Cais do Parque

Cais do Parque takes its name from the cais, or jetty, on the lake in Parque D. Carlos I, the big park in the centre of Caldas da Rainha. It calls itself a garden restaurant and cocktail bar, with tables inside and a terrace outside looking over the park.

The park itself is the reason families come. The restaurant’s own site explains its history: a romantic garden attached to the Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor, the town’s historic spa hospital, laid out to help patients recover, and named after King Carlos I. Turismo Centro de Portugal lists recreational areas, the lake, tennis courts and the Museu José Malhoa (the town’s art museum), with sculptures dotted round the park. The council rebuilt the children’s playground at a cost of just over €100,000; its works page, updated in August 2025, lists the job as done. With the playground a short walk from the tables, a meal here is easy to split with a play break before pudding. Our Parque D. Carlos I guide covers the park in detail.

The restaurant menu (June 2026) has a children’s section, “Menu Criança”, with spaghetti bolognese at €9.40. Other dishes a child might share or eat include soup of the day (€3.50), rustic chips (€4.50), bean rice (€4.80) and sautéed vegetables. Salads with breaded chicken, breaded prawns or tofu cost €10.20.

Adults get a mix of Portuguese and Asian cooking by chef Rafael Pinto: nasi goreng and pad thai (with a tofu option), pork cheek, salt cod, grilled steaks and a Portobello veggie burger. Puddings include a Belgian chocolate brownie with lime ice cream and the local pão de ló das Caldas, a sponge cake served with olive oil and sea salt.

Outside restaurant hours, the bar menu is handy with children:

• toasties from €6 (cheese, ham, mixed, tuna or chicken)
• a plain waffle for €4.50, or €5.50 with ice cream
• pastel de nata for €1.30, and queijadas and pastéis de feijão (sweet bean tarts)
• hot chocolate from €2.50 and fresh orange juice or lemonade for €4

Prices are from the menus we checked in September 2026. There is also a weekday dish of the day; in the last week of September 2026 the list included pork loin with roast potatoes.

The contacts page gives Monday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 10.30pm and Sunday 10am to 6.30pm, and says it is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. The weekly specials for late September 2026 confirmed Tuesday and Wednesday closures. Saturday is not listed on the contacts page, and the June 2026 menu gives slightly different days off in its English and French versions, so phone before a special trip.

Lunch is served from 12.30pm to 3pm and dinner from 7pm to 10pm, with no dinner on Sundays. You can book through the website or by phone on +351 916 671 108, which is sensible for a weekend lunch.

This is a restaurant with a playground nearby, not a play café, and the park playground is public and unsupervised. If your children finish first, one adult will need to go with them.

The website also links to two sister venues, Cais da Praia and Casa dos Limos.

The rest of Caldas da Rainha is easy to add. For a swim, the municipal pools have a learners’ pool with warm water. The walled town of Óbidos is close by, and on a warm day the calm lagoon beach at Foz do Arelho suits small children.

Does Cais do Parque have a kids’ menu?

Yes. The June 2026 menu lists spaghetti bolognese for children at €9.40, and the bar menu has toasties, waffles and fresh juice.

Is there a playground near Cais do Parque?

Yes. Parque D. Carlos I, where the restaurant stands, has a children’s playground that the council rebuilt, plus lawns and a lake.

When is Cais do Parque closed?

It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays according to its contacts page and its late-September 2026 specials. Phone to check Saturday opening.

Do I need to book?

It is sensible for weekend lunches. Book online or on +351 916 671 108.

Is there food for vegetarians?

Yes. There is a Portobello veggie burger, tofu versions of the nasi goreng and pad thai, and a tofu salad.