Al Dente — Restaurant in Portimão

A Truly Wonderful Family Dining Experience at Al Dente in Alvor!

Our recent visit to Al Dente in Alvor was an absolute delight from start to finish, and we can't recommend it highly enough for families! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, striking the perfect balance between relaxed and special.

The food was simply lovely. As adults, we savored every bite of our perfectly prepared dishes – the pasta was fresh and flavourful, and the ingredients tasted incredibly authentic. What truly impressed us was how well they catered to our kids. Our 15-year-old son, who can be a discerning eater, found his meal absolutely delicious, and our 12-year-old daughter was equally thrilled with her choice. There was something genuinely appealing for everyone, which made the whole dining experience so enjoyable and stress-free.

The drinks menu was a huge hit too! For us adults, the cocktails were expertly mixed and a fantastic way to unwind. But the real stars for the kids were the mocktails. They were vibrant, refreshing, and felt just as special as our grown-up drinks, making them feel included and pampered. It's rare to find a place that puts such thought into non-alcoholic options, and it truly made their evening.

The service was attentive and friendly, making us feel genuinely welcome and ensuring all our needs were met without being intrusive.

Al Dente isn't just a meal; it's an experience. If you're in Alvor with your family and looking for delicious food, fantastic drinks, and a welcoming atmosphere, make sure to visit Al Dente - Pre booking is advisable ! . We're already looking forward to...

A pretty solid Italian restaurant in Alvor offering high-quality dishes done with more authenticity than many other Italian restaurants in the area.

We came into Al Dente for lunch, quite randomly as I was craving pizza. We've always seen it busy around dinner, and sometimes at lunch, but never bothered to go in. As we drove by, it seemed quite quiet and there was easy parking, so we thought, why not?

It's a very pleasant restaurant. The interior is airy and bright with natural light and views of trees and gardens outdoors. It's almost like being outside but without any of the wind, bugs, or blinding sun.

The food was surprisingly good. I am so used to mediocre, if not barely passable Italian fare in the Algarve. Possibly, they have the best presunto I've had so far living here. It is 12-year-aged, and absolutely perfect. This country has a lot of presunto everywhere but this place is the best. Gorgeous burrata as well. The creaminess was ideal.

The pasta was cooked perfectly as well, with a lot of fresh flavour. I loved the texture and taste of the noodles. It may not look like a lot in a photo or on a plate, but it was very filling and so much so that I had to get the rest to take away.

The fish dish was a little disappointing as it was rather bland, but most people don't come to pasta restaurants for grilled or pan-fried fish. The hashbrowns were a bit strange, I will say. Not the most refined dish.

Service started out well, but got a bit strange near the end and one of the servers was a bit brusque. Otherwise, it was good.

Overall, a nice surprise and...

Appears to be shut just now with that not very helpful sign ‘closed for holidays’ on the door. How long will the holidays last? Went across the road to the Indian restaurant.

Back in Alvor a year later (Nov 2021) and Al Dente has reopened, and it is much smarter inside, good flooring and lighting. We are shown to a table by the window with a 2 seater couch and a single chair. Couch looks good but it’s low so partner has to sit on a cushion and then there is no back support - they really aren’t great if you are eating, ok if you are just relaxing with a drink. So, to the food: good starter shared between us with lovely pesto , ok olive oil, poor tomato. She has pasta and prawns, wants white wine - I wanted a pizza with red wine, I give in and order rice with prawns and mushrooms. Big mistake: prawns light seafoody, mushrooms earthy, they don’t complement each other - mushrooms dominate, prawns are rubbery, don’t think they should be on the same plate together. Her prawns come with shells on so at the end she has sticky hands - other restaurants would provide a bowl of warm water or those small prepackaged towels to clean your fingers but nothing here. For the price this is a disappointing meal, albeit in better surroundings than there were before. Not sure we will be back...