01 · ISLAND CLASSIC
Moreia Frita
Crispy, golden fried moray eel — a true taste of the island.
Our Story
It started with
a little courage.
On December 31, 2021, Evandro and Liliana decided to take a chance on something of their own: opening a restaurant.
It wasn't the easiest place to start. Pidrinha d’ Sal was away from Santa Maria's busiest streets, and in the beginning there was no guarantee that people would find their way there. There was fear. There was uncertainty. And, like every small business, there were difficult days and plenty of things to figure out along the way.
So they started with what they had. They invited friends. They cooked. They welcomed people. And little by little, those first tables became something bigger.
Two people. Two strengths. One family.
Evandro brought his experience in the kitchen — the patience, knowledge and instinct that turn fresh ingredients into food people remember.
Liliana brought something just as important: her experience on the restaurant floor, her warmth and the kind of natural hospitality that makes people feel welcome from the moment they arrive.
Together, they built Pidrinha d’ Sal around what they knew best: good food, genuine hospitality and taking care of people.
There were difficult moments. There still are. But the family stayed together, focused on what they could do well, and kept moving forward.
From a hidden spot to a place people look for.
What once felt like a disadvantage slowly became part of the story. People started coming because someone told them about the food. Then they came back. They brought friends.
Visitors discovered dishes they had never tried before — moreia frita, búzio, percebes, tuna tartare, tuna carpaccio and Cape Verdean-style octopus.
And Pidrinha d’ Sal became more than a restaurant. It became a place where locals and visitors could sit together, eat well, talk, laugh and experience a more genuine side of Sal.
Today, guests describe Pidrinha as local, rustic, welcoming and authentic — the kind of place people discover once and then return to.
And that's still what we are.
We don't try to be something we're not. We cook with the flavours we know. We welcome people the way we know how. We keep the atmosphere relaxed.
And we continue doing the simple things that started it all: cook well, welcome people and take care of the table in front of us.
That's Pidrinha d’ Sal. A family story, served one plate at a time.