Bar Mar — Restaurant in Setúbal

Bar Mar is a jewel of Figueiria beach. This huge modern beach bar restaurant, with outside seating. Very convenient to have on a hot day at the best. Last time I was at Bar Mar I binged on "pastel de natal" pastries. Be prepared for "airport prices" on items. A tip about Figueiria beach: low tide exposes a huge and long tidal flat ("lingua de areia"). So check tide times to have the chance to take that walk out there. And now for a secret, if you take swim goggles and swim in the shallow water out on the tidal flat, you´ll come across sea life. This summer I discovered small sea urchin, who I named "Bill". Little buddy was alive and well. I took it out of the water and asked my cousin if we should take it house, prepare it, and make Uni Sashimi -pure, raw sea urchin served as sashimi. Which, by te way is approximately €70–€100 a plate in Japan. But, of course, Bill was put back into his...

Could be a awesome spot, with a great view to the ocean and Tróia, with another floor with a better view, and take a small snack. Outside have a car parking to around 50 cars, and just side-by-side with the beach. I order a coffee with milk, bread with chorizo and a Nata, this last two have a few days in the exposition, the bread was so hard that not even the birds could eat. To go to bathroom you need to order something in the bar, and get a code. Here is where get worst, the woman’s bathroom didn’t lock, didn’t have paper and smell terrible. About the man’s bathroom just smell terrible, that you could vomit when you enter. I visit this place in the begging of April, I cannot imagine this place in the summer season. Floor and tables full of trash. I ask twice during the payment to add the Portuguese tax number in my invoice, but the waitress didn’t pay attention to...

It has potential, but let's face it, at this moment, this is a tourist trap with one of the most expensive fresh squeezed orange juice in town, mediocre services, coffee and cakes. On a windy day, it is the only spot where you can seat and enjoy the view, the first floor is fairly nice. But it badly needs competition or a change of management. Last but not least, considering how large is the building and how dominent it is on the beach, it is sad that the place is not used to entertain the tourist, to create some kind of cultural life in a place which badly needs soul. The beach can be beautiful though, just come with your own picnic...