18 Best Restaurants in The Algarve, Portugal

Decorated Portuguese chef Leonel Pereira (who previously earned a Michelin star at restaurant São Gabriel in Almancil) now helms this bright and breezy restaurant nearby the Doca de Faro. Since opening in 2020 it's received a Bib Gourmand, and its menu celebrates traditional and seasonal Portuguese fare, serving favorites like bacalhau à brás (salt cod with potato and egg) alongside inventive dishes like lobster risotto with plankton soufflé. A sommelier is on-hand to pair courses with Portuguese and international wines.

Sample the very best ingredients from local producers and farmers all from the humble digs of this locally celebrated food truck—there are goods like honey, mushrooms, pork, chestnuts, and chorizo on the menu. Every so often, the food truck hosts fun events, like touring "mountain picnics" and small parties.

From the outside, the owner's eponymous restaurant looks like just another unassuming local place, but inside, the flavors sing and the senses are delighted. After all, this is no ordinary restaurant—it's a Michelin Guide–listed one helmed by Noélia, a supremely popular Portuguese chef. Seafood is of course the fixture, but not like you'll have seen it so far. Noélia's inventions are beautiful, outstandingly delicious, and satisfying all at once. Make reservations, or be prepared to wait.

Dine beneath the canopy of trees at O Barradas, a farmhouse restaurant set on its own leafy grounds. Portuguese charm comes in spades here, in the decor as well as in the menu, which sources herbs and vegetables from the kitchen garden. Wine poured is from an on-site winery, and other regional specialties feature too, like Mirandesa beef from the north of Portugal, and wild Atlantic shrimp.

With a name that means "fisherman's retreat," this casual eatery is anything but mediocre—it serves some of the most flavorful fish and seafood in Sagres. Their cataplana dishes are legendary, as are their typical regional desserts prepared by the owner's family.

Done up in vivid shades of blue and gold, this upscale restaurant at the Vila Vita Parc impresses with its innovative dishes, fabulous wine selection, and sweeping ocean views. The once-in-a-lifetime tasting menu is the only way to go—it features sublime ingredients combined in surprising ways, like Iberian pork served with fermented pak choi. There's plenty of fish and seafood, along with perfect wine pairings to boot. It's the ideal spot for a special occasion dinner.

You'll need a little Portuguese here, but you will not regret the effort. This is a shining example of traditional tasca (tavern) hospitality—a home-style restaurant without any solid menu to speak of, but where the dishes of the day are enormous, gloriously tasty, and cheap all at once. Simple traditional dishes like meat stewed in beans and broth are the typical meals, but there are fresh, zesty sides, too.

In a lovely square near the city's most popular attractions, this charming restaurant in a historic building offers well-prepared traditional seafood dishes served with contemporary twists, plus a great range of Portuguese sparkling wines. Dine inside surrounded by exposed stone walls, traditional azulejo tiles, and exposed wood beams, or outside on the spacious patio. After you've finished, ask to see the catacombs beneath the restaurant.

From the terrace of this laid-back eatery you can watch the sunset over Cabo São Vicente. This restaurant has been serving traditional Portuguese cuisine since 1995, each recipe with a modern twist. Set in a cozy house near the ocean, it offers a warm fire in winter and terrace dining in summer. The menu features local seafood, classic dishes like caldo verde and duck rice, plus vegetarian options made with herbs from their garden.

Most casas de pastos (loosely translated as "grazing houses") offer big portions of well-cooked regional dishes in no-frills surroundings, and Zé Leiteiro is no exception. The delicious all-you-can-eat fish and seafood keeps coming until you tell them to stop.

Popular among locals for celebrations, this down-to-earth adega (wine cellar) serves typical Portuguese dishes like monkfish rice, salted cod, and the restaurant's famous picanha na pedra—veal cooked on a hot stone, which you'll sizzle yourself. The seating arrangement on benches around long wooden tables helps keep things lively, and you'll find more good cheer in the tile-covered bar.

Set away from the hustle and bustle of the coast and outside the touristic area, Calhou is a traditional Portuguese restaurant with a side of Italy—serving incredible Neapolitan pizzas from a wood-fired oven. The low ceiling and wood-paneled interior makes the restaurant feel rustic and cozy.

Regional cuisine's on the menu at this intimate timber-clad restaurant, stacked floor-to-ceiling with antique wares and hand-painted ceramics. Choose the regional sausage—usually grilled, stewed, or baked as a daily special—for an authentic taste of Monchique.

Since 1925, this family-run restaurant has attracted a robust clientele, thanks to its excellent regional dishes and vast national wine selection. The large dining room and plant-filled terrace give off a relaxed, homey vibe, as do the plates brimming with tasty sides. The exposed-brick arches decorated with bucolic azulejo scenes are particularly lovely.

Traditional Portuguese cooking (especially charcoal-grilled fish and seafood) is the draw at this Lagos institution, which has welcomed hungry diners to its rustic environs for nearly 50 years. You can dine at elegant candlelit tables inside or on a sidewalk out front. You may wish to start your meal with a typical fish or shrimp dish, followed by the seafood stew or cataplana—all extremely good.

The family-run winery and brewery Quinta Dos Santos started as a tap room, but has since established the restaurant A Esquina on site, with a gorgeous courtyard ringed by arches and a surprisingly sophisticated dining room serving petiscos—tapas-style Portuguese dishes—as well as larger plates.

Overlooking the dramatic Praia da Batata, this restaurant has a simple but lovely dining room and a popular outdoor terrace. The fish is exceptionally fresh, and served up with little elements of fine dining finesse without the tiny portions.

Crossing the Roman bridge, you'll pass by a lot of tempting spots before you reach this typical Portuguese eatery—trust us, it's worth the trip. Here the focus is on fresh fish, including the traditional bacalhau a bras, but there's a range of beef steak on the menu too. There is a smattering of outside tables with views to the adjacent square.