Sal Beach Club, also known as Vista Mar, is a beachfront bar in Santa Maria best suited for drinks with a view. Food quality is inconsistent and service disorganised. Fine for a relaxed drink, risky if you plan to eat properly.
When you stop “just for a drink” and start wondering if eating was a mistake
Sal Beach Club —now renamed Vista Mar— is one of those places that makes sense at first glance: it sits right on the beach, with tables almost on the sand and music drifting through the afternoon. It’s easy to end up here without much planning, especially after a walk around Santa Maria or when all you want is shade, a cold beer and something to look at.
The trouble usually starts when that casual stop turns into a meal.
A beach bar with restaurant ambitions
This is not a foodie destination, nor a place for local cuisine. At heart, it’s a large beach bar, designed for drinks, light bites and watching sports on screen when there’s a match or a race on. Once you see it that way, it makes more sense.
It works for people who want to sit by the sea, order a cocktail or a beer and let time pass. If you’re looking to eat well in Santa Maria, there are far more reliable options just a short walk away.
A long menu, uneven results
The menu leans heavily towards international comfort food: burgers, wraps, pasta, nachos, some fish, and dishes that often sound better on paper than on the plate. A clear pattern appears in reviews: some items are fine, others arrive cold, dry or simply not as advertised.
There are occasional mentions of decent dishes —grilled octopus, acceptable fish, sandwiches that do the job on a beach day— but also frequent complaints about bland food, wrong sides or plates changed without explanation.
This is not a place to discover Cape Verdean flavours. It’s a place to deal with hunger… if you’re lucky.
Friendly, but disorganised
Staff are often described as polite and friendly, though inconsistent. The pace is slow even by island standards, and not always because the place is busy. Stories of forgotten orders, long waits for simple items and confusion over bills or “mystery” side dishes are common.
It’s not hostility. It’s more a sense of disorder. And when the restaurant is quiet, that’s even more noticeable.
The issue here isn’t the wait. It’s not knowing what will happen while you’re waiting.
And it happens more often than it should
There are a few weak points worth knowing before you sit down:
– Food that doesn’t live up to expectations, especially with simple dishes.
– Poor handling of allergies or intolerances, sometimes ignored altogether.
– Billing mistakes, making it wise to check the bill carefully.
– Occasional reports of stomach issues, mentioned in more than one review.
None of this is constant, but it comes up often enough not to dismiss it.
How to avoid leaving annoyed
If you decide to stop here:
– It works best for drinks, not for a full meal.
– Order simple things and don’t rush.
– Check the bill without embarrassment.
– If you want a proper dinner, treat this as an aperitif… and keep walking.
Nice view, low expectations
Sal Beach Club has one of those locations that does half the work on its own: sea in front, sand underfoot and background music. For a sunset drink, it can be pleasant. For eating with expectations, it’s simply too inconsistent.
It’s not a constant disaster, but it is a place where you need to know why you’re there. And serious hunger is rarely the best reason.
