11/27/13
Portugal on a plate: the Algarve’s best family-friendly restaurants | Smith & Kids
Smith & KidsStylish family travel: child-friendly hotels, family holiday tips and insider guides Previous post: Winter warmers: new Smith & Family hotels in Australia, Thailand and Mauritius
Portugal on a plate: the Algarve’s best family-friendly restaurants Posted by Lucy Fennings on November 25th, 2013
Never knowingly underpacked, Mummy Travels author Cathy Winston* is the woman to ask if you want to know how to combine bars with babychanging, and sightseeing with a stroller (usually successfully). Here, she dishes up her favourite family-friendly restaurants in the Algarve.
www.smithandkids.com/2013/11/portugal-on-a-plate-the-algarves-best-family-friendly-restaurants/
1/9
11/27/13
Portugal on a plate: the Algarve’s best family-friendly restaurants | Smith & Kids
With 150km of coast, 74 Blue Flag beaches, and sunshine nearly year-round, it’s no surprise the Algarve is a big hit for
family holidays. And in the less touristy south-west stretch, you’ve got stunning unspoiled scenery, fascinating villages and incredible food, too. Home to Portugal’s only two restaurants to receive two Michelin stars, the Algarve has fantastic seafood that you can eat right by the shore where it was caught; the region even boasts of being the birthplace of piri piri chicken. Best of all, small children and great restaurants do mix, as I discovered after I travelled there in September. Here are a few of my favourite family-friendly dining spots… Beach Club Pine Cliffs Just what you want from a beach restaurant with style (pictured top, centre). It’s casual enough to come straight from Praia da Falesia in shorts and flip-flops during the day, or slightly more dressed up in the evening. Start at the Moet bar for a glass of champagne then there’s everything from octopus carpaccio to marinated anchovies (or burgers). Part of the Sheraton Pine Cliffs resort, it’s popular with guests and non-residents.
www.smithandkids.com/2013/11/portugal-on-a-plate-the-algarves-best-family-friendly-restaurants/
2/9
11/27/13
Portugal on a plate: the Algarve’s best family-friendly restaurants | Smith & Kids
Ramires restaurant The home of piri piri chicken (allegedly). Back in 1964, Jose Carlos Ramires invented a spicy new recipe using piri piri chillis, oil, garlic and a few other secret ingredients – and that’s still pretty much all there is on the menu. Whether you believe the story or not, the small café in the village of Guia has expanded to take over three floors with as many locals as tourists – expect lots of fussing over babies. A Sardinha Among the bustling beaches, the Algarve specialises in semi-hidden coves. Set just above Praia dos Arrifes, near Gale west of Albufeira, A Sardinha is all about the location with views to the rocks dotted in the bay. The menu changes regularly based on the day’s catch, with fresh fish sold by weight, and while the service has more of a smile for babies than adults, it’s great for a chilled-out lunch.
www.smithandkids.com/2013/11/portugal-on-a-plate-the-algarves-best-family-friendly-restaurants/
3/9
11/27/13
Portugal on a plate: the Algarve’s best family-friendly restaurants | Smith & Kids
As Dunas Proving that five-star luxury and families can go hand in hand, Martinhal Beach Resort never puts a foot wrong. The same goes for its restaurants, especially laidback As Dunas. On top of sea views, cocktails and an ever-changing menu of fresh fish, there’s a play area and a member of staff devoted solely to entertaining your children as you eat. Bliss. BOOK THE BABYSITTER Ocean, Vila Vita Parc If there’s one place it’s worth getting childcare for, it’s Ocean restaurant. Awarded two Michelin stars in 2011, the restaurant’s tasting menu has beautifully presented dish after dish of fabulous creations, transforming the simplest ingredients into the kind of meal you rave about long afterwards. The stunning sunset views across the Atlantic are just an added bonus. _________________________________________________________________________________ GETTING THERE The southerly Algarve is Portugal’s sand-flanked footnote. An ever-mild climate and broad beaches lined with shallow bays make it the country’s poster girl for seaside family holidays, with a smattering of surfers attracted by its Atlantic rollers. Faro airport (www.ana.pt) is the region’s central air hub, served by plenty of flights from across Europe .Check out Smith & Family’s hand-picked Algarve family resorts and child-friendly hotels in Sagres; or read more about some of our favourites Algarve activities, including dolphin-watching at Memmo Baleeira and surfing on the Costa Vicentina… www.smithandkids.com/2013/11/portugal-on-a-plate-the-algarves-best-family-friendly-restaurants/
4/9
11/27/13
Portugal on a plate: the Algarve’s best family-friendly restaurants | Smith & Kids
_________________________________________________________________________________ *A 30-something travel-obsessed writer, Cathy Winston has visited more than 50 countries so far – and wasn’t about to pack her passport away after getting pregnant. Since launching her blog MummyTravels.com, where Cathy reveals the reality of travel with a baby, she and her daughter have racked up six overseas trips in 15 months, surviving long-haul along the way. This entry was posted on Monday, November 25th, 2013 at 2:03 pm and is filed under Algarve, Child-friendly beach hotels, Eating & drinking, Guest posts, October half-term, Portugal, Uncategorized. You can follow any comments on this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.
Favourites
Leave a comment Name (required) Comment
Mail (required)
Website
Submit Comment
Because fun is for grown-ups, too Welcome to Smith & Kids, the luxury family travel blog for Smith & Family: our child-friendly hotel collection. As well as parent-approved stays that offer style as well as great stuff for kids, here's where you'll find sage (and sane) advice about holidaying en famille; www.smithandkids.com/2013/11/portugal-on-a-plate-the-algarves-best-family-friendly-restaurants/
5/9