Algarve Restaurant Recommendations

More Algarve restaurant recommendations and tips from Lesley Winograd. Lesley and husband Brian have been coming to Algarve for ages - so she should know!

algarve restaurant recommendations - clareanes daytime

If you see an asterisk * after a venue name, it means that Lesley and Brian (or their friends) have given it an enthusiastic recommendation. (Most are in or near Vale do Lobo or Almancil).

It's a long page of information, so if you prefer, you could go direct to:

Algarve Restaurant Recommendations - Some of the Best

Here are some Algarve restaurant recommendations that you can dress up for (or not if you prefer!)

Pequeño Mundo*

Beautiful setting of converted farmhouses around a gated courtyard; very prettily decorated. Smallish but well designed menu, good desserts. Take the Vale do Lobo Rd to where it joins the Quarteira Rd, staggered crossroads to the left, up the tiny road opposite then follow the signs, even if you think they lead nowhere. You'll be pleasantly surprised. We’ve often used it for special occasions and celebrations. 10 mins away. It's very popular at weekends when the Lisbon glitterati come down, so book. Never open during December and January.

Closed every Sunday. Tel: 289 399 866

Sao Gabriel

Swiss-style one Michelin star cuisine, more relaxed and modern, on the Vale do Lobo - Quinta do Lago road, between the main turnoffs to Almancil. (almost opposite the turning to Ria Park Hotel). Strange blue ceramic cow outside, don't let it put you off! There is an Oriental option called Thai Garden.

Closed every Monday. Tel: 289 394 521

Casa Velha

Lovely setting in the only old farmhouse on Quinta do Lago. Ask for a table by the open fire on cold winter nights. Good French cuisine, comfortable, good service. Expensive. Sometimes there are more unusual dishes. Turn towards the lake at the 6th roundabout then take the left-hand fork, keep left up to the top of the hill. 5 mins by car. Changed hands very recently, but standards have been maintained.

Closed every Sunday. Tel: 289 394 983

A Quinta **

A small white farmhouse bistro on the right hand side of the left hand bend of the road up to Loulé from the traffic lights in Almancil. (Vale Formoso). High quality food and cooking simply served and very relaxed. Highly professional, with London-trained staff. Our current favourite, booking essential, we often book from London, weeks ahead. Lovely terrace open on spring and summer evenings and for lunch, with heaters if needed. Vegetarian options are available; I would recommend that you phone first to arrange this. More reasonably priced than others in this section, excellent value compared to UK prices. Menu changes slightly daily. Car parking at the rear. 15 mins or so from Quinta by car, prompt arrival appreciated. Do try it.

Closed every Sunday. Tel: 289 393 357

Enrique Leis*

Michelin starred stylish restaurant run by husband and wife team and decorated with his paintings. Go past Buganvilea Plaza, take the first road on your right towards Almancil; at the lights in Almancil turn left and immediately right towards Loule. On the road to Loulé, it's a chalet-house on a bend past the level crossing. You can't miss it as you drive up the hill, 15 mins away, (almost opposite A Quinta).

Highly skilled cooking. The gastronomic tasting menu is wonderful; everyone at the table has to order it, and although expensive it’s good value. In Feb 07 the bill for four of us for the gastro menu came to €400. Superb food, wonderful presentation. There’s a restaurant upstairs in a very attractive room under the rafters where lunch is served.

Tel: 289 393 438

Amadeus

Michelin starred at Estrada de Fonte Santa. Austrian owned, beautiful room. We haven’t eaten there yet, it’s meant to be fabulous. Pan-European menu. High prices, but with various fixed price menus, so no shocks in store.

Closed every Tuesday. Tel: 289 399 134

A Colina (Hotel)

We have only tried this twice so far. The hotel was taken over recently by the head chef from London’s Savoy hotel, Lee Newsome. We were very impressed with the Sunday lunch, which is in a beautiful room with views over the countryside, and only 15 mins away from us at Ludo! Lunch was €25 for 3 courses, excellent quality. We took our Portuguese friends for a classic Sunday Roast, and it was a good choice. The evening menu looks interesting, too.

