Casinha do Petisco — Restaurant in Lagos

We have been trying to get a table at Casinha do Petisco for 3 days in a row at the end of August 2023.

First and second time around we decided to give up as the waitress outside told us it would take 1.5/2h to get in (no reservation taken in advance). Third time we made it to the place way ahead of time as we wanted to try it absolutely before leaving to go back home, given the stellar reviews. Even though no line was in sight, we were still told that a wait of 2 hours was to be expected: we doubted and called the bluff and were right about it, as after 15 minutes we were in.

Notwithstanding this pretty long initial section, here’s the food, service and price bits:

1. Food: average quality. Mind you: not great as reviews suggest, but not bad as the tourist traps around would give you. We got a “couvert” of olives and bread, plus a cataplana of the house (seafood and pork). See picture attached for the cataplana view. Olives were not good and bread not so different from other average places we have been to. Cataplana was a bit of a disappointment, not because it was bad (even though there was too much pork, and the sauce was too creamy and not red enough, implying not many prawns have been used..) but because we would have expected something outstanding out of a 4.7-rated restaurant at the time of visit. Side of rice and fries was served as well: fries were bad (seemed old ones which had been fried once again), rice was ok. I would have appreciated a full rice side, as fries were not relevant for this dish (and actually forced us to ask for another side of rice, which we paid for).

2. Service: overall the staff at the venue was very kind, absolutely gentle and well-mannered. You can see that they love what they do and they genuinely care about customers being happy. However the waitress forgot to bring water, dishes and forks to our table. Finally, and most importantly, no card payment is accepted. While apparently it was well advertised on the front door (my bad I did not see), I believe this may be a heavy downside for the place, especially for international (ex-EU) tourists who may pay high withdrawal fees at ATMs.

3. Price: we paid less than 65€ for what I mentioned (plus a half bottle of white wine which was about 10€). Overall very fair, especially considering the Algarve standards (average price for a good meal for 2 people, including a glass of wine, can go up to 100-120€), so nothing to say here if not good stuff.

Overall, I would say that the main pro of this restaurant is the exceptional value for money they have: you step in, eat your fill, pay an honest amount of money and leave. However, for a c. 20-30€ more in total, I believe you can eat way better and with a way higher service level in some not-so-touristy restaurants around (Azimute was a good revelation to this extent).

In any case, kudos to the family running...

Utterly disrespectful service and Unacceptable Behaviour.

We arrived at 5:50pm to put our name down on the list. There was a French couple right before us and I overheard they got a table at 7pm. When it was our turn we were told the next table won't be available until at least 8:30, I asked to confirm and the girl taking the list said they just had the one table at 7pm, which was fine as I know they are very popular and was prepared for a wait.

However things took a shocking turn when we returned around 8pm. We happened to see the French couple finish their meal so naturally I assumed we'll be the next table of 2. After seeing 2 other couples getting called in, I approached the same waitress that managed the list, she just said she was following the list, but her response didn't explain how the others could come between the French couple and us. After I repeated my question for vlsrity, the girl all of a sudden slammed the book on the table, rolled her eyes, walked away and started rambling in Portuguese to another male waiter. The waiter stepped in so I explained the situation to him, he eventually explained the French couple got their table because someone called in to cancel a reservation right when they showed up. During all of this, the girl continued ranting in Portuguese while raising her voice. I thanked the male waitor for explaining, and told him the girl was very rude, she should not be treating customers this way, and asked for an apology. The girl kept her attitude and the male waitor was being dismissive about it. Instead of resolving the situation, the girl escalated things further by calling me "dumb" in English for questioning the process, god knows what other awful things she's been saying in Portuguese. Another older lady came with a negative gesture, and the next thing I saw was a very big guy storming out of the kitchen and yelling aggressively to my face in Portuguese. This is when I realized I was a female all alone and being mobbed by a family of bullies. At this point my partner noticed the altercation, he came in and heard me repeating what the girl had called me, when he asked the male waiter about it, the waiter essentially threatened him by suggesting a fight. At this point, we left immediately, not wanting to engage in such outrageous and hostile behavior.

I’ve never encountered such disrespectful service. What started as a simple request for clarification ended in an experience where we were verbally attacked, insulted, and threatened. I would strongly advise others to avoid this place if you expect to be treated with...

It is totally mandatory to go to this restaurant, otherwise you will be leaving Lagos without experiencing the best portuguese cuisine available. TIPS: I tried to eat there and I waited an hour, I was so hungry after swimming all day that I had to go to another place, so every time you want to eat here, go at 6pm to make a reservation, reservations are done the same day, they open at 6pm, and the reservation period is from 6 to 7pm, so I went at 6:40pm and I made a reservation, however, it is basically a first come, first served basis, so you put your name in their notebook and then they tell you around what time you could come so you do not wait that much. I came back after 50 minutes, I waited 10 minutes and I finally got in, the prices are fair but the dishes are HUGE, you can see them in my pictures, I also added a picture of the amount of people that line up outside to try to enter and they just wait for over an hour to get a table, the place is SUPER BUSY all the time, so just go, put your name from 6 to 7 and just wait until you get a table, however, the food is absolutely delicious, I ordered Turkey steak with mushrooms and it comes with potatoes and rice, super tasty but HUGE, I finished it all and my girlfriend asked for grilled sea bass, it was really good, though we had a hard time finishing everything but we did it and we survived, so the trick was to just ask for one beer instead of more things to drink to have some space, recommendation for people who do not eat a lot, just get one dish and you can share, it will definitely be enough for two people. I added the pictures of the menu that is outside of the restaurant so that you can see the prices, and for the amount of food you get, it will be the best restaurant in Lagos, in terms of quality and quantity of food for the price, another thing, everything that you want to add has a price, like bread, butter, so avoid asking for more stuff, if your dish comes with rice and potatoes, forget about asking for bread, and you will avoid to pay more for not finishing the meal, the environment is good and I guess the restaurant is run by a family, that is why it is small but tasty and totally...