FOOD PLUS
N AT U R A L I S T H E BY WO R D AT T H I S T R E N DY E AT E R I E I N L AG O S , W H E R E W I N E A N D TA PA S WO R K TO G E T H E R FOOD
Wo rd s: B E N A U S T I N
L
AGOS IS A hip and
happening place. As Loulé residents, it is rare for us to venture all that way West but wow! Simon Dedham and I were impressed. The town is bustling with a cool crowd; it feels authentic and real. We navigated the back streets and little alleys to arrive at Travia, a restaurant that is in keeping with the whole vibe. We sat outside, as it was a mild evening, so we could take in the general ambience of the town. Travia is more of a tapas place, serving tasty dishes that compliment the wines. And Simon knows his wines and cuisine. First off, we were served two glasses of zesty Duck White – Duckman,
Bairrada (€5.50 a glass or €27 a bottle), which was paired with crispy balls containing fresh tuna with a dollop of coriander – a strong composition, as was the chef’s roast potato gratin, which came with a topping of fruity mango chutney. The next dish – and the best one – was the smoked mackerel served on rustic toast, the tastes and textures working well together. The following dishes were also excellent and to be recommended: thinly-sliced and lightly-seared tuna strips with some crackling for a suggestion of crunch; sea bass served in cold soup – a bit too earthy perhaps, but still tasty – and roasted carrots, sitting atop a bed of labneh (which is a sort of Greek yogurt) and
Natural, organic, and tasty. Excellent wine pairing.
DECOR Simple, rustic, and unassuming. Good vibes.
€ PRICE Average tapas dish, €9. Wine, around €5 per glass and average €30 per bottle.
Tr a v i a , R u a M a r r e i ro s N e t to 3 7, L a g o s 8 6 0 0 -7 5 4 T: 9 1 2 41 7 9 07 / I : t r a v i a _ w i n e a n d f o o d O p e n : 1 6 : 0 0 – 1 2 : 0 0 , eve r y d a y
l ALGARVE P L U S
Travia, Lagos
some crushed pistachios. The oyster mushrooms were huge and delicious. The wine for this course was an Amber Orange – Vinhos Aparte from Lisbon (€9.20 a glass or €48 a bottle). This was fantastic, full of flavours and aromas. As Simon is a more of a red wine man, Phillipa (our server) brought out the Pirata Castelão, which is a young and fresh wine, fruit forward, that benefits, in Simon’s view, from being served chilled. The final savoury dish we sampled was pork strips, great for all those coriander lovers out there. Our final course was two types of cheesecake, one of which was a favourite – chocolate. They were good, light and delicately-flavoured with a deep, chewy base, again, not everyone’s choice, but those who love it will be coming back for more. During the meal, Simon and I were entertained by three street musicians who were great, and we enjoyed the ebb and flow of people passing. Overall, the food was flavoursome, organic and locally sourced, three markers of today’s trends, demanded by an evergrowing audience. The wines were young, light, and full of aromas that paired excellently with the tapas on offer. Pricewise, the food was reasonable, the wine perhaps a little on the dear side for Lagos, but well worth the extra spend to try something a bit different that comes from the small producers. Maria, the owner, popped by with her chocolate Labrador dog, Baloo, who being a big pup was – like us – soaking in the sights and smells of the vibrant streets of Lagos.
85
TASTES great