Take the EN125 towards the airport and turn right at the ‘Ludo’ sign. Then turn left to the hotel ‘A Colina’

Tel: 289 358 792

Algarve Restaurant Recommendations - Personal Favourites

Casa do Lago *

An old favourite. Open all day every day. THE place for grilled fish (They do good meats too). Choose from the display. Never cheap but always perfectly cooked. Simple grilling, fish baked in salt, no haute cuisine but the freshest ingredients. Try the Portuguese dishes, e.g. ‘cataplana’ or ‘massas de cherne’. Wines are on the pricey side. Very relaxed, but booking recommended. It’s noisy, friendly, buzzy, wonderful; on the spit of land dividing the Lake. Turn to the lake at roundabout no. 6, bear left, turn right then bear right.

*Fabulous views by the lake at lunchtime and the same menu, which makes for an expensive but wonderful lunch.... or just have the chicken piri-piri and chips. Their spaghetti napoletana is delicious, as is the tomato soup or gazpacho. They'll also do sandwiches if you ask (sandwiches are sitting outside only) and make sure you try their chips; you can order them on the side, they are fried in olive oil with skins on. The perfect side salad. It's simple food at its best. The beer is ice cold and good but why not party with a margarita or two?

Park at the beach car park, then take the right-hand nature trail (turn right before the bridge) and walk round the lower (South) lake in a circle until you pass Casa do Lago. Stop for lunch or coffee or a drink. You can finish the circuit by cutting across towards the Quinta do Lago Country Club and back to the bridge that way. There’s a children's playground and swimming pool. (If you don't mind a damp bottom, take a towel with you and take out a pedalo from the adjacent Sports Centre, it's fun)

Tel: 289 394 911

Aux Bons Enfants

Is verrry Frrrench, run by Daphné; lovely, interesting décor with bric-a-brac for sale; small menu but good. Skilful cooking. Not much fish. Excellent and vast wine list. Go to the 'Q' roundabout, turn right to Almancil and it's about 1km on your right, turn at the yellow sign on the dangerous corner with speed lines. You can see the house painted yellow from the road, brightly lit at night. It can be quiet in there. Not a child-friendly menu, nor for vegetarians. Fabulous duck dishes. No credit cards.

Closed on Sunday. Tel: 289 396 840

O Céu *

At Monte de Palhagueira, alias 'The Farmhouse'. Inclusive Table d'hote, four-course French country cooking for meat-eaters only. Self-service buffet on Saturdays and Sundays, more flexible, sometimes there's some fish. A vegetarian friend loves the hors d’oeuvres buffet so much she’s well catered for. Half an hour away at Gorgões. Booking essential. Try out your French here, but Maria-José is learning English. Cash only, fantastic value. Fixed price, four courses and eat as much from the buffet sections as you like. Aperitifs and serve-yourself liqueurs are included, as extras you only pay for wine and water, which are reasonable. Go hungry and pre-arrange who is driving!

Closed on Monday. Tel: 289 412 614

Monte da Eira *

Just north of Loulé, at Clareanes and featured here on its own page, on the road to Querença. A beautifully restored and stylish farmhouse with a charming garden. Portuguese cuisine. Menu is in Portuguese and English - and Pedro, the owner, speaks excellent English. Ask him to recommend wine.

The clientele is largely Portuguese, so it gets busy later in the evening. No vegetarian main dishes but everything is fresh and nicely prepared and the large portions brought to your table in serving dishes, so great for sharing if you can't decide what to have. Good, reasonable wine list. Highly recommended.

Closed on Monday. Tel: 289 438 129

Algarve Restaurant Recommendations - Others

There are other restaurants recommended by friends we sometimes don't get around to but are well known to be good. These include Jardim do Vale, Chez Antoinne, Bobby Jones, Florian, Iberico, Casa do Golf.

Bobby Jones has changed hands again, and apparently it’s fine but we haven’t eaten there recently. There’s a fabulous new terrace / deck overlooking the 9th green of Quinta do Lago Sul.

Algarve Restaurant Recommendations - Relaxed, but good -
including Beachbars

Green Valley Bistro

At Valverde, turn at the 'Q' roundabout towards Pinheiros Altos, but 200 metres along turn right and right again, then down the slope on your left, where you'll see cars parked. A welcoming bistro with reasonable, good food and generous side dishes. Informal, popular with groups of golfers. Has recently changed ‘front of house’ for the better. Service could have been better last time we were there, Oct 07.

