Don Carvoeiro — Restaurant in Lagoa

I can’t remember having a bad experience like this, which is a shame for such a nice place. Terrible terrible waiter, the short guy with the earring and his hair shaved on the sides. We were here on 29-07-2023 with a reservation for 6 people. From the moment we stept foot in the restaurant, we didn’t feel welcome. The waiter seemed stressed. Whenever you asked him something he would just lean forward without looking at you and then walk off without saying anything.

Then things got weird. My my mom asked the waiter for some piri piri sauce. Without saying anything he walked to the kitchen, came back with a big bottle, splashed her whole plate full of piri piri sauce and said “is this enough for you?”. It was very rude, but we thought it might be a language mistake. He forgot my stephdad’s dish, but gave him a free wine.

Then, when my mom wanted to pay by card. We wanted to tip, but waiter didn’t want tip by card because he said it’s going to his boss. Fair enough, so my stephdad gave him €20 cash and asked for €5 back. My mom asked him for some help with the machine (because the machine is in Portuguese), he said “Jesus Christ, press one”. Honestly, we were shocked???. When my mom asked him; “why did you say Jesus Christ? I only needed help with the machine” he said “because I’m busy ok” en he threw the €20 back at us and said he didn’t want the money and then he walked off. Never in my life have we been treated like this, ever. It was so obvious that even the table next to us were shocked. I usually never write reviews this long, but I wanted to explain everything. Shame for a beautiful place like that. Food was mediocre. Go there for the beautiful view, not for the food (food was mediocre and therefore overpriced but you pay for the view) and definitely NOT for the service. We have a summer house in the Algarve and come to this place quite often, but this was definitely the...

AVOID IF YOU WANT AN ENJOYABLE DINING EXPERIENCE TOGETHER.

We visited here as a family of 10 (5 Adults, 5 Children) When arriving the greeter struggled to find the booking and kept reeling off names of other parties but we got there in the end.

We ordered, the view was great and all seemed to be going well.

The kids meals were brought out relatively promptly which seemed promising that the adults food would follow. But 4 of the adults meals did not until about 90mins after we had ordered (there was no mention of long delays when we booked or arrived or even when the kids food came out) By this time the kids had eaten and we're tired and restless. The meal pizza that was requested without cheese for a vegan came out with cheese on so had to be remade. The Golden Bream I ordered did not seem to be arriving so I asked what was happening and if it had even been cooked....which it had not. While all this was going on another table of 10 stormed out without paying as they had waited 90 mins and when expressing their dissatisfaction they were told to "just eat it".

We asked for a reduction in our bill for the errors which was declined.

We were then presented with another tables bill in error.

In short. We eat over 3 separate sittings, (kids, 3 adults, Vegan) and one of us left the restaurant famished. Exceptionally poorly run and to avoid...

Appalling red raw chicken sent back twice and owner Paula said I don't care people like frozen chips and the chicken is medium rare

This is my first negative review. I took my partner and mother for lunch to Tia Ilda in Carvoeiro. Lovely view and location. We were very surprised that the place was empty. We ordered chicken peri-peri and bacalhao com Natas (cod fish on cream sauce)The chicken was served raw with frozen chips and the fish was bland and still frozen in the middle. We raised this to Paula the owner expecting an apology. She said that foreigners prefer frozen fries and that there was no point of serving salad which people would often leave behind?! This was a €14 plate of chicken and chips and €20 plate of cod fish. We send the chicken back to be properly cooked but after another 10mins in the barbecue the little chickens off cuts still tasted over salted and chewy. We said we had sent it back twice. An apology would have helped but this restaurant owner just decided that it has really no point addressing the complaint and saying that "well, it often happens" and just walked away pretending that she need to take a important phone call. Maybe a fresh complaint.!? Surely fresher that the food served!! Sorry for the front house staff who felt very...