Noélia — Restaurant in Tavira

I read about this restaurant as the supposed “best table of the year” so we came all the way from Lisbon and we’re excited to try (I travel a lot just for food - worldwide). I need to mention, I am well familiarized with restrictions everywhere I go. Our hotel booked and confirmed a large table outside in order to avoid having to take COVID tests just for lunch as we are unfamiliar with the area and timing was too tight for detours, but without consultation the restaurant moved our table to inside - which we didn’t want/wasn’t agreed. This was communicated to our hotel which forgot to tell us - we could have prepared but we didn’t know, and that’s the hotel’s fault. Still don’t understand why our table was moved after confirming it outdoors! However, when arrived at the restaurant the staff was extremely rude, unaccommodating and very unhelpful about resolving us getting tested at reservation time without indication as to where after moving our table. All we got was a ticking time reminder to go get tests done 15 mins away “somewhere” and 15 mins back to keep our table of 1.5hrs of reservation left. Terrible attitude. It’s quite awful to see supposedly nice restaurants employ people within the service industry that are too incompetent to serve, help resolve or accommodate a situation. I am sure the food is good, but the service was deplorable. Extremely disappointed we went to lunch elsewhere (restaurant A Ver in Tavira, highly recommend to anyone reading this) where we were treated with great care and...

Atmosphere- Went on 30/06, 35 degrees. Very hot day. The way restaurant is set out, seats are close to each other and maximised to accommodate maximum number of people. So it was uncomfortably hot. AC felts useless. Staff already looking exhausted at 12:30. So, dont recommend on a hot summer day if you really want to enjoy it properly. Service- entire team looked uncoordinated, even Noelia herself had to come out and shout behind the bar. Glass of wine ordered took around 10min to arrive. First glass brought to the table was broken, second one was as all dirty, full of lip marks and sticky bottom, looked like unwashed, third glass was okay…. For this type of restaurant i expected more regards to these details. Water glass was also full of limescale marks and lip marks too….. Food- the most important, i give it 5 star. Because the food is good. She combines really well all the ingredients, not your average portuguese taste. It was quite special in my opinion. I hope she doesnt let her waitering team bring her standard down, because her food is GOOD. if you really want to try the best out of it. Peak season, hot day is definitely not...

We had high expectations for Noelia so we booked a table for dinner for 20:30 they told us 19:30 or 21:30. We got there 21:30 sharp they told us that our table was being occupied for some people they already paid but were still talking didn't leave and they couldn't do anything. But kept serving more drinks to that table till we left the restaurant. Finally they got us another table we ordered the food and drinks and after a while an explosion of a champagne bottle that a waiter dropped spilled all over me. No I'm sorry or concern about what happened. After the starters were served, Noelia came asking if everything was ok with the food we where enjoying the clams soups and the answer was yes it is good. After they served the main dish my raia alhada just tasted like vinager and I said to the waiter to communicate chef Noelia that I couldn't eat that. This time chef Noelia didn't come but offered to rectify my food which came as much the same. Again no words or explanation from the chef. At the end worth an I'm sorry from the waiter My experience is probably lower than one 🌟 but I guess this was...