Mósse! — Restaurant in Olhão

I first visited Mósse while on holiday with family and friends in the area, and returned almost every day to sample their wonderful myriad of dishes and wine (and delightful service!) for 10 days before heading back to England!

The restaurant had only been open for just over a month when I visited, but as far as I could tell, it had already managed to win a good selection of faithful diners, both local (which is always a great sign!) and tourists. The place itself is wonderfully decorated, hinting at the exotic mixing pot of culture inheritance of the area, which is reflected in the cuisine as well.

The menu immediately makes you want to stay, with an exquisite variety of dishes, many traditional Portuguese delicacies, other with influences from around the world - French cuisine, Arabian flavours, you name it!

The staff was superbly friendly and helpful, and have obviously ostensibly sampled the chef’s creations, as they were able to make recommendations based on their personal preferences and experiences of the dishes. They were also pretty well versed on the wine menu, so I ended trying some fine pairings to my meals!

The food itself never failed to impress and surprise! Each single course was beautifully crafted and the symphony of flavours, textures and presentation is nothing short of outstanding! A true exquisite culinary experience! As a fish and seafood lover myself, the tigers prawns in coffee vinaigrette became a firm favourite, as well as the chef’s Bacalhau Mosse and the Xarem (a traditional local dish of seafood and polenta that is absolutely devine!). The different vol-au-vent on the menu are definitely worth a try, and among the best I’ve ever sampled. The sirloin steaks were cooked to perfection and the sauces a treat to the tastebuds (though not sure for the heart! ), strongly recommend the beer sauce. The pork cheeks are to die for (in conversation with a local lady who apparently is a fan of the dish and has had it in restaurants all over the country, I was told they were the best she’d ever had!) The desserts were perfectly irresistible! Some are Olhao’s local delicacies (Morgado, a fig or almond and egg tart, is gorgeous!) others are traditionally Portuguese and made in house by the chef’s mother, and they are worth their weight in gold...! I usually try to avoid such indulgences on my day to day life, for health’s sake, but how could I resist? Her velvety egg pudding melt in the mouth, and your tastebuds and your brain pleasure centre will be eternally grateful for the coffee and biscuit cake experience! Specially accompanied by a lovey espresso and one of Mosse’s superb Port wines!

All in all, a truly unparalleled, perfect experience. The only downside is that Mósse is not just down the road from mine! On the other hand, I’ll be happy to have this gem of a restaurant to look forward to on my next visit to that lovely country.

If you find yourself in the Algarve, do pay it a visit. You’ll be glad you did.

Sorry I didn’t get the best pics (and none of the exquisitely presented desserts!), but the wonderful smells and presentation tingling my excitement to sample the dishes made me completely neglect to do so! oh well...! You’ll just have to go and see...

While passing at lunchtime a couple eating there recommended it so we booked for dinner. The staff couldn't have been nicer. Attentive, friendly and efficient. We all decided to have steak for a change and being fussy about my steak I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy one of the best steaks I have ever tasted. The house wine complimented the food and was very reasonable. The dark and white chocolate mousse was perfectly light and amazing. My only gripe was that there was no cognac to enjoy with my coffee but was offered what I guessed was a local brandy. It was OK but at €10 a shot it was by far the most expensive drink I have had here. No comparison with a nice Remy Martin VSOP which I have seen for around €6 or €7. Our bottle of wine was only €12!! Nevertheless I would return here in a heartbeat. A superb meal, with great service, and...

What fantastic food. I had anchovies, very fresh , lovely vinaigrette, good bread. My husband had a beautifully presented octopus salad, tasty . We had grilled prawns with a coffee vinaigrette. Large prawns - you just had to get dirty and use your fingers- and they were also tasty. We don't usually have desserts, but the Portugese coffee cake and the semi - freddo were superb. The owner didn't have the wine we chose but gave us a dearer bottle at the same price! Best meal we had in Olhao, tons better than Cha Cha Cha, and about...