Portimão Restaurants

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Taking up most of one side of the square this large establishment is made up of seperate units and has A Patisserie were cakes and other local sweets can be purchased to take away (said by some to be the best on the Algarve) as well as eat in, a restaurant and large bar area. Fantastic place for people watching.

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This Kiosk is on Praca Manuel Teixeira Gomes opposite Casa Inglaise, so close that the chairs and tables appear at first to be part of Casa Inglaise's. The drinks are cheaper here, the service friendlier and they do not mind you buying cakes or other food from somewhere else and eating it while you have your drink.

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Walking up along side the river, past the old bridge you will see a row of sardine restaurants, All are great and reasonably priced. if you walk around them you will see them cooking the fish at the rear on large Charcoal grills.

There are many outside restaurants specializing in regional seafood dishes close to the town end of the old iron road bridge spanning the river.there with a gorgeous view of rio arade and its refreshing air you enjoy the almost main dish in these and others alongside restaurants.

Favorite Dish: grilled sardines with a letuce/tomatoe salade and the all favorite portuguese red wine and bread.

Due to Portimao's location, fresh seafood is widely available.

Along the riverside and under the bridge there are numerous seafood restaurants all offering similar fare. Sardines are the regional speciality.

Prices here tend to be higher than in the centre of town as the restaurants cash in on their favourable location, but are still reasonable.

These restaurants don't only serve seafood, but also other traditional Portuguese dishes and International dishes.

The traditional fish restaurants at Portimao have been demolished, and a new series built further along the harbour walk, and through the bridge. U Venancio is in the middle of the row. Check it out on its own website: www.uvenancio.com - it is the usual style of basic Algarvean fish restaurant. Not at all fancy - just good ingredients, simply cooked, and served with a smile! When we are in the Algarve, we always make sure of having at least one 'fishy' meal in such an honest "no frills" establishment!

Favorite Dish: You really cannot beat sitting in the sunshine, eating freshly grilled sardines and big prawns! Simply served with boiled potatoes and a mixed salad (and the usual more-ish dough-ey Portuguese bread), you don't need fancy sauces and 'haute cuisine'...the food tastes just great! One disadvantage of the new format of the Sardinhas Assada row of restaurants is that none of them seemed to cook on the big charcoal-filled oil drum barbecues any more. A great pity - as the smell of sardines cooking whets appetites!!

A land of fishermen lapped by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Portimao is a paradise for everyone who enjoys fish and seafood. Because every day, as morning breaks, the fishing boats return to harbor laden with the night's catch. And also because the people of the Algarve have centuries of experience in cooking the fruits harvested from the sea. The restaurants in Portimao need no advertising, just follow the delicious smell lingering in your nose.

The grapes of the Algarve get plenty of sunshine and yield heady wines with lots of fruit that go well with the region's cuisine. And to round off a meal, the arbutus brandy known as "medronho" and other traditional liqueurs made with fruit and honey is well worth a try.

So eating out is one of the greatest pleasures when on holiday in Portimao. The variety of fresh seafood and locally grown fruit and vegetables is available in abundance.

Fish is best when simply grilled on an open charcoal fire. A typical cheap meal to order is grilled sardines, accompanied by new potatoes and salad. The more elaborate seafood dishes such as seafood rice (arroz de marisco), stewed clams with spicy sausage, pork, garlic and onions, (ameijoas na cataplana), or, of course, the famous salt cod which may be cooked in many different ways.

Should you prefer meat, then chicken, pork, lamb, kid and rabbit are generally better choices than beef. Restaurants normally serve large portions, and you may wish to skip the starter, as the "couvert" includes fish pate, olives and bread.

Many of the Portuguese desserts and cakes are rich in almonds, eggs, sugar and butter.

Very nice small restaurant in the center of the town with great, but not expensive portuguese food! But what makes it so special are the owners. Once you go there, you will be always coming back. I've never seen so much hospitality before. Fernando ( the owner) has a smile you just can't resist!

Favorite Dish: anything really :)