Restaurante A Galé — Restaurant in Lagoa

We didn't have a good experience at the overflow restaurant. When we got to the restaurant, because of its popularity it was full. The owner directed us to the restaurant over the road and told us that we could have the same menu as at A Gale. It was clear that others were also told to do the same. The other restaurant was too full and they couldn't cope with the demand. Service was very slow, we ended up having our bread starter with our main meal. The children's meals were nice, they had grilled chicken and chips but our meal were not great. My husband ordered sole in a cream and lemon sauce thinking it would be fresh fish. It was battered frozen fish with a thick creamy gloopy sauce- the batter was burnt. Mine was just a bad choice, I had the chicken peri peri which was on the bone and hardly had any chicken. There was no salad accompaniment just chips. When we told the wattress that the batter was burnt, she just said she would tell the chef. She apologised for the wait and seemed very nice but it was clear that they were not familiar with the a gale menu and it didn't work as an overflow restaurant. My advice, if it is full go back...

Just been to A Galé this evening. Ordered our starters which we stated we were going to share between the four of us and our main courses. I advised the waiter that my son had a nut allergy and were they 100% sure that what we ordered was nut free. I was assured it would be fine by the waiter. My 10 year old son had a little of each starter and within seconds had a reaction. They had put pesto into the cream sauce with scallops. Luckily we were able to give him piriton immediately which he carries with him all the time along with an EpiPen.

When we decided to leave because we could not eat due to the upset and no guarantee of no nuts, the owner was so difficult and insulting say if it was her son she would never take him out to eat and trying to charge us in full for the starters and main course which we did not eat.

We are now back in our accommodation with my son sick from having eaten a starter that was to be nut free but very relieved that the situation wasn't much worse.

Avoid at...

Cannot rate this place highly enough, been coming here for over 20 years I think. It's always our first port of call when in Carvoiero for our evening meal. I always order the Dover Sole which is always cooked on the bone to perfection. To start with though we always enjoy the hot rolls with the sardine paste, garlic butter and delicious cheese. I never have a starter normally as I find it detracts from a savoury main course but in this case I always make an exception. The gentleman in charge..who's name I always forget (sorry...approaching 60), the owner I presume is always really nice and nothing us too much trouble. He remembered us even though we haven't been able to come here for three years. I finished off with a salted caramel Cheesecake whilst my wife finished off the cheese. All in all a superb way to start a break in Portugal...and will return several times during our stay. We would like to thank all the staff front of house and kitchen for making our meal yet another...