Right next to the Spanish border, south Portugal offers the opportunity for a day trip to its many coastal towns in the Faro district. This is a historic part of the world, rife with eye-catching attractions and unforgettable sights. Some of the old towns date far back to the eighth century, and castles are a constant feature along the coasts, built in the medieval era, remaining upright to this day.
With riverside restaurants and beachside bars all ready to serve new visitors, the south Portuguese coast is a most impressive destination to add to your traveller’s list. Here are the best places in Algarve Portugal, including restaurants with a view, to add to your traveller’s itinerary today.
Have any questions about how the best restaurants in the Algarve Portugal are benefiting from a free app? Message us and discover how hospitality venues benefit best during the holiday seasons.
When Do Restaurants Open in Portugal?
Expect to see most Portuguese towns come to life in the late afternoon and early evening. During the later hours, restaurants begin to fill up as guests seek out late dinners. Note that one of Portugal’s most-loved attributes is a slow-paced way of life. So when eating out, it is advisable to reduce the tempo. Be slow and savour meals — that’s our top tip!
Usually, though, specific opening times are at midday noon around 12:00 or later at 18:30. Restaurants serving throughout the day stay open until late.
5 Best Places in Algarve Portugal
If you’re looking for a breath-taking journey in Faro, then this list has got you covered. From east to west, visit these restaurants in the Algarve Portugal for the ideal foodie’s day trip.
Remember: Stay up-to-date on traveller’s news when visiting restaurants in the Faro district with foreign travel advice, offering everyday tips to keep in mind when on a trip.
Ti Maria Tapas & Garrafeira (Tavira)
A mere half-hour drive from the Spanish border brings you to the town of Tavira. Shaped by its Moorish roots (the Moors ruled Portugal from the eighth to twelfth centuries), this charming town still bears traces of its medieval past. A labyrinth of cobbled streets lead to Ti Maria Tapas & Garrafeira in the town’s centre.
Both beautiful inside and out (the front has a cream-white tiled façade; inside has the traditional oak-coloured warmth of a winery), guests are ceaselessly impressed with this fine establishment in the Algarve. A luxuriously diverse menu promises pleasant evenings, but according to some reviews online the tuna tartare is the ideal meal to go for.
Miga Restaurante (Olhão)
Even the non-religious cannot fail to be impressed with Olhão’s medieval religious architecture. A large church, white as a Portuguese fisherman’s cottage, stands guard at the front of a cobblestoned alleyway. An array of retail shops neighbour our second entry on this list: Miga.
Offering an abundance of fresh fish and lush vegetables, Miga soon established itself as a fan favourite among locals.
Since it belongs to local owners, prepare for a hearty atmosphere where everyone feels at home. The small, light-brown kitchenette interior with stools, settles, and open shelves give the impression of a very homely setting. Google reviews often commend the team’s avid kindness — and rest assured, every new visitor will enjoy the same exceptional treatment.
Shack Bar and Grill (Almancil)
Almancil is less than a half-hour journey from Olhão. It’s easy to stumble upon gems of architecture near this part of the Algarve. The neighbouring village, for instance, hosts an eighteenth century church, replete with blue tiles and impressive facade, to feast eyes upon.
Within a ten minute drive south of Almancil you can reach a resort on the Quinta do Lago lake. From here you can reach south Portugal’s golden-sand beaches, perfect for evening strolls.
However, visitors to Quinta do Lago resort — and specifically their bar and grill unit, The Shack — will have relaxation firmly in mind. In the heritage style of a Portuguese fisherman’s hut, surrounded with the local climate’s hot-weather flora and fauna such as palms and skinny maritime pines, the resort is a welcome sight for weary travellers.
Feel-good food is the name of the game. All the while visitors can savour long, languid evenings in a cabana, available via booking online, altogether with a nice drink by their side.
Sandbanks Beach Restaurant (Almancil)
Looking for a quality Algarve restaurant with a view? Head down to the Praia da Quinta do Lago beach and less than two-and-a-half miles walk upsand will bring you to the Sandbanks Beach Restaurant.
Adopting the style of a seaside villa, Sandbanks is impressive. Its verandas overlook the cool, glittering azures of the Atlantic sea, and have long served guests with an eye for aquatic beauty.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all available, with assorted seafoods being the choice of the day — e.g., grilled squid, crispy prawns, tasty monkfish skewered on kebabs. Perfect for an evening wine during the remainder of the evening.
Ú Venâncio Restaurante (Portimão)
Most of Portimão’s city streets display this port city’s rich past. Steeped in nineteenth-century architecture, Portimão’s Old Quarter provides a fascinating short walk through winding alleyways, including bright buildings in blue and white on picturesque corners. So what better place to end an evening in the city with a stop by the riverside?
On the banks of the Arade river in Portimão sits a modern restaurant named Ú Venâncio. Among the top restaurants in the Algarve Portugal, this spot started off as a tavern for local fishermen. Since 1947, it has remained in the land of its roots on the river’s west side.
Nowadays, not only does it quench the thirst of patrons, but fills their stomachs too with the best locally sourced produce. Chargrilled sardines with a wonderful view of the port, the river, and the city’s railway bridge — who could reasonably ask for more?
Still interested in Portugal’s national cuisine? Further north in Porto, the country’s capital, guests can now make easier bookings with first-rate restaurants. Learn why this Porto restaurant is now using Carbonara App.
Algarve restaurants with a view are not the only top places now using Carbonara App. Users all across Portugal’s regions are enjoying the app’s cost-free features. Travel further north to a Porto municipality to find out how restaurants anywhere can benefit in our article: “Flor do Ave in Portugal is King of Traditional Cuisine.”
