Pani resturant — Restaurant in Lagoa

I am not sure how this restaurant is not the best in Carvoeiro as it simply deserves to be. Walking up the hill to the right of the beach, just past Don Carvoeiro, you are greeted with an elegant and peaceful exterior of Pani.

A warm friendly greeting awaits as you enter and begin to enjoy the pleasant smells of the food cooking in the kitchen on this level.

Up a flight of stairs and you are on the first dining floor of the restaurant. This is where there are immaculate toilets and disabled access through a small back door typically reserved for restaurant staff.

One more floor up and the top floor boasts wonderful views over the Carvoeiro beach under the comfort of a sunshade. The tables are clean and beautifully whilst simply presented.

Immediately upon sitting down we were greeted by our server who took our drinks order that promptly arrived. Throughout the meal they were attentive and kept our drinks topped up and table clear.

For our meal we ordered a selection of dishes and Naan breads. Each was exceptional.

The dishes arrived in their own pot with candle underneath that keeps the dish warm as you take your time to enjoy the meal. The Naan bread we ordered (Garlic and Cheese) was unlike any Naan I have had previously. Thin, almost like a Piadina, and filled throughout with cheese these were incredible.

The Lamb dishes were incredible. Not fatty or tough but instead melt in the mouth and delicious. The menu is split into sections and each of the dishes can be customised to your preference of spice, just ask for it.

We had a delightful meal and the combination of service, location, and food easily makes this the best Indian restaurant you will ever eat at....

Went here tonight for my wife’s birthday (which I mentioned when booking, but was not acknowledged). I’ll start by saying the food was excellent, as was the atmosphere on the top floor patio. Unfortunately, the service was some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. Our server was either generally a jerk or having an extremely bad day. He was disinterested throughout, seemed annoyed to answer questions about the menu and when the food was set down, said nothing about which dish was was which, despite the fact that everyone ordered different items, yet the food was presented for sharing.

Then, when the bill came we had a question about an item we thought we didn’t receive. We actually said it was fine, but he insisted on making sure it was right. I was pleasantly surprised and thought he had maybe redeemed himself. Until he returned to the table and rudely insisted he had put everything on the table and it was correct. The simple mistake was that one of the 2 naan orders was a cheese naan and we didn’t realize the cheese would not be visible but instead was stuffed (which we still didn’t see). Without me questioning it, he proceeded to reassert his insistence that he had served us accurately and we were in the wrong.

What easily could have been a 5 star experience if not our best in Portugal instead was a disaster thanks to one exceptionally unprofessional server....

We travelled 20 km with family for dinner at Pani, but it turned out to be one of the worst dining experiences we’ve ever had. The man who seemed to be the owner had absolutely no manners.

While taking our order, he kept pushing us to order more food. We already ordered 4–5 starters, 3 main courses, rice, and sides for 2 adults and 2 kids — clearly more than enough — but he rudely insisted that it wasn’t sufficient. When we said we could add later if needed, his reply was very dismissive and unpleasant.

Things only got worse during the meal. While we were still eating our starters, he came over and started taking away plates that were still full of salad. We literally had to stop him and take the plates back, telling him we were still eating. The whole time it felt like he wanted us to leave as soon as possible.

The entire experience was uncomfortable and disrespectful. Never in our lives have we encountered such rude service. If this man is the owner, he should probably consider another business where customer service and basic manners are not required. Definitely not a place we would ever return to...