Restaurante Praia da Luz — Restaurant in Porto

Disappointing experience at Restaurante Praia da Luz

Unfortunately, our experience at Restaurante Praia da Luz was not positive at all. Despite its beautiful location on the Praia da Luz stone beach and attractive appearance, the service fell short and the quality price ratio is out of proportion.

Firstly, the service was slow and unfriendly. Despite using a call button device, we had to repeatedly press it and wait for over ten minutes before a staff member finally appeared. This happened multiple times, when trying to order food or drinks and when asking for the bill. The staff also appeared grumpy, as if they had no interest in serving customers. They put the food on our table without saying something friendly or even making eye contact.

Furthermore, we found the price-quality ratio to be downright disappointing. We paid a staggering 9 euros for a simple bowl of circa 20 tortilla chips and some guacamole. When we expressed our surprise and concern about the portion size in relation to the price, no suitable solution was offered. It seemed like everything was a hassle for them.

In the end, we spent around forty euros on just an espresso, a bottle of water, four glasses of wine, and the chips. For that amount, you can enjoy much tastier and better-quality food with friendlier staff at other beach locations in Portugal (I believe even in Porto). The only thing you might miss is the nice beach club appearance of this venue.

Lastly, the music in the beach tent was incredibly loud. It was almost necessary to put in earplugs to protect our ears. This was truly disappointing.

Overall, I believe Restaurante Praia da Luz has the potential to be a great establishment, but at the moment, it seems overly hyped and solely focused on tourists that are willing to pay a lot for little...

We have booked this restaurant because it was recommended to us by a local guy. It was my best friend Birthday which we mentioned upon arrival. Our reservation was at 18:30. When we arrived the first thing we noticed was that there was dirty tables everywhere around us. Nobody was cleaning them. I don't know if they don't have enough stuff or they simply don't care. They didn't even have ashtrayes. How is that possible? Half of people are smoking nowadays! Cigarett butts were just rolling on the tables around us. We were 55 mn in that restaurant and maybe 1 table was cleaned. Horrible..... We ordered oysters, couple of drinks and the steak. Oysters arrived quickly, nothing special. 30 mn later the waiter came and told us that the drinks will be ready in another 10 mn because the bar is slammed. When the drinks finaly came they were disgusting. I had a mojito ehich had 4 limes, 4 ice cubes and a bit of rum and soda. My friend had a mango daiquiri which was just mango pure and vodka, no ice. I don't remember ever having a drink that bad. I called the manager and told her the issue. She apologized and offered us a bottle of wine instead. I said, if we wanted wine, we would have ordered it. She instead, because obviously you can't ruin wine. I told her to try the mojito, so she can check the quality, but she refused, because she knew that we were right.... We didn't wait for steak, because I can't imagine the quality of that after 1 hour wait..... Dissapointing, wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The only nice thing is the location and the view, but Restaurant is old with no maintanance done in the last years, very basic chairs...

“Praia da Luz” boasts an incredible beachside location, perfect for enjoying a sunset while sipping drinks or having dinner on the open-air terrace. The setting promises a memorable evening with its stunning views and ambient atmosphere.

The food, while not extraordinary, is fairly good overall, though the portions tend to be smaller than expected, which might be something to consider if you arrive with an appetite.

However, the service significantly detracts from the restaurant’s potential. The waiting time was excessively long, which could test anyone’s patience. Furthermore, the staff’s attention to detail and service quality were consistently lacking. For example, when we requested an ashtray, we were brought one that was already used, containing ashes and cigarette butts—a clear oversight in cleanliness and customer care.

Additionally, the handling of beverages was careless; my glass, which had remnants of red wine, was topped up with white wine, altering the taste and appearance of the drink. This lack of attention was disappointing. Moreover, the overall attitude of the staff came across as rude, leaving us feeling unwelcome and undervalued as customers.

Despite the beautiful location, the poor service significantly marred our experience at “Praia da Luz.” We left feeling disappointed, and it’s a shame that such a beautiful setting is let down by subpar...