I have now enjoyed two banquets at the Pousada de Coloane Beach Hotel in Macau.
The first was Sarah Feather and Bob Ruggles’ wedding banquet more than 10 years ago.
The second was the going away party for Sarah’s mother, Heather Barreto, that I attended last Saturday night.
Is the Pousade de Coloane Macau’s best kept secret?
Located on a hillside overlooking Cheoc Van Beach on the furthermost reaches of Coloane – which is about as far from the hustle-bustle of Macau’s casinos as you can get – the Pousada de Coloane is a genuine boutique hotel with just 30 rooms. With just 12 rooms, the Pousada de Coloane was originally pretty nondescript. A few year back, it was fully renovated, and a new wing was built, adding 18 rooms.
All of them have balconies overlooking the sea. Portuguese touches – such as calcadas and azulejos – were added, lending a distinctly Iberian flavour to the once shabby property.
Excellent Venue for Banquets
Dripping with Portuguese ambiance, the interior of the restaurant seats 150. Another 200 guests can be accommodated on the terrace out front.
While I can’t comment on the restaurant’s ala carte menu because I have never ordered from it, I would have to say that its buffet menu for banquets is top notch. That is assuming, of course, that you want something different from the same old menus served up by most hotel restaurants in these parts.
I am not a big fan of hotel buffets, but in this case I’ll make an exception.
The food Saturday was long on flavour and short on pretension. It was simple, hearty fare – mostly Portuguese dishes. There were salads, roasted meats, stews, stir fried veggies, codfish cooked in cream with potatoes, Portuguese and Chinese style dim sum – the list goes on.
The desserts, too, were simple but yummy.
170 Patacas per Head
According to my sources, the meal came to between 145 and 170 patacas per head – champagne and wine not included.
And that is pretty good value, if you ask me!
As far as I’m concerned, the Pousada de Coloane is the perfect spot for wedding banquets, birthday parties, anniversaries, and other types of celebration.
Copyright: Michael Taylor Pictured: Sarah Feather (left) and Michael Taylor, publisher of the Accidental Travel Writer (right), stop for photo opps upon arrival at the Pousada de Coloane in Macau Photo Credit: Bob Ruggles