Tasty AND healthy - an elusive combination that flourishes in traditional Algarve cuisine.
The Algarve offers a vast choice of eating options to its visitors – from humble tascas to Michelin starred gourmet restaurants and everything in between. For some of the tastiest – and healthiest – food, opt for Algarve restaurants serving regional or traditional Portuguese cuisine
You can’t go wrong if you opt for seafood. The catch of the day is always a good bet and will likely include Sea Bream, Golden Bream or Stone Bass. In the summer season the grilled sardines are as local as you can get. Those in the know reckon Portimão is home to the best sardines, and every August it hosts a fantastic 10-day long Sardine Festival. Prawns, lobster and crab are regulars on many menus as are squid, cuttle fish and octopus.
To make the most of the gorgeous seafood you should probably enjoy it at a luxury Algarve beachside restaurant, overlooking the immense Atlantic and enjoying some excellent local wine. Check out O Telheiro do Infante in Sagres, the Algarve’s western tip, or Sandbanks at Vale do Lobo - ideal for people-watching, or 2 Passos for a vast, uncluttered view and superb food.
Lunch on the terrace
For heartier fare, head inland, towards the white-washed villages of the hidden Algarve. In the Monchique Mountains you can find a great range of fantastic restaurants that serve simple but delicious food at reasonable prices. Many menus will feature baby goat stew, lamb stew, and of course chicken piri-piri – grilled chicken coated with spices. The tastiest chickens are the smallest ones and it is best eaten with your fingers. Delicious!
All this delicious food deserves to be accompanied by some excellent wine. Although not quite on the international wine producing map, the Algarve boasts several wineries that produce some very good quality wine, the most famous of these being Sir Cliff Richard's Adega do Cantor Winery.
For more information on restaurants in Algarve and a comprehensive guide everything Algarve please visit: My Destination Algarve.
My Destination Algarve
October 2010
Monchique
