It was an unexpected gift that Mariya Kryvda received the night she went to dinner with her family, as usual, at the well-known Setubal restaurant A Ratoeira. The daughter, Mariya Kryvda — they share the same name — introduced the former owner, Mr. Júlio, to her mother, and said: “This gentleman wants to transfer the business and I want it to be for you”.
Mariya Kryvda, 56 years old, from Drogobych, Ukraine, has been the manager of the famous site, which is located in the corner for the ascent of St. Philip’s Fort, since July 2023. Mariya Kryvda, 37 years old, also Ukrainian, bought the site and He offered it to his mother, who had never worked in the field, but accepted the challenge. Maria [a mãe] He studied at the Drogobych school and took a masseur course. He later worked in a hotel, but he was not happy and received little money.
Together with her husband, Ivan Kryvda, they decided to move to another country to find a life that would offer their children a better future. First, it was Ivan who came to Portugal, in 2001, and directly to Setúbal, because it was a “beautiful and peaceful” city, Mariya tells NiS. Eight months later, Mariya came and, since she arrived, she has worked cleaning. After some construction work, her husband is now a boat mechanic.
The main difference and difficulty they encountered in Portugal, compared to Ukraine, was the Portuguese language, which proved to be an obstacle when looking for work. Mariya started by teaching herself, with small notes, but then she studied and got her residency. However, while it was not legal, she was unable to see her children for three years, who still remained in Ukraine.
Mariya Kryvda [a filha], took a Nursing course in the city of Poltava, and lived in Drogobych. However, he graduated in Dentistry and that is the profession he has always practiced. He came to Setúbal to visit his parents, but the truth is that from the first moment he fell in love with the city and felt that he belonged here, where he has lived for around 16 years.
Maria [a mãe] I was “always tired” from cleaning work. As we explained, it was at a common dinner that the A Ratoeira business was offered. “I didn’t know anything about the area, I was scared and said I couldn’t do it, but my daughter insisted and said I was very resourceful and the truth is that, although it was difficult at first, now I’m really enjoying it”.
The New in Setúbal experience
The family is a fan of seafood, without a doubt. And this has always been the specialty of the house, especially spider crab, which makes some people travel several kilometers just to taste it. There is, of course, lobster rice and cataplana, for example, but New in Setúbal stopped by the place and tried some of the dishes on the menu.
Every day, Mariya goes to the market, first thing in the morning, and tries to find local, “good quality” products. It still has some suppliers from the previous owner, as, although with some modifications, it tries to “walk the same path”: keeping loyal customers and attracting new ones.
The space was recently remodeled. The works finished about a month ago. “I wanted to renovate the facilities to make the customer feel even better. There is new paint, new counter, new bathroom, tables and chairs. Those who visit us love the space”, reveals the manager of the place where meat is not prepared, except for snacks.
We were served by Ana Rita, the collaborator, who even explained how to eat spider crab. We started with the house green wine (€10), which even comes as the logo — also renewed — of the space. Of course, it’s the perfect combination to accompany seafood. For starters, they served cheese (€4.5), very tasty, creamy and addictive, and olives (€1.5), equally irresistible.
The clam platter (20€) came to the table. If you’ve never tried this truly fresh bivalve, then this is the perfect place. They were prepared and seasoned so there wouldn’t be any left on the plate — and that’s what happened. The time has come to try the spider crab (€36 per kilogram), accompanied by toast (€2.6). Interestingly, this is the dish that Mariya likes to prepare the most.
The one that arrived was oval (and fresh), the filling did not contain any extra ingredients other than carrots, as is common in some establishments, which highlighted the seafood flavor — and “river” — that we look for so much in this type of dish. Well stuffed and cooked, all the pieces came out perfectly from the shell, from the filling to the legs. For dessert, we tried the homemade mousse and cream (€3.5), which, like the other dishes, did not disappoint.
Click on the gallery to see the remodeled space and some of the dishes you can try.
