Algarve’s Finest

06/09/2025

12/11/2024

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The creative cuisine scene in Faro is growing rapidly, positioning the capital city of the Algarve as a must-go foodie destination.

16/09/2024

Available on Friday, as part of a much wider menu, O Lavrador offer freshly caught, sustainable cod in light crispy beer batter with home cooked chips and home made accompaniments.

A small part of a varied, contemporary and imaginative menu where all the dishes we saw served to diners looked delicious, we came for the fish and chips and I have never eaten better fish and chips, either in the U.K. or elsewhere.

In the interest of ‘research’ 😉 we also shared a Black Forest brownie served with outstanding morello cherry ice-cream and though the main was excellent, this was the star of the show.

O Lavrador clearly has a very talented team delivering consistent excellence, worthy of the awards it has won, high praise and confident recommendation

05/09/2024

A visit to Olhão market, especially on a Saturday is a treat for any food lover. Fish as fresh as any you could find, locally grown vegetables and fruit… much from the gardens of the stall holders, honeys, dried fruits, sauces….. and so, so much more. If you love to shop and cook this is the place for you so, if you’re free this Saturday, take a trip to Olhão

30/08/2024

We took a trip to Restaurant Petiscais in Olhão after a recommendation from a friend.

Adjacent to the railway station - don’t be put off - this well designed small restaurant has an interesting menu that could easily be enjoyed as a range of unusual tapas as well as a more traditional meal.

I’ve not had scallops for a long time so this choice was a treat, making the final bill, at €88.50 was more expensive than it needed to be. It also included 2 glasses of house wine - one white, one red …. both good quality and a glass of red port for me.

If you are visiting Olhão it’s worth getting away from the harbour based restaurants to try Petiscais.

25/08/2024

A second visit to this delightful restaurant.

Each of the seven courses was expertly prepared and presented showcasing contemporary Portuguese cuisine.

Friendly, knowledgeable staff and a peaceful welcoming setting combine with great food to make a visit here well worth while.

Sunday tasting menu €35.

https://restauranteraizes.pt/

24/08/2024

So impressed were we by Restaurant Raízes’ lunch menu that we’ve decided to try the Sunday lunch taster menu tomorrow.

Watch this space…

23/08/2024

They say never judge a book by its cover and nothing could be more true than of this little gem on a back street in São Brás de Alportel.

Casa de Goa offers southern Indian dishes that have a clean fresh taste coming from clever use of a variety of herbs and spices and, I would say, moving successfully away from the ‘base’ sauce that is often used in even our most popular restaurants.

Our waiter was friendly and helpful… and worried that we ordered way too much.

A review necessitates ordering a range of dishes and in our defence we were a party of four.

If you are in the area give this no frills gem a try….

Total bill including beer (San Miguel on draft) and house wine €95