Chefe João — Restaurant in Portimão

We love this restaurant; we really looked forward to coming back here this summer. It’s a fresh fish and seafood lovers paradise and provides very authentic Portugese food at great value prices. It’s our favourite restaurant in Alvor (this is our sixth visit to this area).

We love the freshly grilled fish (esp the sea bass - which is huge, delicious and perfectly cooked). We also really like the king prawn kebabs - the prawns are fresh and tasty. Another favourite of ours is the monkfish rice (which also featured prawns) and is so fresh, rich, perfectly cooked and full of flavour. It’s served in a simple, quaint, silver metal pot. For pudding we recommend avó (Grandma’s) homemade chocolate mouse. It’s different to English versions: more silky, fluid, rich and decadent.

The whole restaurant is very sweet, rustic and simple for those who like the traditional authentic experience, with blue tiled walls and paper table cloths. It’s a family run restaurant that has been around for 30 years and this is a huge part of its charm.

The service is also outstanding. We were made to feel so welcome and at home. Thank you Chef João and familia. We’ll be back soon - probably tomorrow if we can...

Not fresh, not delicious, service is just ok. They didn’t have some dishes available, and the waiter didn’t know it when he took the order, just informed us after. Fish soup was overcooked, overheated, sour and too sticky, with melt bread. Salad they served by micro portions,maybe the cook forgets what is it salada mista? Because they lost some ingredients. And it for 4 euros, really? I know that I’m in the resort for tourists, but it’s still Portugal and Portuguese restaurant, with Portuguese name of the chef. When I said to the waiter that the food was not good, he was saying: Okay. No, guys, it wasn’t okay: your food, price, space, service and special the kitchen space. I’m not sure of on Algarve exist HISA, but this kitchen needs this visit ASAP. They are not taking multibanco, because they are not paying taxes from their business. They bring to the tables the fake bills for payment. Don’t recommend any one to stay them money for this type of the business. Shame and ignorance...

EXPERIENCIA INOLVIDABLE… PARA MAL. Tenía buenas referencias pero ni pudimos comprobar qué tal se cena. Día de verano, 2 adultos y un niño de 1 año, llamamos para reservar porque ya nos habían avisado que toda la zona se pone imposible si es fin de semana… NOS CONFIRMAN mesa en terraza porque queremos molestar lo menos posible y dentro las mesas están tan apretadas que el carrito ni entra por pequeño que sea. Llegamos 5 minutos antes de la hora de la reserva y justo en las 2 mesas de fuera hay una pareja a la que acaban de servir los segundos y otra que se acaba de sentar y está comiendo un poco del típico pan con mantequilla tan rico que ponen en Portugal… ¡les acaban de sentar! Nos atiende un chico que no sabe dónde meterse ni a dónde mirar y una mujer gritando desde el fondo del pequeño restaurante (no sabía que entendemos portugués) diciendo a su compañero que “o dentro o nada, que nos busquemos la vida y que se habían olvidado de nuestra reserva” que habíamos hecho 30 minutos antes.

Dentro no se podía ni meter el carro así que nos obligaron a irnos a buscarnos la vida, todo completo, dando vueltas durante 2 horas hasta que se vaciaron los restaurantes y uno que cerraba algo más tarde de la habitual se quedó con una mesa libre. Nuestro hijo de 1 año con hambre y llorando hasta que no pudimos más terminó cenando un helado porque era lo único que podíamos conseguir…

NO SE LO RECOMIENDO A NADIE, no por servicio ni por comida (que ni lo probamos)… sino por evitar una experiencia que te DESTROCE el día...