Simple good food from a popular local establishment. Worth the short detour from the A2 traveling…read morefrom Lisbon to the Algarve. We were a party of 3 couples (Brits and Americans) and arrived just before 2pm on a Tuesday in October to a crowded back room full of locals having lunch. All the staff were friendly and the waitress Ana helped translate the menu and was happy to make recommendations. One unusual dish was the pork and clams. The chicken was marinated and grilled. The steak was cooked in butter and garlic. All were delicious. We all had the same dessert - a simple but incredibly light "whipped creme fraiche" with a cookie under and caramel on top. Heavenly.

The restaurant opens from 12-3pm for lunch, and 7-10pm for dinner. We arrived shortly before 7pm,…read moreand there was a line waiting already! The front of the restaurant is for take out customers, while the dining room is in the back. The waiter didn't give us any menu, because chargrilled chicken is all they serve! Not much choice for sides either - salads and fries, take it or leave it. No apologies. It's interesting to see big families having dinner here, hard to imagine, for an American, that they can all manage to be satisfied with the same dish, without some diet or preference in the way. As you can imagine, for a restaurant like this, they do one thing and do it really good. Tender chicken with a wonderful chargrilled flavor. My husband loves grilled chicken so this is like the 4th chicken place we visited on the trip, and this one is the clear winner. The fries and salad are just meh though.

Do one thing and do it well! Best peri peri chicken on our entire 2 week visit to Portugal. Arrive…read moreearly and prepare to wait but it's worth it.

Oh. My. Sweet. Goodness. I'm in HEAVEN…read more I am hiking the "Rota Vicentina," which passes through Cercal do Alentejo. It's a really cute town that deserves a lot more noteworthiness. I stayed at a great and amazingly inexpensive hotel here and the owner's no-hesitation suggestion for dinner was this place. So off I went. The front is a bar so you're not immediately sure you're in the right place. Just follow your nose to the back restaurant area. There is a limited menu but if you take a seat and just put your dinner in the owner, Sheila's, hands, you will NOT regret it! I explained my gluten problem and she brought out a cavalcade of awesome dishes including a truly local soup and main dish of pork, pickled cauliflower, and oranges. This is the second time I've been served oranges with pork in Portugal and it's a brilliant flavor combination! My gosh, I'm exhausted from that meal. But it was so good I just had to write about it. I'm sure you can get a fancier meal in a fancier setting, but this was REAL, DOWN-HOME Portuguese country food and it was outstanding! I hope that other folks walking the Rota Vicentina and passing through Cercal see this and stop in. They will remember it for a long time!

The Passarinho is what I imagine life would be like with a Portuguese grandmother. You walk into…read morethe seemingly small restaurant expecting nothing spectacular to happen but then out pops the first friendly face of a small Portuguese woman who welcomes you to one of the tables in the back. We came at just the right time because within 15 minutes all of the tables were filled and everyone looked excited to eat. We recommend you accept their suggestion of a sampler plate of local cheese and don't forget a pitcher of "house wine". We ordered two entrées and were VERY full after finishing them. We watched sadly as our table neighbors (who had shared an entrèe) each ordered a GIANT slice of wiggly cake. Next time we will have to try that too! We paid 26€ for a cheese appetizer + pitcher of wine + bottle of bubbly water + 2 entrées. This place is great for anyone looking to really taste the local cooking and the best part is the really the elderly Portuguese women who not only cook but also serve you the food. Those are some really peppy ladies!

We came here because I asked a guy in the street what was the best place to eat dinner in town. He…read morepointed me to Jaime. We had secretos of Iberian Pork and Golden Sea bream. The fish was well cooked yet moist the french fries didn't even need salt they were that good. And lastly the Secretos were just top notch! For desert we asked for semi frio de bolacha which they served us bolo de bolacha. Really weird, but we didn't want to complain. When we got the bill we were charged for bread 2 butters and a sardine paste that we didn't eat nor touched. Mind you the food was absolutely delicious. The waiters are nice and attentive. We were served in no time even though they were busy. We might come back, but we will sure to ask for the orange complaint book if they pull this on us again!

El sitio es pequeño.Solo diez mesas para dos. Recomiendo hacer reserva. No admiten tarjetas. Solo…read moreefectivo. La comida es abundante y exquisita. El restaurante es de ambiente familiar.

What a good find while traveling around we wondered in this restaurant. Everything was delicious…read moreand the service was excellent!

