation before you go, specially on the high season, because they can be fully booked with up to 3 days in advance! It's just wonderful to find such a restaurant in a place most wouldn't expect to find even one vegetarian restaurant!
Being Vegan i can only say that i had the most tasty vegan dish ever (Tofu in quinoa crust with pineapple sauce and black rice)


Updated from previous review on 2016-07-17

Excellent food! Really big vegan selection. We were there 3 times during our stay on Sao Miguel!! It's a small place that get full really fast so get there as close to opening time as possible for dinner. Lovely staff and a very comfortable/homey decor.

We absolutely loved it!! They told us the vegan options and they were delicious!!! The staff was great, really nice and helpful!! We went for dinner three times!! :O))

To my knowledge, this is the only true vegetarian restaurant on the island of São Miguel. It is such a gem, with excellent food choices and reasonably priced. The food choices are creative and made with love. Many non-vegetarians eat here as well. The atmosphere is simple and lovely. They offer lunch and there are two set dinner times, 7pm and 9pm and a reservation is usually required as there are only a handful of tables. This is a must when visiting São Miguel!!

Tasty nutritious cheap and friendly.
Go there you will not be disappointed.

very friendly, prices really moderate. we had soup, wine, home made ice tea, beet root risotto, quinoa with sweet bitter vegetables and an especially for us made pastry with apple and cinamon for desert. everything vegan or veganized, everything delicious!

Very nice service and cool place! Liked the food but I would have loved to see some Azorean traditional food (or their vegetarian versions :) on the menu...

We are just back from Ponta Delgada where we have spended 2 wonderful weeks there. If you are a vegetarian or even vegan (like me) and you are going on vacation there... don't worry too much. You have at least this really nice vegetarian place where to go out for lunch and dinner. The Food is good, the Place is cozy, the service is very good and friendly. A real surprise to find something like this in the middle of the ocean. Inside you will think to be in some european city... It has saved our evenings... On top of that: Prices are very good for lunch and good for dinner. Vegetarian will have the chance to taste the good green tea ice cream (my gf told me it was great... so I believe it)

This cosy little restaurant is the place for vegetarians and even non-vegetarians to eat out in Sao Miguel. It is at the moment the only vegetarian restaurant in the islands. The food is delicious and the staff is extremely nice. During one weeks visit we ate there five times. We did not get good food anywhere else in Sao Miguel, so Rotas is the "oasis" of the Azores.

We went to Açores on May 2009 and this was one of the absolutely rare vegetarian places on all the achipelagos.
The restaurant is cosy and confortable, the waiters absolutely lovely and friendly. We had excellent food, and as we went there 2 times we explered the menu:everything was delicious. We suggest also to stop at their cafe in the public garden were you may taste the only fantasious sandwich of your holydays in the Azores.

Very nice place. Entrees quite big, same for desserts!
Lovely waitresses, and definetely try the triple layer chocolate mousse. It's big enough for two!

Only place on Ponta delgada where you can get tofu!

I just got back from a week in Ponta Delgada. As my company is vegetarian and I myself don't eat any fish, we checked happycow.com before we left and found the address for Rotas da Ilha Verde. The first night it was closed as it was a holiday (May 1st). Out of 7 days, we had dinner there 4 times, and every time the ambiance was great, the hostess was lovely and the food was amazing!!! As a starter the cheese fondue (with mayonaise ???) is fantastic, but enough for two, the seitan with mushrooms and coffee (though I hate coffee) was heavenly and the "secreda chocolat" (chocolat secret) is Sao Miguel's best kept secret: it is truly wonderful. We were delighted with Rotas, not only because of the great food, atmosphere and hospitality, but also because it meant that we didn't have to eat omelettes, salads or pizza for a week. Also, the food is very reasonably priced. Starters around €4, main courses €9-13, deserts €1,60-3 and local beer/water €1, wine €2.5 per glass and a huge pot of delicious tea for only €1.60. I recommend it to everyone living in or visiting Sao Miguel.