Tel: 289 396 638

Julia's

Beach bar which stays open in winter, too. On the beach at Garrão. Turn left towards the Ria Park Hotel off the Vale do Lobo road and follow the signs for Julia's. Don't go through Vale do Garrão, bear right towards Dunas Douradas. Where the road goes down to the sea you'll eventually find around five beach bars grouped together and Julia's is at the far end. Sit downstairs by the beach for great salads and sandwiches, upstairs for fish and stuff. Famous for prawns with African rice. You can sit in the open, behind glass or inside. Sit inside in the evenings too. Three options. Service can be s- l- o- w !!!!

Tel: 289 396 512

Maria's

On the Dunas Douradas beach. Instead of turning left towards the sea at Julia's, turn right and follow the road inland for another Km then turn left where it's signposted. The road isn't made up, keep to the right, Maria's is at the end. Can get busy. Good beachbar fare, better food but not as sheltered as Julia's. Their spicy African rice will keep you warm though!

João Passos (Dois Passos)

This beachbar is very good but can be expensive, but ok if you order carefully. Well established. That's further along the beach through Vale do Garrão in a new location near their old one.

Pizza Pasta Fantasia*

Open all day every day. In Buganvilea Plaza, very good fresh food, great for lunch or when you need a light meal 'cos you've had too much haute cuisine. Authentic Italian pizzeria. Totally reliable and we've used it for all eighteen years we've been going. Try the dish of the day too, but that tends to be more substantial. Always busy, so if you are a large party, book and they will move the tables around for you.

Tel: 289 394 080

O Figueiral

Well-run Portuguese restaurant, friendly & reliable, near Almancil, Sitio do Figueiral. Try the specials; ‘Pork Figueiral’ with figs, or the Brazilian ‘picanha’ of beef carved onto your plate from the spit.

Closed on Sunday. Tel: 289 395 558

Casa Pituxa

Well-run Portuguese restaurant, pretty reliable. Unexciting but good and relaxed. It’s a tried and tested favourite, but we stopped going here for a while. Since then they have modernised the room and terrace, it’s good once again. The food is wholesome and better than it sounds on the menu.

Closed on Sunday. Tel: 289 396 238

A Carruagem

Prawns are their speciality but there's a decent Portuguese menu also. Reasonable and good, service efficient. Booking essential. Opposite Loulé Railway Station, tucked away in a modern house.

Closed on Sunday. Tel: 289 416 288

Big China, Loulé

On the Avenida (south side, near the bandstand) Big, fast service and good fresh Cantonese-style food, large portions, with no modern frills. Very reasonable. You'll have to ask if you want chopsticks.

It may have changed hands; all personnel were different when we last went.

Camillo’s *

Just before Almancil turn off the road left by the Chinese restaurant before ‘Se Sil’ the excellent pottery shop. Traditional Italian trattoria food like we enjoyed here years ago before it went all ‘balsamic and borlotti beans’. Homemade pasta, generous portions. Good terrace in the summer. Try the daily specials and a jug of wine. Very good value, and Camillo is a character, he used to live in the UK.

Closed on Sunday. Tel: 289 356 458

Vincent’s

Vincent Nas has taken over the ‘O Tradicional’ farmhouse in Almancil, Estrada de Fonte Santa. We haven’t tried it yet, but restaurateurs of such good reputation should be doing well here, having moved from the more formal ‘Ermitage’.

Closed on Sunday. Tel: 289 399 093

Algarve Restaurant Recommendations - Light Meals and Lunches

Julia's or Maria’s, as above.

Pizza Pasta Fantasia, as above

Casa do Lago, as above.

Pinheiros Altos Golf Clubhouse

Recently refurbished and very beautiful, they do excellent 'all day English breakfast', and wonderful salads. Try the daily specials. You can eat outside in the sun with views of the golf course and over to Fairways, it can be full of golfers but it's a very exclusive club. Breakfast is good value though. 5 mins from Fairways, go to the Q roundabout, take the first exit, (sharp right) and Pinheiros Altos is about 1km on the left. Lovely villas to look at too.

Sheraton PineCliffs, near Albufeira

This is an ok place to go for the day, the grounds are nice and you can have lunch by the pool. The lunch menu is fairly standard fare though. You get down to the beach in a clear-sided lift, then it's a walk through a ravine, but the beach is good. It's quite a large resort, so usually busy and buzzy.

Déliti, Quinta Shopping

Baguettes, sandwiches and salads in the shopping centre at Quinta by the Q roundabout. Service slow and erratic but it fills the bill. Sit in the sun on a nice day or in the shade if you prefer. Ask for dish of the day. Wear a coat in winter as you might have to sit outside: space inside is at a premium.

