O Lavrador — Restaurant in Loulé

Great restaurant, AMAZING food. We were with 7 people, and all loved the food! We had an amazing dinner, it was even better than the lunch! This are the dishes we had, and they were all great!!

STARTERS

Roast Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut, Lime Leaf and Chilli (vg/gf)4.5

Charred Baby Gem Lettuce with Vegan Feta Cheese and Tomato Gazpacho (vg/gf)9

Algarvian Yellow Avocado, Beetroot and Walnut Salad (vg/gf)8

Creamy Garlic Mussels on Toast with Prosecco, Leeks and Dill 10

Bruleed Goats Cheese, Roast Beetroot and Candied Honey Walnuts 9

King Prawn and Smoked Salmon Cocktail with Ouzo pickled Cucumber, Grapes and Almond, ‘Taramasalata’ Marie Rose 10

Twice Baked Souffle of Homegrown Peppers and ‘Queijo Ilha’, Chilli Jam 9.5

MAINS

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with Potato Gnocchi and Vegan Feta Cheese, Rocket Salad (vg/gf)14

Sweet Potato and Beluga Lentil Pithivier, Sprouting Broccoli, Mushroom and Madeira Sauce (vg)15

Caramelised Cauliflower Risotto with Hazelnut, Pickled Grapes and Nutritional Yeast (vg/gf) 14

Braised Beef, Horseradish Creamed Potatoes, Carrots cooked in Tarragon Butter, Red Wine Liquor 19

Cajun Spiced Chicken Salad with Granny Smith Apple, Mango and Cashew Nuts, Sweet...

There with friends for a mid-afternoon lunch, and was surprised and pleased to have another good restaurant in our little area. My friend's sausage and browned onion jam sandwich was the clear winner, with the best sweet potato fries I've had this side of the States. My beef and mushroom pie had a very tasty filling, with nicely trimmed and browned beef and obviously well-browned mushrooms, which made for a great gravy. The crust, however, was thick and tasted like baking powder. It was difficult to tell if the chef was trying to go for a laminated crust - or a puff pastry top - hence the thickness - or a sort of biscuit topping. The fries and vegetables were perfectly prepared! So other than the crust of the pie, all of the food served was quite good. The music became a distraction when the short loop of songs being played came on for the fourth time in the hour we were there. It was a beautiful afternoon, yet the ambiance was not relaxing, and as such, it wasn't a fun eating experience. That was...

Upon entering O Labrador we were immediately enthralled with the purposeful rural / agriculture decor . Having said that the white linen tablecloths and the generous spacing of tables give it a quiet, not stuffy elegance . The huge hearth with its glowing embers adds tremendously to the ambiance.

On our first visit Sam, co-chef and co owner, welcomed us warmly and spent time filling us in on the history of the building before our sumptuous meal.

My wife had the perfectly cooked belly of pork and I enjoyed the Irish angus roast beef. Both came with a delicious, baked to perfection Yorkshire pudding. We were also treated to beautifully hot, al dente, green beans, carrots, cabbage and roasted potatoes; which in one review were described as “under cooked”. (Perhaps the menu at the “Golden Arches” might better suit that reviewer 😏)

This IS a real gem. We’ve eaten there twice and are looking forward to our...