About Us

Like most good restaurants, this one started with a dream. Miki and Ena moved to Setubal from Serbia in 2018 and began to build a life for themselves in Portugal. They both worked as illustrators, and Miki took jobs working as a chef for events in both Spain and Portugal while not doing his design work. But they longed for a place to just be, to meet with friends, enjoy good food, and hang out. The cafe culture in Portugal is incredible, but it’s mainly just for coffees and snacks, not for filling meals cooked with love. Could they build this place where friends could come, share, laugh, and enjoy time together over meals that are made with love? Terraco do Mercado was born.

Miki comes from a home where food was love. His earliest memories are in his grandmother’s kitchen, where everything was made the traditional way, where everyone lent a hand, and where you could smell what was cooking for lunch from down the street, getting hungrier with each step. Family gatherings revolved around food, and Miki learned all of his mother’s and grandmother’s favorite recipes, from sarma to cevapi, and how to turn simple ingredients into a dish that sings. He always loved to cook, but didn’t think that he could make a career of it, so became an illustrator and took jobs cooking on the side, every chance he got. When the opportunity came to have his own restaurant and turn his passion into his day to day life, Miki knew that he had to make the most of it. To serve great food wasn’t enough, Miki needed to create a restaurant where memories were made, laughs were shared, and you just felt good.

While working at an event as a chef, Miki met a participant named Ena. It wasn’t just his food that made her fall in love, but it definitely helped! They realized how much they had in common, especially their dreams for the future, and began to build a life together. Moving to Portugal was a big step, and one they were so excited to make together, as a team. Ena is an illustrator and an artist, she brings creativity and beauty to everything she touches. She also speaks 4 languages and is happy to chat with Setubal residents and visitors about their lives and their dreams while sitting on the cozy terrace and enjoying a good meal.

To turn their dream into reality, they found help from friends. Sushil was born in Nepal and moved to Portugal in 2013. He was one of Ena and Miki’s first friends when they moved to Setubal, having just opened a Nepalese restaurant of his own after having worked in various restaurants in Lisbon and the Algarve. Through his friendship and encouragement, Miki and Ena began to wonder if their dream could actually come to be. You’ll often find him helping out during the lunch rush at Terraco, and his contribution and support have meant the world to Ena and Miki.