Restaurante Pigs and Cows — Restaurant in Faro

Self-indulgent and dull

We were looking forward to eating at Pigs and Cows but ended up very disappointed. The restaurant has a formula about how you will be treated which they insist on sticking to regardless of the consequences. We arrived at 9pm, as booked, but were only seated at 9-15. By 9-35 we were still waiting to order a drink, or even some water. The Chef then came to instruct us on the contents of each of the options we could choose from. By this time we had seen the menu and knew that only a couple of options would work for us. Never the less, we had to listen while the Chef talked about every dish on the menu. When she finished we were told we had to wait even longer before one of the waiting staff could take our order. We had asked if it was possible to order water or a drink but were told we had to wait.

Eventually we managed to order and were brought well presented starters. Unfortunately, the starters arrived just after we had managed to be served our aperitifs. The mains took so long to be brought to us that the cod fish was distinctly cold. I did wonder if it may have been frozen although that seems unlikely for a relatively expensive restaurant on the Algarve. The issue seems to have been that there was only one waiting staff and therefore our meal had been sitting on the pass for a good while. We were told that they did not have enough staff. This may have been because they had originally planned not to open the roof space due to expected rain but when the rain didn’t happen they opened the roof, sold lots more covers and left the one waiting staff member to cover the full restaurant.

Their website talks a lot about how Pigs and Cows is not an ordinary restaurant and their pride in being different. They clearly have a formula which they enjoy following but it can be at the expense of the customer and, at least on this occasion that meant a very...

Absolutely one of the best dining experiences I've had.

We were warmly greeted on arrival by the co-owner Didier who kindly escorted us to out table and provided us with the menu. He apologized because he didn't think he spoke English well (but it was far better than my French or Portugese, so brvao Didier!).

Then, the head chef and Co-owner Lilia came out to personally explain every element of the menu in excuisite detail, her descriptions sold us on particular dishes that we had not been initially interested in, but our final choices did not disappoint!

Every dish was exceptional, from our starters of the smoked cod and tuna tartare to our mains of the beef tenderloin and our deserts, the absolutely subtle and yet devine Lebanese treat (I can't remember the name but the perfect balance between honey, rose water and pistachios has been giving me cravings for days...!).

The only disappointing thing about our entire experience was that we had to make a choice, everything sounded amazing but high on my agenda for our next visit would be to try the Prawn curry, someone had it at a nearby table and it smelled amazing!!! Vegetarians and Vegans can rejoice too as they can prepare a special menu if given notice!

If you are in Faro, don't miss your opportunity to dine here, it is a wonderful and considered experience and the 3 course menu is a set price of €49.50 per person (at the time of this review), so in my estimation this is an unmissable choice for a very special and...

It was such a surprise to find this interesting, stylish and quirky restaurant in Faro. I haven’t seen anything similar in the city. As soon as we entered, it was clear that this was going to be a special evening. We were celebrating a friend’s birthday and we couldn’t have picked a better place. A warm welcome and the choice of the patio or the main salon. We chose wisely with the table just opposite the Pass. My Tuna Tartare was light, beautifully pink and the sesame seeds and soy sauce dressing as fresh as anything I’ve had in weeks. The Beef Fillet was cooked to perfection - mine was rare and a companion’s was medium. Definitely identifiable in comparison. The blue cheese sauce and the Dauphinoise compliment it perfectly. I chose the lemon sorbet which was “perfumed” in an extraordinary way. Dramatic, almost! I won’t spoil the surprise. Attentive and knowledgeable staff, a simple but stylish decor and a fantastic atmosphere made this a special dinner. An interesting and thoughtful touch - between each table they have placed pots with ferns providing just the right level of privacy from your neighbours. The most exciting part of the evening was a surprise cabaret turn by the owner’s sister in law. A fine voice and a spirited performance of a couple of French songs à La Piaf. Magical! Faro is lucky to have such an idiosyncratic intimate venue....