(Last updated: October 10, 2026)
There was a time when António stood alongside Fernando and A Lorcha as one of Macau’s most iconic Portuguese restaurants. Everyone in town, or coming to town, seemed to know it, from casino execs to Hong Kong day trippers, mainland tourists to longtime expats.
Opened by António Neves Coelho in 2007, the restaurant became inseparable from the man himself. Warm, loud, deeply Portuguese and usually full of life, it was one of those places where the owner mattered almost as much as the food.
The later years became considerably rockier. Court battles surrounded the restaurant, Coelho left in 2020, and a succession of chefs passed through the kitchen. Then, sadly, António himself died in 2025.
After all that, you’d expect the restaurant to have completely lost its identity.
Oddly enough, it hasn’t.
Some of the old dishes remain, particularly the seafood and pork preparations, and the best of them still explain why António became famous in the first place.
Returning in 2026 after a decade-long absence, I wish I’d come back sooner.
The Assorted Portuguese Sausage ($170) was a good start. The three sausages differed in salt, smoke and texture, and I particularly enjoyed two of them. Something I’d order again.  4 stars
The Sautéed Clams ($218) were magnificent and unlike most versions around town. There was barely any sauce beneath them, yet the garlic, olive oil, herbs and brine seemed to have worked their way directly inside each clam. I don’t know how they did it. Magic, presumably. 5 stars
The Crab Meat in a Shell, Portuguese Style ($195) was an egregious miss. It arrived looking promising, baked inside the shell with breadcrumbs on top and bread on the side. Unfortunately, nearly all the crab had been buried beneath a wall of mayonnaise. Compared to the stellar version at Amora, António is a long way off. 1.5 stars
The Duck Rice ($265) got things firmly back on track. The rice was moist and packed with flavour, while enough duck was mixed through it that nobody had to excavate the bowl searching for meat. Rich and comforting without leaving me incapacitated for the evening. 4.5 stars
The Wagyu Beef Ribeye ($698) approaches steak differently from the classic steakhouse formula. Rather than serving the sauce on the side, António pours it directly over the meat and makes it part of the dish. Thankfully, the beef doesn’t disappear underneath it. The fat was soft, the exterior nicely charred and even the broccoli and carrots were worth eating. 4.5 stars
Turning to desserts, the Drunk Pear ($90) was simple, helped considerably by some very good ice cream. 4 stars
The Serradura ($75) was extremely sweet, probably a bit too much for me. 2 stars
A second visit two weeks later produced an even wider range of results.
The Green Cabbage Soup ($105), or Caldo Verde, was surprisingly weak. There’s some strange yellow element floating through it that threw me off immediately, and the whole thing leaned far too thin and watery. Every now and then you’d get a sip where the flavour finally arrived, but it wasn’t consistent enough. To be fair, there’s actually a decent amount of meat hidden inside, but the bowl itself is absolutely tiny for the price. Honestly, it felt a bit like stealing. 2 stars
The Octopus Salad ($240) completely turned the meal around. When it first arrived, I thought the portion looked way too small, so it really needed to deliver. Thankfully, it absolutely did.
The octopus was absurdly fresh, almost to the point where you’d think it had been alive a few hours earlier. Olive oil, herbs, sweetness and a little acidity took care of the rest. They also showed restraint with the onions, which matters more than people think. 5 stars
The Pata Negra ($288) also hit hard. Thick slices with loads of juice and flavour, carrying that rich cured depth you want from proper Iberian ham. You don’t get much for $288, but what you get is excellent.  4.5 stars
The Roasted Suckling Pig ($318) was masterful and substantial enough for two people to share as a main course. The meat almost melted, while the skin shattered properly with a layer of soft fat underneath. Even the fries were worth eating, which isn’t something I usually bother writing about. There’s a legitimate argument that this is Macau’s best suckling pig. 5 stars
The Barbecue Black Pork Fillet ($270) wasn’t bad, but somebody sliced it far too thin. Any chance of chew or texture disappeared with the thickness, leaving the pork gone before much flavour had time to develop. A dish that should have been considerably better than it was. 3.5 stars
That inconsistency probably sums up the modern António. Beef Wellington and Japanese Wagyu now sit prominently beside the Portuguese classics, evidence of a restaurant reaching for a broader tourist market.
Order carefully, though, and much of the old magic remains. Focus on the clams, octopus, duck rice and suckling pig. Stay as far away from the crab shell as legally possible.
One final thing: António gave us a complimentary bottle of wine on both visits.
I mean, is it really that obvious?
Nah, they probably read my Portuguese wine guide, and know I’m a fan!
***Update***
Two new dishes from an October 2026 visit.
The Tiger Prawns with Garlic (200g, $199) looked terrific, and the prawns themselves were beautifully fresh with a wonderfully soft texture. Unfortunately, the sauce never really got going. It needed far more garlic, seasoning or something to give it a bit of authority. The coriander added freshness, but freshness alone wasn’t enough. At $199 there wasn’t a huge amount on the plate either. 3.5 stars
The Lobster Rice ($598) was another story altogether. Unlike a traditional seafood rice, it isn’t packed with clams, mussels and every other kind of seafood. Instead, the focus is on large pieces of lobster and prawns, both of them incredibly fresh. The rice underneath is the real star though. It soaks up every bit of the shellfish stock, leaving every spoonful tasting unmistakably of the sea. Excellent from top to bottom. 5 stars
***
Here’s my first review, from way back from 2012. My, how time flies.
With the Michelin signs on the windows, and even printed on the menu, a lot of people naturally conclude that António is a Michelin starred restaurant – it’s not. The restaurant has no stars, only the lesser distinction of being recommended by them.
To that I say, Michelin, you’re crazy. If Robuchon Au Dome (aka Robuchon au Rip Off) is 3 stars, then Antonio deserves 5. I had one of the best meals I’ve ever had in Macau there, on a lazy sunny Sunday afternoon when business was a little slow and we almost had the place to ourselves.
Every dish was remarkable. The soup was unusually tasty, the meat done to perfection, and the sides and salads spot on, fresh and delicious.
After my disappointing dinner at A Lorcha the night before. António restored my faith in fine dining. Their service was also top notch, so my thanks also go out to Antonio’s lovely staff.
One complaint many have about António is the price, and rightfully so. Yes, it is a little expensive. Yes, it is overpriced. But in my opinion, when you have an excellent lunch in a beautifully decorated restaurant, without one complaint, then what’s wrong with paying a little extra? And besides that, it really wasn’t all that expensive. Our bill for two was $1,307 which is not cheap but also not extravagant by any means, if you compare it to the restaurants in casinos.
There is better value in other Portuguese restaurants in Macau on the whole, but António is fancier than A Petisqueira or Solmar, it’s more upscale than Fat Siu Lau or Litoral, so that’s going to cost extra. And with the experience I had there – a lunch that really left nothing to be desired – that’s a price I’ll gladly pay every time.
Here are a few more pictures from a recent meal with Senor Antonio. My full compliments again sir!
