O Quinto Império — Restaurant in Portimão

Surprisingly, when we tried this restaurant for dinner, there were only 2 other tables there. I don't understand why because it was a very solid meal, with a lot of attention to detail and flavour. And finally, some dishes that offered more than the same old stuff you find at every other Portuguese restaurant. It's still Portuguese food, but taken up a level for those looking for something different or a bit classier.

It's not quite true expensive fine dining, but it definitely is attempting to bring up the standard of food and the dining experience. Plating was creative and colorful, which really helped prime the tastebuds. (People eat first with their eyes, as the saying goes.)

There were a few items they didn't have, like the tacos, where they offered to do the same filling but on bread. That was really weird. A taco is a taco. Bread is not a suitable substitute. Otherwise, the starters were tasty. Fried octopus was cooked absolutely right and seasoned really nicely. Tigermilk whitefish ceviche was delightful and fresh. The mix of textures was so important, and worked excellent together. I was really impressed by the starters.

Mains were pretty decent. One of the best cooked steaks we've had here. Leitao (pork belly) was also carefully prepared and roasted to maintain both crunch and juicyness. A little heavy on the mash but lots of hearty sauce to compliment it.

We were hesitant about the passion fruit dessert as it has white chocolate, and neither of us are fans but honestly, it was also really well done. The often sickly sweet, synthetic taste of white chocolate wasn't found and it was a beautiful presentation and not overly sweet at all. Excellent dessert choice. The biggest weakness of the meal was the creme brulee which was over-cooked to the point the custard was scrambled and very dense, making it an unpleasant texture to eat. It was a shame, because otherwise, each item we had ordered was well made.

Service was professional. Prices were definitely reasonable for the quality and portion size. It was almost 5 stars for me. I think if I go again, it may hit that mark because it's very, very close.

And as a bonus, they have a parking lot! It's somewhat rare for restaurants to have this so it was much...

Parece complicada a denominação deste restaurante. Inspirado em obras como "A Mensagem" de Pessoa, os "Lusíadas" de Camões e imbuído pelo espírito aventureiro característico da nossa Lusitana, emerge uma descoberta pelos sabores de um império esquecido, outrora conquistado e encontrado aquém e além-mar.

Tudo isto vem a propósito do restaurante Quinto Império, propriedade de José Pinhota Nunes, que visitámos com amigos e Confrades. Uma viagem cultural em conjunto com uma combinação de sabores oriundos da nossa história que nos completam e transportam para além do tempo e do espaço.

Restaurante bem dimensionado, elegante, sendo um espaço que transmite tranquilidade e com uma garrafeira diversificada e de qualidade, assegurada pelo Rui Sousa, gerente do restaurante. No restaurante Quinto Império temos ao almoço "menus especiais da semana" ao preço de 12,50€ e à noite um serviço à carta com pratos de Autor, excelentes para partilhar.

Depois de arranjada mesa, dado que era jantar, foi-nos dada a carta para escolhermos o que partilhar.

Começámos por Taco de porco desfiado, com pickles de maçã e aioli de paprika, bem apaladado acolitado pelo porco e onde os pickles tinham papel importante, o de cortar a gordura do dito. Gostei! Avançámos para uns Camarões salteados com bisque, alho, tomate confitado e ervas frescas. Sabor predominante do bisque, onde as ervas frescas davam um toque de muita frescura. Boa combinação! Por último, fomos para uma Barriga de leitão, com calda de laranja e pickles de maçã. Combinação absolutamente grandiosa. Tudo bem trabalhado, tendo que dar nota elevada à cozinha pela técnica e criatividade ao serviço dos sabores. Excelente!

Para sobremesa começámos com um Cheesecake de Lima com Mousse de Citrinos, ajudou a limpar o palato e terminámos com Massa Filo com Curd de Maracujá, Mousse de Chocolate branco e côco, e Crumble de Alfarroba, aqui esteve presente o prazer da gula sem um menor sentimento de culpa! Os momentos em que nos deliciamos com um doce têm o poder de ficar gravados na memória para sempre!

Acompanhámos com um Dorina branco que apresentava cor amarela com aspecto palha. Aroma claro e leve, com notas de abacaxi, pêssego branco e maracujá. Palato com um toque de frutas tropicais combinadas com boa estrutura e fineza. A frescura conferiu um final longo e harmonioso para o vinho. Na "barriga de leitão" mudámos para um Dorina tinto, de cor granada intensa, aroma floral suave, notas de violeta e flor de laranjeira. Vinho jovem e fresco evidenciando notas de ameixa e a frutos silvestres, algum picante e ao mesmo tempo suave com um final de boca agradável.

O restaurante trabalha também à carta. Demos uma vista de olhos pela mesma e consideramos interessante e completa. Permite uma escolha variada de pratos não só de peixes bem como de carnes de excelente qualidade. Doçaria a condizer. Escolha de vinhos sem problemas pois possui uma garrafeira com os melhores vinhos do Algarve e do País. Quanto ao serviço ficámos impressionados. Amável e muito funcional, com destaque para a simpatia e fino trato do gerente, Rui Sousa, que não descura o mais ínfimo pormenor, aconselhando, inclusive, os vinhos a servir para cada prato.

Recomendamos...

Excellent service! Mentioned to the owner that we do not consume alcohol and if we could have it removed from a starter dish (razor clams) and it was no problem. Our main dishes were a bit delayed and the owner explained that the dishes contained alcohol in them so the cooks had to remake everything from scratch; this was a very appreciated gesture as we did not think to inquire further about the main dishes! The codfish and cracked wheat dish was well flavoured and the fish was very succulent. We had our dinner at 9:30/10 and the restaurant only had a few extra tables so would recommend booking in advance (can be done through The Fork app). I liked the paper placemats and asked if I would be able to take my used one home and the owner gave us two fresh ones! Great...