looking for recommendations

[soonas]

Hi there

I have been reading this forum for a bit, but this is my first posting here.

We are staying in Clube Gofemar in September for our fourth visit to CVO. I am looking for some recommendations for eating out. Our favourites to date include Casa do Pao on R. dos Pescadores, Maxine and Primavera (which I believe is no more.. sob!)

Others we have tried Lanterna Velha (good), Ele&Ela (okay). Bella Vita (nice but pricey) and Julios (okay)

At home in Ireland we live near a fishing port so love good seafood (and also partial to good stone steaks)

Any advice welcome

[bruce]

One of the best meals we had on our visit last month was at Cattleman- excellent steaks and a really nice host who deserves to do well.
We also like A Gale, Maximes and Poco Picardo.
Enjoy your trip!

[Bruce Wallis]

If you have a car, feel a little adventurous and love food a cut above the Restaurant hill fayre, there are any a load of good restaurants outside Carvoeiro...in Lagoa , Silves and Porches to name but 3.

Try them.....you wont be disappointed

[tjthedj]

Try A Fonte, near the Post Office and Irish Times, Basic food but massive portions, the best Piri Piri Chicken in the village by far, lamb chops, calamari kebabs. Enjoy

[Bruce Wallis]

The ONLY place for Piri-Piri is Guia...the home of piri-piri.

Cant remember the name of the place we use, but if you turn off the N125 into Guia at the roundabout before Algarve shopping, take the 1st right.
There is a small carpark on your left.
Come out of the carpark, walk about 30 yards up the road and there is a huge 3 floored restaurant with the symbol of the cockerel out side.
All they serve is piri-piri, salad and chips......but theirs is the best in the Algarve!!!...AND...it cheap!!!

[e-richard]

... huge 3 floored restaurant with the symbol of the cockerel out side.
All they serve is piri-piri, salad and chips......but theirs is the best in the Algarve!!!...AND...it cheap!!!

Hear hear. Its called Teodosio - O Rei dos Frangos (King of Chicken) and last time it cost us €10 per head including drink.

[martin.cork]

As you are from Kerry and looking for a good steak on the stone I would recommend you bring your own steak and cook it on the stone, you can't beat Irish beef.Other than this try Fernando's in Monte Carvoeiro, He is the man that introduced stone steak to the Algarve and is Carvoeiro for 30 years. A little expensive but why not treat yourself on holidays.
The fish in the majority of restaurants in Carvoeiro/Algarve are excellent.(Nearly as good as Dingle).
I had a terrible meal last year in A Fonte - to me a different style to the norm in Carvoeiro.
Try Sunday lunch in the Irish Times, real irish dinner and you can always cheer on Cork in the All Ireland Final.
The general rule is if the restaurant is busy its gotta be good.
It's great to see so more Irish visiting Carvoeiro and not just Prai de Rocha, Alvor & Albeferia although the golfers have deserted Carvoeiro and tend to stay in the Vilamoura Area.

[soonas]

Martin.cork

This our fifth visit to CVO and I have to say I love the place. I think I'll give the Irish Sunday Dinner a miss, but might be in to watch the All-Ireland Final between DUBLIN and Kildare. You Cork boys should just stick to the small ball

Bruce Wallis

As we will have a car, is there anywhere within reasonable driving distance you'd care to recommend?

[tricky]

The chicken piri piri restaurant in guia that Bruce meant was Ramirez

[fmm]

The chicken piri piri restaurant in guia that Bruce meant was Ramirez

Yes - I was about to say that this is the "famous" one. I knew it was Ram something but couldn't remember what. Was discussing it last night with someone in the bar.

[Bristle Si]

Personal opinion of CVO restaurants:

Happys - but book
Oasis
Chef Antonio
El Castello Curry house
Villa Medicini
we like O Barco on a lunchtime

as for the Stone Steak places - you usually get the same knife for the raw meat and the cooked - would you do that at home?

[bruce]

O Leao in Porches is well worth a visit - It is advisable to book.

[superbocker]

We always stay at Clube Golfemar but it has taken us til this year to visit the Vale de Milho restaurant which is within easy walking distance and we would thoroughly recommend it.

It is in a very tranquil setting with a nice outside terrace, excellent service, typical Portuguese menu but saute potatos and vegetables better quality than the majority. Well worth a visit with the added bonus that you can leave the car at home.

[Bruce Wallis]

Ok recommendations......

In Carvoeiro.....

A Gale...Restaurant Hill....Excellent value, good menu. Very friendly. Our main restaurant at the lower mid price range. Always our first night of visit restaurant. EXCELLENT.

There are many similar styled and priced restaurants on the hill, but to my mind this is consistantly the best

Happys...Restaurant Hill. ...small very popular restaurant run by a genial dutchman namerd Libbre. Small but very good menu. also not too expensive. Small and VERY popular. You will need to book.

Elle& Ela..The Out road...dutch run, more expensive, excellent food of a fusion style. More nouvelle. not really one to take the kids to.

If you cant bear to be parted from the comfort of stolid English food, then there is a place near the post Office, called MaJas. Run by a nice English couple....not a place we frequent......we came to carvoeiro to escape standard english fayre!!

We, like many long term visitors have tended to move out of the village to find more interesting, and less "touristy" restaurants.
Also, because we dont have to cater for kids, we can be a bit more "grown up", and a tad pricier.

So around the area no more than 10 miles out....

Out just beyond Rocha Brava there is an expensive italian restaurant called La Bella Vita. Excellent food....but to my mind, it's got too pricey.

Lagoa...Chrissys. French/Belgian style brassiere on the old market square. Fixed price menu including wine. Very good. One tip....avoid their music nights. The place gets packed, quality suffers a bit, and the service become unacceptably slow.

Old road to Silves from Lagoa...O Barrada. Currently our favourite. Quite expensive. Wonderful Portuguese food in what may have been an old farmhouse in an orange and lemon grove. May be difficult to find, but well worth the effort.

Silves has several good restaurants, including a very good fish restaurant. Worth the visit.

Porches...We are yet to discover a BAD restaurant in Porches. Our favourites are O Vehlo, in the old part....a converted winary. Once again, more expensive but very good.
Also....
Mr Grillo.....dont be fooled by the naff burgerbar style name......a very good Portuguese restaurant.

Guia has the piri piri places I mentioned in the previous post.

Drive further afield and up to Monchique, and there are a number of very good restaurants, many with stunning views.

The thing is that this is a very subjective subject. I bet 10 other people could respond to your question, and you will get 10 other equally valid responses.

So go out and discover for yourself. I know you will enjoy the experience.

[kappa]

If you´re looking for stone steak, you might try "caca do Bife" on restaurant hill, opposite Gale - I think good value for money!