Ammar i Mar - Restaurante & Cocktail Bar — Restaurant in Olhão

Disappointing experience – good food, but we were treated like second-class guests.

The food was genuinely good – but the way we were treated left a bitter taste.

The restaurant was full, and since we didn’t have a reservation, we were seated outside, at a table noticeably isolated from the other guests. That was fine at first – but the way it was handled was not. From the moment we arrived, the staff avoided eye contact, barely acknowledged us, and seemed visibly annoyed by our presence. We were handed menus – but no drinks menu.

We ordered a few tapas: oysters, salmon tacos, sashimi, tuna tataki and garlic prawns. The dishes arrived one after the other, which would have been fine if the order had made sense. The salmon tacos were absolutely delicious – probably the highlight of the evening.

Then came the garlic prawns in a rich tomato sauce – a heavy dish that felt oddly timed, especially before the sashimi. The sashimi arrived without soy sauce, chopsticks, or a clean plate. I had to wait and flag someone down just to get the basics. The fish itself was excellent, but the soy sauce was so watered down it ruined the overall experience. The tuna taxation was a little dry and had too much sesame.

Finally, the oysters arrived – with no cutlery. We had to use the large forks from the tomato sauce dish to try to loosen them from the shells.

Throughout the evening, we felt completely overlooked and unwelcome. Other tables were being treated with care and attention – meanwhile, we were left waiting, guessing, and improvising. It felt as though we simply didn’t matter.

This was my last day in Olhão, after a trip filled with warmth, kindness, and beautiful moments. Sadly, this dinner was the only time I felt like an outsider – not because of the food, but because of the service. I wish I had never entered that...

The food is all excellent but this place is let down by the service, least attentive we’ve experienced so far.

Fish is all very fresh, sushi and other dishes we ordered were very tasty and reasonably priced. Drinks and cocktails were also nice. Would dine here but just be aware of the lack of service before you arrive so it’s not a surprise.

My feedback to the owner is that based on our experience yesterday, all the staff do is deliver your meals - no one checks in to see if you need anything, perhaps another drink, is everything ok with your food, or to order something else. We were also kept waiting when we arrived as no one seemed to want to ask us if we had a reservation or otherwise, for about 4/5 minutes. This was despite us trying to ask / enquire with every staff member who walked past. When you compare this to every other restaurant we’ve been to this week where the staff are attentive, friendly and check in at every course, it’s...

For health reasons I cannot eat raw fish unless it has been previously frozen to kill any potential parasite. Also, as far as I had understood sushi restaurants should freeze their fish before serving it fresh for health and safety reasons. I asked the waiter if they freeze the raw fish (just to make sure) and he seemed to get even offended. He said that absolutely not, they only serve fresh fish. I asked him what about parasites like anisakis and he said that they serve their sushi with wasabi and ginger to kill this kind of parasites… On top of that the place is overpriced for what it is - the food is nothing special but the prices are high compared to other restaurants in the area. I would definitely not...