La Bella Vita — Restaurant in Sines

After initially booking a table at 6:15, when we arrived we were told they could fit us in (a group of 8) at 7:30pm. After some waiting around they eventually led us to a table after giving us a choice of where we wanted to sit. Begs the question why we were told we could be seated at 7:30?! After taking some time to order our food, one of our party explained that they were gluten intolerant. One of the wait staff kindly explained what options were available and we were feeling slightly more positive. When the food arrived it was actually quite nice, the pizzas were good. However our gluten free friend was still waiting 20 minutes later for her order. Only after asking where her meal was were we told that it had been cooked originally with gluten and it had to be made again. Another half an hour later and we were still waiting. After asking how long it was going to be we were abruptly told it will take as long as it takes to cook as they are having to cook it again. Well they should have cooked it right in the first place. 5 more minutes went by and a total of 50 minutes after initially ordering we finally received the last course. It was hard and not worth waiting for and no apology was received. We were not made to feel welcome there and it felt more like we were a burden. After asking for the bill without considering dessert still no apology came. We were pleased to be out of there. I am sure on another day they may provide a better service, particularly for people that don’t have food intolerances however I would not rush back here and it was the worst experience we have had in a restaurant during our time in Portugal. Very...

I recently visited this charming pizza spot by the beach, and while it had its highs and lows, it was certainly an experience. Let’s break it down like a pizza slice by slice:

First, the positives: The house wine? Chef’s kiss. Perfect for sipping while pretending I’m in a Mediterranean rom-com. The location? Stellar. You can’t beat the proximity to the beach. I mean, who doesn’t want to eat pizza with a side of salty sea breeze? The pizza base? Solid. Crispy, chewy, and everything a good base should be. Bravo to the dough maestro.

Now, the not-so-positives: The seafood pizza. Oh, dear. The reviews hyped it up, but what arrived was... let’s just say, not the oceanic delight I was promised. The shrimp and mussels had a texture that screamed “frozen aisle special.” I’ve lived in Portugal for two years—I know my fresh seafood. This wasn’t it. When I politely asked the owner about it, he insisted everything was fresh from the market. Sir, I respect your hustle, but my taste buds and I respectfully disagree.

To make matters more interesting, I asked to switch to an eggplant pizza (because, pescatarian life). What arrived? Eggplant pizza... with ham. Ham. I don’t eat ham. So, I paid for a pizza I couldn’t eat and ended up packing it for the dogs. Lucky pups, I guess?

All in all, it was a mixed bag. Great wine, great location, and a great story to tell. But maybe skip the seafood pizza unless you’re into...

I'm not one to typically complain about food - I find frozen pizzas to be a very suitable option for dinner at times.

What we received from La Bella Vista was worse than the cheapest frozen pizza you can get. We got the margherita pizza and the cheese tasted horrible. The bottom crust was thin, wet, and soggy. The worst margherita pizza I have tried.

We also got pasta with shrimp that was a disaster. There were a lot of shrimp heads and eyeballs on top of the pasta without the attached body of the shrimp to eat. The pasta was okay, but it was all caked together with little sauce or flavor.

Edit to owner response: I understand how shrimp is typically served in Portugal. We didn't receive the meat of the shrimp. Many shrimp were only the head, like we were served someone's shrimp after they were done with it.

I have no idea how this place has so many 5 star reviews. We stayed in this area for a week, and it was by far the worst place we ate at. We did not finish either of the items and both were super disappointed especially since it's not cheap.

If you're looking for pizza, pasta, or seafood, there are many better...