Restaurante O Mata Porcos — Restaurant in Portimão

Unpleasant Experience – Definitely Not Going Back

I had a really disappointing experience at this restaurant. The staff weren’t very welcoming — they seemed uninterested and a bit cold from the start. What really stood out, though, was how awkward things got while we were still eating outside. They started clearing the entire terrace: all the chairs, all the tables — everything. Within minutes, the whole outdoor area was empty, and we were left sitting alone at one small table in this huge, cleared-out space. It felt extremely uncomfortable, as if we were being pushed to leave.

The food didn’t help either. The menu was very limited, and the dishes we ordered were bland, overly greasy, and lacked any real effort or creativity. Even the fries were undercooked and soggy.

To top it off, the location wasn’t great either. The area around the restaurant felt unsafe, with people loitering nearby doing questionable things — smoking, possibly using drugs — which really took away from the whole atmosphere.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this place at all. Between the unfriendly service, poor food, and uncomfortable environment, it’s not somewhere...

Let me tell you a story about how Mata Porcos made me believe in faith.

We wanted to go to Sanleti but we didn’t have reservations and they didn’t have any free tables. So we ended up driving to Portimao and found Mata Porcos. I was sceptical at first. But since the moment we walked in the waiter was extremely welcoming and the place looked super cosy, so we went in. We’ve ordered grilled sardines, baby squid, grilled cod and sea bream. Sea bream (my order) was late and my family told me to let it go and just eat sardines. But I didn’t. I trusted my instincts and I waited. When I tasted the sea bream, it was unbelievable. Best fish I’ve ever eaten in my life. Don’t get me wrong, everything was amazing. But that sea bream… it was meant to be. That moment I believed that faith led us to Mata Porcos. Highlight of our Portugal trip, highlight of my life. Only bad thing is any other fish I’ll eat from now on will taste dull. But still it was worth it. Couldn’t recommend enough....

Unfortunately, our visit to this restaurant in Portimão was quite underwhelming. First off, the staff were not particularly friendly and came across as short and uninterested. While we were still eating on the terrace, they started clearing away all the other tables and chairs, which made us feel very uncomfortable and rushed, as if we were no longer welcome.

The menu was very limited, and the food itself was extremely basic. Most dishes were overly oily and lacked flavor or variety. Even the fries were poorly cooked and underwhelming.

The location was also a major downside. The surrounding area felt unsafe, with groups of people loitering nearby, openly smoking and engaging in suspicious behavior. It certainly didn’t create a welcoming or relaxed...