Albufeira

THERE IS FAR MORE TO THE FOOD SCENE IN ALBUFEIRA THAN MEETS THE EYE. SEARCH BEYOND THE OBVIOUS, LOOK IN THE BACK STREETS AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS GEMS TO BE FOUND, PROVIDING A RANGE OF CHOICES OTHER THAN THE TOURIST MENUS THAT ALBUFEIRA IS, RATHER UNKINDLY, KNOWN FOR

Words: STEFF TOFT

BREAKFAST Fat Cats

Located on the marina, family-run Fat Cats provides the perfect place to relax over breakfast, with a view that is hard to beat. The décor is simple and modern. Choose from a variety of seating areas: on the board walk next to the marina, providing a mixture of sun and shade with a gentle breeze, or by the restaurant itself, the perfect spot for a bit of people watching. Nothing quite beats a quiet coffee, looking out over the boats.

Fat Cats doesn’t aim to provide a quick, cheap English breakfast. Rather, they offer high-quality ingredients that are cooked to order. The menu lists a wide range of options that include a traditional cooked breakfast, a continental breakfast and everything in between. They are happy to swap choices to suit your taste.

I recommend the Modern Breakfast. Ripe avocado, on good quality granary bread with poached eggs, cooked to perfection and topped with chilli flakes, and bacon if you fancy. The quality of the food never wavers here – it is consistently high, even in the busiest periods.

Because everything is cooked to order, the service is slightly slower than the usual, and when the tables are full that can mean a wait, but the quality of your breakfast is worth it.

Open daily from 10:00, there is no need to book, turn up, embrace the view, and enjoy the experience. It is the perfect spot for a gentle start to the day.

Alameda da Orada, Albufeira 8200-394

T: 927 389 019

LUNCH Alagoa Restaurante

The front of this snack bar resembles every other one; it is clean, functional and devoid of character. Beyond that is a second restaurant space, more homely and infinitely more welcoming; further on is a shaded, secluded courtyard. Like many local Portuguese snackbars, the energy goes into the quality of the food, rather than designer décor.

The lunch menu changes from day to day and is written on a chalkboard. It is wholesome, well-cooked and served in generous portions – a main course and a dessert is less than €10. There are generally five dishes, including a fish dish, a meat dish and more often than not, grilled chicken. The doce da casa changes every day, a particular favourite being custard layered with chocolate mousse, and there is a wide selection of other desserts all of which taste as good as they look.

The staff are friendly and welcoming and are very proud of what they serve. They want you to love the food and are keen to make your experience at the restaurant the best they possibly can.

Open all year round, there is no need to book. Expect to be sitting next to people you haven’t had the chance to meet before, and at lunchtime it’s not unusual for another customer to translate the menu into English, whilst at the same time providing their opinion on the best choice of the day. Don’t be put off by the sound of meals you’ve never tried: local stews with beans and unrecognisable meats, soups, oven baked or grilled meat and fish dishes are all beautifully cooked. Do try the polenta that comes as an extra side dish – you won’t be disappointed. And if ever a dish is offered with Russian Salad, take it.

Rua das Telecomunicações 7, Albufeira 8200-184

T: 289 070 694

BEACH-EATS

A Sardinha

This is certainly not a typical beach bar. The restaurant specialises in freshly-caught fish, but meat options are always available. The menus are written on chalkboards and the price of the fish is quoted in € per kilo, which can be confusing. But the staff are incredibly helpful, honest and knowledgeable, guiding you to the most suitable option and often bringing the fish to the table to further explain. There are a few dishes, such as the salmon fillets, which have a set price, as do most of the meat dishes.

The quality of the fish is exceptional and incredibly fresh. It is lightly grilled, then artfully filleted and deboned at the table. The side dishes are simple: boiled potatoes, salad or chips – nothing that detracts from fish itself – and can be replenished on request.

The service and experience are exactly what you would want it to be. If you are spending a day on the beach and just want a snack size portion of garlic prawns with dipping bread, you can be away within 30 minutes. Equally, if you want an extended, relaxing, leisurely meal watching the ever-changing seascape, it can be that too. Although an expensive choice, it is well worth it for a memorable experience.

It is best to book a table, as it is a small restaurant which does get very busy over the summer. The most popular tables at the front of the restaurant overlooking the beach get reserved quickly.

Praia dos Arrifes, Albufeira 8200-613

T: 289 591 600

Dinner

Stews and More

At this family-run restaurant, they clearly love the food that they produce, and have a genuine desire to share that love with their customers. The Dutch and Portuguese husband and wife owners have combined the recipes of their grandmothers to create a range of outstanding stews. Both are happy to take time to explain the menu.

In a quiet side street, a short walk from the hustle and bustle of Albufeira, the restaurant’s décor is quirky, with the couple’s grandmothers’ old cooking pots adorning the walls. There is a gentle hum here of people enjoying, sharing and savouring the food, much as you would at your own dinner table.

There is a varied selection of reasonablypriced starters on the menu. Try the delicious shrimp cocktail in home-made sauce, served with freshly baked bread, or the Portobello mushroom stuffed with cheese and tomato, baked in the oven.

The menu includes vegetarian, burgers and salads, but the tasty, slow-cooked, heart-warming stews are the centrepiece, and each comes with a story of its creation. The stews are served with various accompaniments that work particularly well with each; the Mediterranico – a veal stew with Mediterranean vegetables in a port wine sauce – is served with oven baked potatoes. Or for cheese lovers, the Altlantico is a must; sea bass rolls, oven baked in a cheese sauce, topped with parmesan and served with crusty bread, perfect for dipping.

And the Delightful, with the ice-cream melting into the Baileys, is a dessert to be savoured.

Open daily from 17:30 (closed Sunday), it is recommended that you book here, particularly during the busier months.

Rua Almeida Garret 40, Forte de São João 8200-272

T: 925 712 738

DINNER Bistro

Right in the centre of Albufeira Old Town, just off the main square, you will find Bistro, a surprising treat. This is a familyrun restaurant – the mother is the chef and her two sons run a very welcoming and attentive front of house, and take time to explain how each dish is served. The décor is simple and comfortable and the tables are nicely spaced out; there is a small outside eating area, great for people watching on a summer’s evening.

The menu is small compared to other restaurants in the area, but with enough variety to appeal to all, and includes pasta dishes, vegetarian choices and a burger option. European-style dishes are cooked from fresh ingredients at the time of order.

The couvert is a good one, with freshlybaked bread, a delicious home-made tuna paste, marinated carrots and olives. And for starters, the goat’s cheese with walnuts and honey is a favourite – served warm, with a honey glaze, the cheese is melted to perfection.

There are several exceptional main dishes to choose from. Try the pork tenderloin with plums in a brandy sauce off the specials board. And from the main menu, salmon fillet wrapped in pastry with a cream and mushroom sauce is outstanding, as is the duck magret in orange sauce. Each dish has its own accompaniment, but the choice can be altered to suit your personal preference.

Open from 18:30 daily, March through to December, it is important to book here, especially during the summer months when the regulars, and visitors to the town, plan ahead. Bookings are taken seriously and your table is always ready when you arrive.Charmingly, you are made to feel that you are the most important customer ever to have visited their restaurant.