Deolinda Fontainha, Founder and CEO of Tasquinha da Linda - “I serve what I like, with love.”

Welcoming us with the genuine warm-heartedness of the Minho region, DeolindaFontainha and her children opened their doors to the Villas&Golfe team for a chat, during which it became clear that the story of their lives is inextricably linked to the history of Tasquinha da Linda. A gastronomic icon for anyone who enjoys fish and shellfish, the venue, housed in a former fishing warehouse, offers a chance to savour the sea without haste and with a sense of soulful calm.

Dona Deolinda, tell us about your story… How did your relationship with cooking and this influence of the sea come about in your life?
I’ve worked with fish all my life. My late father was a seafarer. I never got an education; I just worked, because that’s what I was taught to do. I had a fishmonger’s shop, then a company exporting fish. At the time of the Festas da Agonia, they used to organise the Fishermen’s Dance, where people would eat, drink and dance… One day I decided, together with my father and my family, to organise that dance. I hired a band and for three years I held the party in the forecourt here at the restaurant. I had a large fish warehouse, where my kitchen is today, and then I gradually acquired the other parts of the restaurant. That’s how I started. This year marks eighteen years. My style of cooking is what my mother taught me: the traditional cuisine of the waterfront. The food is prepared as simply as possible, so that you can appreciate the best our sea has to offer. If the product is fresh, you don’t need much; there’s no need to add anything. I’ve taken it step by step and always tried to make improvements; it’s been a fulfilling journey for me.

“My style of cooking is what my mother taught me: the traditional cuisine of the waterfront”

Tasquinha da Linda started out, as you mentioned, in a renovated old fishing warehouse next to Santiago da Barra Castle. What was it about this space that captivated you to the point of turning it into a restaurant?
There used to be an old warehouse where the restaurant stands today, which a gentleman had lent me. They used to salt fish and process horse mackerel there, for example. Half-jokingly, I ended up buying that warehouse. I renovated the space, and that’s how Tasquinha da Linda came into being. As I used to organise dances outside, people would often say, “Let’s pop over to Tasquinha da Linda.” And that’s how the restaurant got its name.

Tasquinha da Linda is now a household name in Viana do Castelo and has even been awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide. What did this recognition mean to you and your family?
It’s wonderful to be recognised, but we wouldn’t be here without our guests. What matters most is that guests leave here feeling they’ve had a great experience. If something goes wrong, because people can make mistakes sometimes, I try to talk to the guest and explain the situation, because some things happen that are simply out of our control. But the important thing is that the guest leaves here satisfied.

What do you think makes Tasquinha da Linda such a special place?
The love and positive energy I pour into this place. 

Who do you work with here on a daily basis?
I have a team that includes my eldest son, Sérgio, who works front of house, and his sister, Anaísa, who deals with many of the desserts. And I have my mother here, who has been by my side all my life and still helps out in the kitchen from time to time. She cooks meals for me and my children every day. 

You only serve fish and shellfish here. You don’t have any meat dishes. Why did you decide to stay true to this concept?
This is the concept and this is how I want things to stay. I serve what I like, with love. Of course, if we have a child guest, or someone who came with a group and didn’t know anything about the place, we always have some meat in the kitchen we can serve, because I have my lunch here and I need to eat meat too. But this is the concept of Tasquinha da Linda.

Which dishes truly embody the essence of Tasquinha da Linda?
There are quite a few, but my personal favourites are our mixed shellfish platters.The only frozen item in the mixed shellfish platter is king prawns, as this size is not available along the Portuguese coast. Apart from that, all the shellfish is fresh and from our sea, from razor clams to crab, and including mussels and spider crab. The fish and shellfish cataplanais also one of our standout dishes, made with a stew-like base of clams, onion, tomato and pepper, topped with prawns and live mussels, which open in their shells. The monkfish rice is also very famous, served with monkfish caught off our coast. And we always have the catch of the day, which can vary greatly, whatever the sea brings in.

“[…] all the shellfish is fresh and from our sea, from razor clams to crab, and including mussels and spider crab.”

What about desserts…
The house specialities, the ones we’ve served the longest and which I make myself, include, for example, the Lindinhas, made from filo pastry with a sweet egg cream and almonds. We also have the Bolo da Amizade (Friendship Cake), our own creation, topped with dried fruit and nuts and sweet egg cream, as well as rice pudding and crème brûlée. But my daughter Anaísa has created some spectacular new desserts, which people really enjoy.
Anaísa Ramos – I’ve created desserts such as Amar (meaning ‘to love’ and ‘the sea’ in Portuguese), which is essentially a meringue, but with completely different flavours. My latest creation, which has proved very popular, is Flor, served in a Flor (flower) bowl, consisting of chocolate mousse, ganache, salted caramel and whipped cream. We also have a range of chocolates from Tasquinha da Linda, a side venture to the restaurant, which always features exclusive and unique chocolates.

What sort of wines do you like to see paired with your fish and shellfish?
This is the part that my son is responsible for, and which I don’t know much about, so I leave it to him.
Sérgio Ramos – Our wine list is growing every year and we try to cover as many regions of our country as possible, including the islands. Our focus is on local wines, in this case from the Loureiro region, which is where we are located. We like our guests to step out of their comfort zone, and for every dish chosen we have a more unconventional option, intended to surprise the guest. This is our way of doing things. We change the list every year, as it is always our aim to offer something new and of high quality, but we currently have a selection of 350 wines. 

What does true luxury in gastronomy mean to you?
Food that is beautifully prepared. No Knorr, no ready-made sauces… That’s why here we use our own tomatoes, peppers, onions. Everything is made fresh every day. There is no pre-made food here.

Away from the restaurant, how would you describe DeolindaFontainha? What do you like to do when you manage to switch off from the hectic pace of the kitchen?
There isn’t much time, I have to admit. I either go shopping or to the bank… There isn’t much free time, but when I can, I go and visit places I haven’t been to before, to learn new things, so we can stay competitive in the market. I also like travelling. For many years I didn’t travel at all, but these days I travel a lot. I like visiting farms and estates, discovering wines… 

When you think about the future, where do you see Tasquinha da Linda? And do you have any projects in the pipeline?
I hope my children will take over, but I hope to be here still. I want this legacy to live on for them. I have another son, who is studying and isn’t so interested in the restaurant, but above all else, I want them all to be happy and do the things I didn’t have the chance to do. 

Text: Carla Martins
Photos: Ana Nogueira