Stumbled upon this small, comfy eatery while walking around Lagos. The bar and kitchen is operated by a couple who seem to have a special rapport with their patrons, almost everyone who came in appeared to be local and exchanged pleasantries of handshakes and hugs. I do not speak Portuguese, but was able to order with relative ease.
Both the salada polvo (octopus salad) and lula (grilled squid salad) are served chilled and lightly dressed in olive oil and a little vinegar, and mixed with onion and cilantro. Both were excellent starters; the octopus being very soft and mildly buttery, while the squid is a little more chewy but more flavorful and briny. I'd order both again.
The batatas fritas (French fries) and bitoque (steak frites, adorned with a fried egg) were decent dishes, but when in Algarve I find it is best to stick to the local seafood offerings, so I'd probably pass on these next time. Both were tasty though.
The camarão (shrimp) were served hot, seasoned with salt, and unpeeled. This is a nice dish to share as a salty snack.
Now, here are the two dishes I would absolutely recommend and order again; the croquete bacalhau (cod croquettes) and the prego no pão (steak sandwhich, commonly ordered as a bar snack or even a digestif). The croquete bacalhau was absolutely delicious, the fried outer layer of the fritter was so thin, leaving just a slight crunch before being rewarded with the soft, warm cod mixture on the inside. Stunning. Typically I find these types of dishes too heavily breaded and fried, resulting in an unflattering ratio of the outer layer and inside contents - not here! They nailed this dish. They come in orders of six, be prepared to order another round! The prego was absolute money. A few thin slices of beef served on a soft warm roll, and accompanied with a bottle of chili oil. The bread alone was worth the price of admission.
Loved this place. Hope to be back soon. read more