It has enlarged the menu to include more hot dishes. A good lunch choice.

Couleur France

ALL CHANGE!! This has changed hands and been extensively refurbished with a very expensive dinner menu to match. The plan is for them to be open all day, and probably lunch will be better value; I will keep an eye on this. To get here you have to turn left at the roundabout opposite Florida Golf and La Paella, instead of following the road round to the right towards Vale d'Eguas and Portimão. (There’s a new road system here).

Tel: 289 399 515

Venepão

This is a bakery and it's our latest 'discovery' on the Vale Formoso road (from Central Almancil to Loulé, same road as A Quinta). It's about 500 yards on the right, a large brand new building set back from the road. It's a bakery and 'pastelaria' which sells fabulous cakes and pastries, clean, very nicely appointed, you can eat in or takeaway. There's a light lunch menu and counter also, which sells ‘food by weight’ (a popular concept in Portugal).

One to enjoy at tea-time! I take no blame for any damage incurred to waistlines.

Apolónia, Almancil

The supermarket has extended its snackbar, which really is very good. There’s soup of the day, salad, sandwiches and snacks and really good coffees and cakes. Their pastéis de nata (custard tarts) are always good and fresh. Try a ‘tosta mista, pão caseiro’ which is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich in local crusty bread with melted butter on top. Very filling. It gets packed at lunchtime with local estate agents etc.

Vilar do Golf Coffee Shop

Usually busy, friendly, and in a handy location, you can buy your newspapers here and read them as you drink your coffee inside or outside in the sun. They do some snacks, too, ask at the counter.

The Basement Wine Bar & Kitchen, Quarteira

Our friend João took this over and is making delicious food with some dishes inspired by his connections with A Quinta. At the Fonte Santa end of the promenade in Quarteira.

Algarve Restaurant Recommendations - More Notes:

Many Algarve restaurants have Table d’Hote lunch menus which look like good value if you have the appetite at midday. Some are orientated towards the many business people in Almancil and around.

These include ‘Aquarelle’ French restaurant on the road between Estrada Fonte Santa and the EN 125 in Almancil…… just past the Pequeño Mundo turnoff and opposite the petrol station;

Enrique Léis does a two course special in their lovely upstairs room, and -

A Quinta has a modified version of their superb dinner menu at lower prices for lunch. (You will usually still need to book though!)

‘Grissino’ opposite the Post Office in Central Almancil is ok Italian if you can park.

*‘Flor do Algarve’ near to ‘Joe’s Bistro’ is brilliant. Tanya and Fahim have taken it over. Try it.

‘O Nosso Café’ in central Almancil opposite the Post Office is said to be very good.

Some of the scruffiest looking cafés or a ‘casa de pasto’ will do a tasty and cheap ‘prato do dia’ or dish of the day. Sometimes there’s a list up with a daily special. Segunda (feira) or 2º means Monday, Terça or 3º means Tuesday, then Quarta and Quinta up to Sexta or 6º, Friday. If you see a lot of trucks outside the food’s probably fine.

Algarve Restaurant Recommendations - Takeaways

You might not want to eat out every night, especially if you have had a good lunch…

Pizza Pasta Fantasia   as above, do free delivery Pizza, although it's probably quicker to collect a takeaway yourself. Excellent Italian food.

*Apolónia Supermarket (closed Sunday) on the main road in Almancil (go up to Almancil and turn left) has expanded and does wonderful food. Just look at the fresh fish and meat counters and you'll want to eat in... and the salads on the deli counter are good too. Pick up a free glossy magazine. There’s a sushi chef; apparently you order first and he makes the sushi, then you go back for your food.

Alisuper Supermarket, Bougainvilea Plaza, Quinta do Lago, do delicious takeaway BBQ chicken at lunchtime only. Small size, (allow I chicken per 2 people) but good and reasonably priced. With or without mild piri-piri sauce. You can pre-order to make sure. Other shopping here tends to be pricey but it can be worth it for the convenience. It’s open on Sundays when Apolónia is closed.

Many restaurants close for a spell during the winter months for holidays; A Quinta, for example is closed from mid-December to February, so it’s best to phone first when planning winter outings.

* Highly recommended by us or by friends.

This list is highly subjective, and I'm no Fay Maschler. Places change and have off-nights, but this has been compiled and updated in good faith. Aaaah, roll on the next hols!

ENJOY!