austa — Restaurant in Loulé

I don’t like writing reviews that aren’t five stars, but I feel giving feedback that is constructive is important and might help to improve certain aspects of the experience.

Yesterday was my second time having dinner at Austa. The first time was Feb 2024, it was an overall great experience, which is why I decided to come back with my husband.

Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing in terms of certain aspects as Austa is a higher price point and I do expect certain things.

The location, design and concept of Austa are very special and I would definitely recommend going there even if just for the design and atmosphere. It’s really beautiful.

However, the food was a bit disappointing, too many confusing layers of flavours that were contrasting each other. It did not feel harmonious to us.

I would like to point out that taste and food preferences are very personal and will be different for different people. So, this is only my personal opinion.

However, what I do expect in terms of service is a geniuine interest in the satisfaction of the customer. Not once were we asked if we liked the food or the wine. Providing an experience is an important aspect and I feel that it was missing that night.

Another aspect that was a bit off-putting was the fact that we were charged for a tea spoon of olive oil for our couvert when we asked the waitress to provide more olive oil. I have never experienced something like that and although I understand that it is a business, I find this is totally unnecessary and just feels “greedy”. In the end, it’s 2-3 euros, but the after taste that this leaves with me is very negative.

The last thing that I would like to point out is the wording that is used through out the menu, and communication. I do feel that it is a bit intrusive to tell people how many plates they should order and that bread and desert is not part of the recommended plates. I think we are all adults and can decide for ourselves. I don’t need someone to tell me what is a plate to share and what is not. Again, to me it feels “greedy” and unnecessary. It would be way less intrusive if the staff would make a recommendation instead of putting that in writing. The same goes for the “optional” tip, which I find unusual. I am happy to leave an even bigger tip if it’s not charged automatically.

Unfortunately, our experience was a negative one, which has nothing to do with the overall location, the friendliness of the staff or the concept. It’s the very subtle between the lines things that were a bit disappointing.

If you like to spend a beautiful evening at a superb location, I can really...

My recent visit to Austa was a mixed experience, to say the least. While the seating and grounds were pleasant and provided a nice area to explore and enjoy, the food was a significant letdown for a farm-to-table establishment.

We started with high hopes, especially with expectations from dishes like sourdough and carrot cake, which did manage to meet the mark. However, the rest of the meal was underwhelming. We ordered the picanha steak, which turned out to be extremely rubbery and entirely inedible. We immediately called our waiter to politely send it back, which they thanked us for our feedback, seemingly appreciative of the client’s perspective. They even asked us how the meal should have been prepared, which we thought was a good sign.

But the disappointment didn’t end there. When it came time to settle the bill, Emma, informed us that we would be charged 50% for the returned steak. This felt like a greedy move, especially considering we had only taken one bite. Despite the initial polite acknowledgment of our feedback, this left a sour taste in our mouths. Additionally, we did not feel entirely welcomed by Emma prior to delivering us our check, which added to our negative experience. On a positive note, the other co-owner, David, was nice and more welcoming.

Overall, none of the plates impressed us, and the charge for the inedible steak left us feeling disappointed. It seemed like a poor attempt to provide real-time feedback and genuinely improve their offerings. Unfortunately, Austa did not live up to the expectations of a farm-to-table experience.

Edit: We did have a wonderful conversation prior to providing our feedback to the waiter, but after sending back the dish, nobody checked on us at our table. Emma dropped off the bill and rushed away quickly, and while we thanked her briefly for the service from our waiter, she hurried away. We felt that it fell short of the service we would expect for the price we paid. Once an issue is made aware to management, it would be nice for them to check in on the issue instead of rushing away. Had somebody checked in to chat with us, we would have provided our feedback in person. In good faith, I would have expected the plate to be removed from the bill. This is my feedback to the restaurant so that it does not happen to...

It took me a while before I started to write this review. I didn’t want to be unfair. I very often like to experience new concepts and I don’t mind chasing after specific spot - even if it requires to travel a few kilometers - to try something new. That was exactly what happened with Austa: I had this in the list of places to go. For starters the ambiance, surroundings and people that received us are exceptional. Since the beginning the feeling is that you’ll have a great journey of taste, perception and feeling. We chose to go for several dishes to share, as it’s the best way to go through the menu. We’ve been told that it changes almost everyday, while still there are some (very few) that remain. To match we went for a special white wine from Douro (Quinta do Romeu) served not too fresh. And it was just perfect. From the several dishes the one that still remains in my memory (and the one I definitely recommend to taste) was the sweet potato with a spicy sauce. And it was WOW. Writing this I am going again to that special place where my taste glands meet with the special tiny people living inside my brain and they are having a rave of flavors… The whole thing was exceptional, but I cannot be fair if I don’t point out two aspects that didn’t work well for me: one, is the way that foreign restaurants are importing non-Portuguese habits, like adding the tip (even if as optional) directly in the bill without asking prior to the customer. It just doesn’t feel right and the first impulse is to decline it. I guess it would work better to ask and then add it to the bill. I am sure the majority of the customers would not decline it and in the end the perception would be nicer; second, it was just a minor detail regarding the price of the bottle of wine. We were billed above the menu price, and again the perception is everything. For those two minor details I cannot give, being true and honest with myself, the 5 stars I believe they might deserve in the future. All in all, a place to let go, experience your senses and taste chef’s dishes. Re...