We were looking for good arroz + marisco/cataplana in the area and fell upon this restaurant due to…read morethe positive ratings. Everything we ordered was delicious from the clams bulhao to the arroz marisco to the Algarve tart (best algarve tart we had on our trip). Even the homemade garlic bread was good. Seafood all tasted fresh, staff was pleasant, and the restaurant had a catchy playlist going too. Only downside was how long it took to deliver our main course after starter. We were seated at a table near the front door; perhaps sit at a table closer to the front for better attention.

Jardim Rústico - Albufeira, Portugal…read more If you're anywhere near Albufeira and don't eat at Jardim Rústico, you're truly missing out. We spent a month in the Algarve and ended up dining here at least 10 out of 30 nights. We kept trying to find another restaurant that could compare--and never did. The food is authentic Portuguese cuisine at its finest. The clams, made from the owner's grandmother's recipe, are hands-down the best I've ever had in my life. Honestly, it doesn't matter what you order--everything on the menu is exceptional. Be adventurous. You won't regret it. The restaurant is family-owned and family-run, which adds so much to the experience. Vitor runs the kitchen and delivers incredible food every single night. His wife Ines runs the front with grace and warmth. Luan and Joah were there every evening we visited, offering some of the best service we've ever experienced anywhere--professional, kind, and genuinely caring. The ambiance is casual, quiet, and cozy--it truly feels like home. Every guest is welcomed like family, and this incredible team goes above and beyond to make each night memorable. If you go (and you absolutely should), tell them the Fanellas from Florida sent you. Jardim Rústico is a gem, and dining there was one of the highlights of our trip.

We just stopped at this Bar Restaurante for a coffee after failing to have one at the Restaurante…read moreAlmodôvar, and my god... This place is old, dirty and horrible! The owner/waiter is just unfriendly and the service is rubbish! Do not come to this so called "Bar Restaurante" if you care for quality, as this is just a old "tasca" / "taverna" without any standards!

From mid 2000s for about 5-6 years we almost lived there every evening when on hols as the boys…read morewere so well looked after and the chicken piri piri was fabulous...in all the American guides too. Anyway its 10 years on almost & I am back with my partner for the first time We flew in to Lisbon on Saturday, drove down & as the first port of call made the 4 downhill bends on foot from the villa for a meal knowing that the little lady who was there before has moved to O Castelo (lunch there tomorrow) - we had heard it was still ok but not as good Well it was fine; service was great (the Ukrainian waitress spoke good English as did the waiter), food ie chicken & chips too...the wine was excellent and great value for money Anyway we will probably go there on our last night too...still on the recommend list for sure..oh dear that means the 4 uphill bends afterwards with a full stomach once again!

Tapas style but the servings were large and everything so well presented and excellent tastes…read more Little gem in an alley.

Our tour guide E'll highly recommended it and now we do too! A tiny place on a narrow avenue…read more Service was great. The food exceptional! Reservations needed. Lots of tapas to share. Highlights included a fig & cheese appetizer, mushroom fennel goat cheese baked in pastry and a tender beef stew. Chocolate fondant is not to be missed. All so good, we have reservations for tomorrow night!

A Michelin bib gourmand that lives up to its name! I was able to make reservations two weeks in…read moreadvance online. It's very affordable in terms of Bib gourmands. Service was like any other European restaurant. As far as the food comes, it delivered! For bread and butter-my favorite was the orange butter because I wasn't expecting the flavor to come through so well. We started off with the scallops which were cooked to perfection. The prawns in a piri piri sauce had a kick, but nothing overwhelming. I ordered the monkfish and prawn curry-you could taste the coconut. My friend ordered the lamb and that might have been my favorite amongst them. It was so moist and had such good flavor. Almost like a bbq but not so sweet. As far as dessert goes, the creme brûlée was a miss for me. The top lay offered the perfect crack, but underneath it felt too sweet and eggier than most creme brûlées I have had. Now what really sold me was the house dessert. It was so light, fluffy and not overly sweet. The sweet potato fries were so crispy that my friend gave it the highest compliment of saying it didn't need a sauce.

The best food experience we've had in Portugal. Whether you try the ribeye steak, rack of land or…read morefilet of John Dory you will not be disappointed. An excellent menu with something for everyone's tastes. The service is impeccable and the restaurant itself is inviting and comfortable complete with on site parking. We are going back on Sunday!!