Fábrica do Costa — Restaurant in Vila Real de Santo António

The worst dining experience ever in Portugal, a country I know well and love very much. The restaurant puts on such airs without having any reason to do so apart from a truly enviable location by the sea. A confused handling of orders (we waited a lot more than tables that arrived after us). Dishes arrived in the wrong order. I had to cancel the last one for my children because we have already finished all the other. The clams Cataplana had very few clams in it (tasteless), some prawns (overcooked) and most of the dish were potatos (the price it was EUR 50!). For the starter octopus salad, the same strategy: salad, onions and potatoes to give the dish some substance, and then a few pieces of octopus. But most surprising was the sardine dish I ordered. Something happened that had never happened to me before . The plate arrived, I started to eat the first sardine (there were 5 in all), which was not bad finally, but a waiter arrived saying that the sardine wasn't for me but for another table/customer. With my mouth still full I replied that I had also ordered the sardine and that I had already started eating anyway. At first, they started saying that I had not ordered it, then they admitted that yes I had ordered it but that they only had one portion and they had forgotten to tell me. At that point, leaving me stunned, they literally grabbed my plate off the table (plate with my cutlery on it, the rest of the first sardine eaten) and took it away to take it (after having 'rearranged' it) to the unconscious another customer. While I was asking for the expensive bill, at the next table been found a hair on the plate. There was no sign of a discount. Don't go, don't queue, it's really...

Very poor service. My wife and daughter arrived ten minutes before the remaining three of our family, and we then waited a further fifteen before three menus were silently placed on our table - the waiter barely breaking stride as he delivered them. Ten minutes later we stopped a passing waiter and managed to order some drinks, including a large bottle of water. We asked for an additional couple of water glasses (there were just three on the table for the five of us), but finally my wife had to fetch two herself from an unoccupied table. When we finally ordered we included a basket of bread and some butter. It didn't appear. Ten minutes later I had to stop a swiftly passing waiter to ask him to get it. Most restaurants serve diners with this very shortly after they are seated. The most frustrating thing about the delays was that we saw other diners being shown to their tables and served promptly. I should point out that my children are all adults, that we were well dressed and properly behaved. Our food, when it came, was quite good. A little pricey - sea bass was €32 and the same as that which I had eaten for €14 two days earlier elsewhere - but the setting is delightful so that is excusable. My tuna salad wasn't brilliant - a reasonable salad with half a tin of tuna on top of it. We're we just unlucky? Was our table on that dividing line of waiter responsibility? I'll never know; I would have liked to discuss the issue with the manager but was dissuaded from doing so by my "don't make a fuss" family. Would I go there again? Not if starving...

This is one of my favourite restaurant views in the Algarve. On a clear day, the colour of the Ria Fornosa, the dunes between it and the sea, and the bird and some aquatic life (usually canoeists and SUPers), make this an exquisitely charming location.

The occasion starts with the memorable dip down into Fábrica from the main road, where the expanse of blue opens up before your eyes. Once in the restaurant, the glass frontage allows the eye to take in the east to west expanse of water.

The food is expensive and of high quality. Which means we mist be exacting. We could not stay long as it was a business lunch and we had not ordered ahead, one of the cataplanas. So we had the ameijoas à Bulhão Pato which were the best I had tasted for a long time. The Portuguese variety of clams, brown and succulent, with the usual butter, wine and garlic sauce that must be eaten with bread.

The restaurant was unfortunately out of white grouper, or cherne, which disappointed my wife, who landed up having the same as me, the fried squid, Algarve style, which is heavy on garlic. The squid was large and perfectly formed. Texture excellent, but both of us felt it was too salty.

We would usually score the restaurant 5* but because the prices are high, we need to be exacting. The lack of the publicised choices and the saltiness of the mains.

Would not hesitate to recommend. Pick a sunny day and get lost in the view and food.

After the meal, if you have time, take the water taxi across...