Cantinho do Mar — Restaurant in Albufeira

Now this is how a restaurant should serve their customers. We spent over 30 days in Portugal (north, east, west and south) and that was by far THE BEST experience we had. The best confirmation of that would be that since we discovered this place we have been there 4 more times! The stuff here is not just friendly and professional. They should get some award for the best customer service. Seriously. They all speak perfect English, French, German and Spanish. And of course Portuguese. Owner's daughter is a member of the stuff and she is absolutely amazing - we had some great conversation there. I know it is hard to believe but for 11 euro you have STARTERS (garlic bread or normal bread with butter and sardine paste), SOUP (tomato, onion or veggie) DRINKS ( big bear or big flask of vine), MAIN COURSE (over 25 to choose from), DESERT (ice creams, cakes, fruits etc) and COFFEE. FOR 11 EURO! Everything is super fresh and tasty - we tried swordfish, halibut, turkey breast in mushroom sauce, pork steak, chicken etc etc. I don't remember being so satisfied with the whole restaurant ever in my life....

Having been to Albufeira 5 times now, I can say that this restaurant is one of the best for fresh Portuguese food. We found the price very reasonable and everything we ordered was tasty.

We got the set menu for €16.50, which included starter, main, dessert, a coffee and a drink (including a pint of beer or a bottle of wine as options).

The fish was fresh and delicious (we got grilled golden bream, which seems to be popular in Albufeira) and an extra seafood paella for €15. We also got 4 different deserts and they were all amazing. Our starters (olives and garlic bread) were simple but very tasty too. I couldn’t believe the size of the bottle of wine included with my order. I thought it was just a glass, but it was a medium-sized bottle of wine.

Have to mention the friendly staff and that our food was prepared really quick. This is now one of my top places to go in Albufeira. I hope they dont raise the price.

I also recommend O Catraio in the old town for seafood and good value (can’t comment on other dishes) and I heard the restaurant next door from Cantinho (Adega do Zé) is...

Tonight, we dined at Cantinho do Mar, an establishment clearly aimed at English tourists with its affordable 16 euro menu and cheap house wine. While the service was commendable, the overall dining experience left much to be desired.

First and foremost, the food quality was quite average. Having eaten at many places in Portugal, we were disappointed by the portion sizes here, which were notably small for the price. This was particularly evident with our order of Seabass. Typically, you would expect to receive the whole fish in a traditional Portuguese setting. However, we were served only two tiny fillets, as shown in the attached picture, which felt insufficient and underwhelming.

Despite the friendly and attentive service, the meal did not meet our expectations, especially given the abundance of excellent Portuguese family fish restaurants in the area. If you are looking for an authentic Portuguese dining experience, I would recommend exploring...