In the Resident this week I saw an advertisment for a restaurant in Carvoeiro that I hadn't heard of before it's called 'Cattleman', it's on rua do farol & says they have a garden & pool. Does anyone know anything about it, I wondered if it is where the old 'Flamingo' restaurant used to be.

It is the old Flamingo, we noticed it had changed name at New Year, not sure if been sold or just had a name change.

Not heard of anyone eating there yet, so no reports of what it is like, but not impressed by the prices seem higher than the average in the village.

I heard (some time ago)from the person who is running it now, he was going to run a Mediterranean kitchen. He was importing a young italian cook, who was very excited about working here, instead of Scicily.
I am affraid i have not had the chance to come and test the food yet.

Mini.g

Certainly don't get the impression from the advertisment that it's a mediterranean style restaurant, just says 'steaks'. The name certainly would indicate another steak house.

mmmmmmmmmm youre right there...............Maybe he is going to put extra garlic on the steak, or cover it, or an Amatricana sauce.

What we need down there is a restaurant brave enough to serve genuine PORTUGUESE food, not the usual international stuff that we get at the moment.

The nearest restaurant to our villa in QDP, which was serving a good mixture of meals, including Portuguese, has just reopened with a very limited menu, most of which is steak etc on the stone. Or as they put it, "steak of stone". Tough on the teeth. This is now the third stonesteak restaurant in walking distance. Is it becoming a cop-out for cooking?

Of course it is....you pay for the priviledge of becoming a comis chef!

The problem is, that you cannot sell portuguese food at the prices you need to to pay for the rents in Carvoeiro town, but there are more tradicitional portuguese restaurants around Carvoeiro this season. You just need to know where to look.

The oldest is "The Ritz" O Escondidinho in QDP.
€ 7,-- for a meal+coffee+Beirão are also served at "O Branco" on the road out back of QDP just before the Golden Clube and also in Areias dos Moinhos "Ponto de Encontro" next to the reception. O Branco even has an outside covered smoking area.

Thanks for that G. Don't suppose you know where the new restaurant owners on ADM were before?

Many of the 'traditional' Portuguese restaurants have a very basic menu, grilled or bbq'd fish or meat, chips or boiled tats, salad or carrots & beans. There doesn't seem to be many that serve the fish or meat stews & more provincial recipes.

Whilst this is true if you eat a la carte, the dishes of the day are a variation of traditional portuguese dishes.
The dish of the day was pork stew at O Branco the day before yesterday.

I think you will also find the Ponto de Encontro also does the traditional ensopado and stews because of the quantities they have to produce in a short period of time. The grilled stuff just takes too long to prepare.

Unfortunately you will only find these dishes served at lunch time as they are aimed at the work crews who have a short break.

Nevertheless, if you do want traditional portuguese food, you can always per-order a dinner like cabrito no forno at retsaurants like the Sulmar in Benagil. I am sure there are other venues around town that offer the possibility to pre-order special dishes for lunch or dinner.

just an update on the ritz - it now costs 9 euros per person to eat there, not so cheap now being as you can get piri piri chicken and chips in the village for about 7 euros

Just to give a short reaction on the topic of the new Cattleman Restaurant: I have been there some weeks ago and I must say that the quality is superb. I orderes the Steak with onions and this was really the best piece of meat I´ve had since long time. My favourite restaurant is/was La Bela Vita (so you now my taste a bit...), but the quality of the food in this new restaurant is absolutely as good. Only one suggestion: Try it, you won´t regret it!

I wanted to purchase it and turn it into a place for the Ritz in London style afternoon teas especially with waiteres/resses in uniforms and on some evenings and Sunday lunches as a upmarket Carvery and the rest of the time as a bar and a London style coctail bar. But was told that even if the owners would sell it had to be run in a similiar style as it was. (empty!!!)