Be careful of thieves and pickpockets. Not a safe experience! My purse and passport were stolen…read morewhile my purse was hanging on the back of my chair. I was sitting in the chair when it happened, which makes it even more disturbing. Whoever did this was clearly experienced.
When we informed the staff and manager about what happened, they did not seem surprised or particularly concerned. They did not apologize or make much effort to help us beyond calling the police, and the police did not answer the phone. The manager also spoke with their "security guy," but he was not very helpful. He mostly sat there, did not look around the area, and did not ask any questions about what had happened.
The manager did not provide any video footage and needed to "check with their IT", which likely means they're going to do nothing. I went to the nearby Porto police station, but they could not help and directed me to a tourist police department farther away, where I had to file a police report. Even the police said this type of theft is "typical," which made it seem like this happens often in the area.
In my opinion, the restaurant did not do enough to protect its customers. If management takes this issue seriously, they should consider installing more security cameras, posting warning signs about pickpockets, or having waitstaff remind guests to keep an eye on their belongings. The security presence seemed very lax, and the camera situation was not helpful at all. The restaurant was also horrible about answering the phone, and even the police station did not pick up when we tried calling, so we had to walk to the station. This lack of urgency puts other guests at risk and makes me concerned that similar incidents could happen again.
This completely ruined our last night in Porto and was honestly traumatizing. While I was searching around the property for my purse, I even found another purse thrown into the bushes nearby, which made me feel like this has definitely happened before. On the way to the police station, we also saw two men being arrested for stealing credit cards, purses, and clothing.
Thieves and pickpockets seem to be common here. I would not recommend this place, especially if you are a tourist. This restaurant needs to do better. Praia da Luz, how will you protect your guests?? I hope you make an effort to install more security cameras and keep out loitering/shady people who prey on tourists.