The city's culinary tradition began in the 16th century when Portuguese seamen and traders arrived on Macau's shores and married local women. Those who had arrived from other parts of the world brought their various traditions and cultures with them. In recreating their favourite dishes from home, these early Macanese often substituted locally available ingredients for some they couldn't find and the result, as we still see today, is a rich and subtle fusion incorporating flavours from places as diverse as India, Africa and Southeast Asia.

It's safe to say that authentic Macanese cuisine cannot be found in restaurants anywhere else in the world. One of the more exotic ingredients in many Macanese recipes, for example, is a paste made from fermented shrimp called balichao, a product that was once widely manufactured on Macau's Taipa Island where, along with fireworks, its manufacture was important to the community's economy. Even today it is still a popular item in souvenir shops because the real local product is hard to find outside of Macau.

Other tastes you might detect in Macanese dishes are those of chilli, turmeric, coconut milk, cinnamon and star anise, and the Portuguese staple bacalhau, dried salted cod (like balichao, it tastes a lot better than it sounds). If cooking with all these seems too complicated to try at home, the solution, of course, is to head out to any of Macau's many Macanese restaurants to find all the flavours without the fuss.

While many excellent modern upscale restaurants, offering Chinese and international cuisine, have opened recently in Macau's new hotels and resorts, they don't embody the essence of this centuries-old city with its diverse cultural influences.

An afternoon or evening at one of them may be memorable, but it won't create the kind of memory that evokes the romance of Macau in the same way that a meal of African chicken, pork and clams, mushroom smothered steak, sangria and egg tarts, in a cosy converted Macanese-style village house, would.

Award-winning chef Antonio Coelho has remodelled one such house to create the singularly charming Antonio's (Rua dos Negociantes No. 3, Taipa Village; 853 289 99998) in Taipa Village, where he offers a feast of innovative and forward-looking Portuguese dishes in a traditional yet chic ambience.

Along with the strictly local Macanese food, Portuguese food has long been one of the city's strongest draws for hungry tourists. And, while economic development has spelled doom for many of the charming little mom'n'pop shops specialising in dishes prepared from secret family recipes, it has also brought a new crop of high-quality establishments that are bringing fresh ideas to the old European tradition. Belcanc?o (Cotai Strip; 853 8112 8832) at the recently opened Four Seasons Hotel serves real Portuguese cuisine, but enhances its menu and buffet by also including a variety of Asian and international dishes.

Not quite so new but still a relative latecomer to the scene is Camoes (Fisherman's Wharf, 1/F Lisboa 3 Building; 853 28 728 818) which offers an extensive menu of exclusively Portuguese dishes but with an international influence. More difficult to find, but well worth the effort, is the Institute for Tourism Studies, or IFT (Colina de Mong Ha; 853 28 598 3077), atop Mong Ha hill, right on the edges of the northern district. The IFT operates a first-rate dining room where it trains its students in the finer points of food, wine and customer service under the supervision of professionals, with the result that the menu, which includes international, Portuguese and Macanese dishes, is imaginative, the preparation and service are excellent, and the ambience is delightful.

The only drawback is that the restaurant has limited hours and can be booked solid, so reservations are essential.

In the later months of the year the weather in Macau is perfect for alfresco dining and, luckily, there are still a few places where good food and great outdoor scenery go hand in hand. The terrace of the Pousada Coloane (Estrada de Cheoc Van, Coloane; 853 28 882 143) commands excellent views of the South China Sea that can be enjoyed along with traditional Portuguese dishes and good wine.

Over on the other side of Coloane, Nga Tim (Caetano 8, Coloane Village; 853 28 882 086) is a favourite among locals and visitors, serving Chinese, Macanese, and Portuguese fare in a festive atmosphere under huge old trees between the fountain and St Xavier's church.

In the heart of the city, Restaurante Plat?o (Travessa de S. Domingos; 853 28 331 818) is just off Senado Square and serves expertly prepared Portuguese and Macanese dishes in its open-air courtyard or indoor air-conditioned dining area.

The 'Las Vegasification' of Macau has brought dramatic change over the past few years, and no doubt there are still plenty of changes yet to come.

But no matter how much things change, there will always be plenty of places to enjoy the much-loved taste of the old Macau and, best of all, you don't have to look far to find them.