Os Fialhos — Restaurant in Tavira

Over the years, I've noticed a decline in the quality of this restaurant. The staff has become increasingly rude in their dealings with customers, and the management of the noon entry time is chaotic. To make matters worse, early arrivals are assigned worse seating. One of our chairs was also dirty with chocolate from previous days. I must caution you about visiting on hot days since there's no air conditioning, and the grill is uncomfortably placed inside the customer area.

During our visit, we were taken aback when the restaurant tried to place several paid entrees on our table without even asking if we wanted them. The employee taking our order seemed bothered that we didn't order more food or wine, which made the whole experience quite unpleasant.

The seafood rice we ordered, compared to pre-COVID times, lacked the richness and variety of ingredients it used to have. It felt like we were "punished" by not getting the meat crab, even though we noticed other tables enjoying it nearby.

Furthermore, the puddings and cakes seemed overly dense, suggesting that the recipes might be using too much flour and too few eggs. Additionally, we were surprised to find extra items charged to our bill, though it was the waiter that suggested we revised it together. Even worse, they didn't inquire if we wanted a paper bill and refused to provide one in any form in paper, with or without VAT number, when we requested it after we paid.

All in all, this was a disappointing experience, especially considering the considerable bill we were left with. It appears that the management is more interested in quick profits rather than ensuring customer happiness and professionalism. If you plan to visit later than noon, I strongly advise making a reservation. At this point, I'm unsure if I'd come back due to the apparent dysfunction in the management and the lack of focus on customer...

As a we trekked through dense orange groves that fill the landscape of, Pinheiro, a tiny sleepy town in the algarve coast- we wondered, would “Os Fialhos have tiny fish that would could devour like chips”? It did, and they were great by the way. As we machete’d out of the orange grove we found ourselves on the quiet road that lines the Ria Formosa. Across the road, Os Fialhos, a locals only family seafood restaurant filled with grandmothers, mothers, children, neighborhood cats, and bubbling cauldrons of Arroz De Marisco. For those that don’t speak Portuguese you can use your broken Spanish to translate, Rice of the Sea. The Cauldron tasted just like the name, straightforward and clean. Shrimp, prawn, razor clam (very sandy so I kicked those to the side with the rest of my shell pile), mussel and many more oceanic mysteries. We could not stop inhaling from the cauldron that now 30 minutes later was still piping hot. If you aren’t in the mood for rice soup in earthenware then order something off the charcoal grill. We went for a tasty turbot and some giant prawns. If I could do it again I would pass on the giant prawns that seemed to be settled atop a slightly rancid melted butter but hey we didn’t come to the algarve for well refrigerated foods we came for seafood just plucked out of “The Drink”. So to sum it up, eat some tiny fish, get something fresh off the grill, make the waitress carry a dangerous vat of soup to your table, and feed a cat. If you follow those bylaws it will leave you in splendor after a fine night...

The positive: the salmon and the rice turned out well. For the rice, however, you need to like plenty of garlic, so it might not be everyones cup of tee.

The negative: plenty! First of all, the place had just reopened at 7 pm, yet the toilets were not cleaned, the trashcan with paper towels overflowing. The situation did not change during our stay.

Regarding the food: The fries were rather meh. That's, however, not what infuriated me. What really disappointed me was the fact that they had not properly preheated the coal. Instead, they were grilling on a fresh batch of coal. Anyone knowing a thing or two about grilling will know what the result is. You can see it in the picture. The resulting flames will burn the outside of the food and, at the same time, undercook the middle. Slimy Octupus and crunchy vegetables were the result.

That's not where it stops though, the slices of Iberico pig where completely ruined, not because they where burned though, but because the fat absorbed all the dirty fumes from the not yet properly burned coal. The result was a horrible taste.

To me, the situation presents itself in that the place tries to maximize profit by having everyone come in only at the last minute in the afternoon, instead of having it prepared in time for the afternoon guests.

For anyone wondering, yes, we informed the waiter about what we had just experienced. The waiter acknowledged the presented facts. Plenty of food was left to see. She said she'd forward the complaint. Nothing else,...