Restaurante O Serol — Restaurant in Silves

Im conflicted. On one hand the food and the local was great, but the service was a mixed bag. When we arrived it took a while before the waiters chose to recognise us. Several times through the visit they say us raising hands or have problems but did not choose to engage with us. The waiter taking our orders barely understood English and seemed a bit irritated from the get go. Food took a while and one in our group got pork when he ordered steak. My swordfish was really good but before I could finish it, a seagul landed on me and my food. I did not feel comfortable finishing it and asked if it was possible to replace it. The waiters didn’t really seem to understand what we said even tho one of them saw the seagull seep down on me. After some language barrier problems I got the dish replaced entirely. The service started off a bit bad, and hadn’t the seagull attacked it would have been our lasting impression, but they did provide better service after a higher up came in to sort it out. Other than that, the local was really nice. We ate during lunch, but I can imagine the place at night with people sitting around. The toilets were good too. The others in the group would give the restaurant a 3, but my dish seemed the best so maybe go for...

This is one of those tourist restaurants you’ll find all around the beach area, most of them offering nearly identical menus and prices.

That said, this spot is my go-to recommendation for the traditional Portuguese Cataplana de peixe e mariscos paired with a delicious bottle of wine. It’s a family-friendly restaurant with plenty of seating and a lovely view. The staff were exceptionally friendly, helpful, and warm, making the experience all the more enjoyable.

Regarding some of the reviews I’ve read: this is Portugal, on the Atlantic coast—it's not the place to order lasagna or meat. This is the place, and the region, to...

I know this restaurant since I was a kid and go back whenever I can. The cataplana is one of the best, the fish of day is always cooked to perfection and the staff has worked there forever and know their business well. It really annoys me to see bad reviews based on the steak. No one reviews a Sushi place based on the steak they serve for people who don't appreciate Sushi, right? And don't complain there are no sardines, please. They don't linger around waiting to be fished out of the sea to your plate. Stick to the fish of the day and the classics and you shouldn't be...