Pilone is a remote restaurant in Pedra de Lume that splits opinions: solid local food and Portuguese wines on good days, but high prices, long waits and poor experiences with tours. Going independently and without rushing makes all the difference.
Where you don’t expect to eat, you do
You arrive in Pedra de Lume thinking about salt flats, lunar landscapes and not much else. Then Pilone appears. A restaurant dropped in the middle of nowhere, with no obvious charm, triggering an immediate question: is this a good place to eat… or should you keep driving?
A place with no middle ground
Pilone is one of those places that doesn’t allow half measures. Some people defend it fiercely; others would avoid it even when hungry. Visually it’s plain, even a bit rough, but several diners agree that the food — especially rice dishes, fish and seafood — can be surprisingly good given the context.
Octopus rice, grilled fish, grilled lobster… simple dishes, well seasoned and generous when the day is right. Some even mention a surprisingly solid Portuguese wine list for such a remote spot.
It’s not pretty, it’s not refined — but when it gets it right, it really does.
Tours, rush and very bad experiences
Problems tend to appear when Pilone switches into “excursion mode”. Many negative reviews follow the same pattern: organised groups, very long waiting times, poorly executed dishes and prices that suddenly feel unjustified.
This is where uncomfortable words start appearing: tourist trap, low quality, overwhelmed service. Some mention waits of over an hour, cold or badly cooked food, small portions for high prices… and even extremely serious claims related to hygiene and food safety.
PRICES · Fair… or excessive, depending on the day
Some guests describe prices as reasonable for what they received, while others report bills comparable to — or higher than — good restaurants in Santa Maria.
The key seems to be what you order, when you go, and whether you arrive with a tour. With no nearby competition, pricing loses a clear reference point.
SERVICE · Somewhere between friendly and chaotic
Staff reviews vary widely. Some highlight friendly treatment, effort to explain dishes and attentive service. Others report indifference, poor reactions to criticism and a management clearly struggling to cope.
It’s common to read that service works fine with individual tables… and falls apart with large groups.
At Pilone, context matters just as much as the plate.
Functional, no romance
The setting is simple and practical. Indoor dining, functional tables, nothing designed for long, lazy lunches. You eat, then you move on.
Parking is easy and access is straightforward — which helps explain why so many tours stop here.
How to reduce the risk
– Go independently, not with an organised tour.
– Ask what’s available and avoid rushing.
– If the place looks overwhelmed, consider other options.
– Don’t expect atmosphere or polish: here it’s all about the plate.
A restaurant that depends too much on the day
Pilone can be a decent stop — even a good one — or an experience you’d rather forget. It’s not reliably bad, but it’s far from consistent. On Sal, where context often dictates outcomes, this place proves that the same restaurant can tell very different stories.
In the middle of nowhere, Pilone can give you a good meal… or a lesson.
