Ceiceira Tasting Lounge — Restaurant in Monchique

We were really looking forward to the announced "first annual Shrimp & Crawfish Boil" at the Ceiceira Tasting Lounge last Sunday. Unfortunately, it was a big disappointment. Not only did we have to wait a long time to order, but the food, which was also served very late, was rather mediocre.

_We ordered 2x seafood boil for the three of us and 1x pulled pork. _The seafood was served in 2 aluminium bowls (I usually get those when I ask for a doggy bag in a restaurant) instead of on "real" china - sorry, but that's not acceptable! Especially not in a restaurant that claims a certain ambience and style. _We were only given plates on extra request. Perhaps we should have eaten out of the aluminium bowls, but as we had ordered 2 portions for 3, this was difficult to manage... _As the service seemed to be completely overwhelmed, it took quite some time until the request for plates was possible at all. _Many of the potatoes in the seafood boil were hard, i.e. undercooked. _The seafood itself, including the sausages and the sauce served with it, were ok, as were the hush puppies. _The cheddar garlic biscuits, on the other hand, tasted neither of cheddar nor of garlic. _The pulled pork was not served at all, but nevertheless was on the bill. We didn't complain about it, though, for two reasons: It was already well past 3pm (the whole event started at 12.30) and we just wanted to leave. Secondly 3 glasses of wine we had did not appear on the bill and that might have been the price of the pulled pork. _Conversation at the table and also with the service was practically impossible, as the live music was too loud. We had expected more "background music" - so that may have been our "mistake". _The decoration wasn't really present: no tablecloths or at least place mats, as mentioned no plates or glasses, the cutlery came wrapped in paper napkins. That may be enough for a "normal" pub, but here: a no-go! _All this is not compensated for by offering a digestif for free (which we didn't accept) when cashing up. The explanation for this extra was also incomprehensible because of the loud music. I heard something astrological, but I wouldn't put my hand in it. _Fine is the idea of having three small glasses of different white wines on the menu for 9 euros to taste, although the explanations of the wines remained rather incomprehensible due to the loud music mentioned above.

It's a pity. The restaurant is in a good location at the beginning of the road to Foia, with a beautiful view over Monchique. But the only conclusion...

A harrowing drive (according to my wife) was made worthwhile with this find. Nestled in the mountainside, just above Monchique, is a true epicurean destination. Their menu is creatively imagined with an offering for practically every palette. This being our first time here, we ordered 3 starters to share: The Green Goat, The Bang Bang Shrimp and Calamari, and The Pulled Pig Stuffed Potatoes. Each one was as delicious as the last. The pork was moist and slightly smokey with a slight sweetness, piled on half of a small potato and topped with a dollop of sour cream (or crême fraiche) with chives and cheddar cheese. Yum. The fried green tomatoes had a light breading and were nicely browned with being oily. The Cajun remoulade was set off by the goat cheese crumbles. Not being a fan of arugula, my Bride picked up my slack and enjoyed that part of the dish. Finally (not really), we enjoyed the Bang Bang course. This double bang is courtesy of some thinly sliced, candied piri-piri peppers sprinkled throughout the dish. Being a fan of spicy peppers, I loved this dish. It would be easy enough to eat around these lovely bits of fire if you are not as enthusiastic about a lovely burn as I am. It was the perfect amount for lunch. Except, we still had half a bottle of wine. Hmmm. Well, the cheese platter was the obvious choice. It arrived with some small toasts and two delicious pots of pepper jam. One green jalapeno and one red piri-piri. Again, right up my alley. We enjoyed the cheese trio of cow, goat, and sheep cheeses. And it was the right amount to enjoy the remaining wine. And the wine. We asked for a recommendation for both the food and the wine. He confirmed our food choices without being prompted about what we were interested in trying. He also hit the red we were considering. It was very nice, even though the label said it " may throw some sediment." Thankfully, our bottle was well behaved and our clothes remained clean. If the food wasn't enough to draw you to the Ceiceira Tasting Lounge, the scenery may well complete the temptation. Be sure to sit in the glass walled room near a window overlooking Monchique and the surrounding mountains. I cannot recommend this establishment enough. We will...

My husband and I were enjoying all of the fantastic local Portuguese food in the beautiful mountain village of Monchique. We felt like something more familiar after two weeks of fabulous local food. By chance, we decided to pull off the road to give Ceiceira a chance. We looked the restaurant up online before we entered, and to our surprise, the restaurant specialized in Southe US cooking and locally produced wines. Intrigued, we entered the main part of the restaurant, It was large, clean, and tastefully decorated. On one side were tables, and on the other was a wine-tasting counter. A friendly server approached and immediately seated us in the patio area. The patio was equally nice, with some high-top tables and informal lounge-style seating. The restaurant is beautiful inside, but the view is spectacular. You can see the entire village of Monchique(it is a postcard-perfect picture). In the background was American Country Music played at a reasonable volume.

The extensive menu contained some tasty Southern US choices, such as battered/fried chicken and waffles. If this is not your thing, there are plenty of traditional Portuguese items as well as items that may appeal to the many Brits who frequent the area. The owners, a husband(British) and wife(Alabama) team came out to introduce themselves. They explained that their menu is evolving to appeal to a wider range of customers. They told us that they produce much of their wines on-site and are in the process of planting their own vineyards. The fried chicken, marinated Brussels sprouts, and devilled eggs were delicious. Ceiceira was a truly unexpected delight and one of our most memorable dining experiences. #SouthernUSCooking, #Romanticwithaview, #greatfoodwineandservice, #amazingviewofMonchique,...