O'Salmoa - a relaxing meal!

[HampshireRich]

O’ Salmoa is a restaurant in the square at Monte Carvoeiro. It is well established – being run by the same owners for a few years now. In fact, the son (John) has been training in Scotland for 18 months (I think the lady of the restaurant is Scottish) – if you want to listen to a Portuguese guy speaking with a Glasgow accent, then John’s your man.

O’Salmoa has a relaxed environment – partly due to the setting, and partly due to the staff who are very friendly and do not get flustered or dash about. The foods is well prepared and well cooked. The fixed menu is quite extensive (although not much variance from most of the restaurants in CVO) but they do “specials” which do differ from the normal offerings. One of these my wife had – roast duck – and raved about for days. I have to admit, I had the largest slice (deep- ways) of lemon- meringue pie I’ve ever had.

Try this restaurant – it’s always busy, which is a good sign – you won’t be disappointed.

This is the last of my 3 choices of restaurants – hope you are inspired to try one of them. Please do bear in mind, these are personal opinions – if you disagree with them, it’s OK – you’re just wrong.

[e-richard]

Great write up. One of our favourites for food - and location.

... (I think the lady of the restaurant is Scottish) ...

ho ho ho, she is actually Portuguese, husband is a Yorkshireman, but I believe they lived in Glasgow for a while, hence the indeterminate accent

[EMM]

It has become a must visit for us on every trip to CVO, we always take anyone staying with us there.

The mussells farcie are delicious as is the fish bisque, mid to upper price range but worth it.

[HampshireRich]

Great write up. One of our favourites for food - and location.

... (I think the lady of the restaurant is Scottish) ...

ho ho ho, she is actually Portuguese, husband is a Yorkshireman, but I believe they lived in Glasgow for a while, hence the indeterminate accent

..... aah - confusion on my part - was told by John he was working in his Uncle's hotel in Scotland and put 2 and 2 together and somehow came up with 6

[Barry]

The lady in question is Christina, and she is Portuguese, married to Ed who is the chef. Ed is scottish, and trained at the same restaurant in Glasgow where his son has been working. Their daughter Ana, works front of house. Agree that O' Salmao is a very welcoming restaurant, with excellent food and service. One of our favourites.

[SJ & RE]

We have not been back here for some while, but remeber it being a great little venue.
Richard and I sat at a table for a Sunday lunch, this was before we were married,and pre Ma Ja's for Sunday lunch, and had a lovely time chatting to a couple of fellas, quite cute too. After a while we sat and had a drink with them and then went on to the bar on the corner up at Monte CVO, before it closed down (Slam bar, me thinks).
Richard went to the mens room for a gypsies kiss, and returned to find him cold shouldered and pushed well away from me by the two guys. As I looked pretty good then, slim, brown and not fat and decrepid as I am now, I lapped up the attention from the guys, much to Richards disgust and ary humour. OOh I wish for those days, perhaps soon my life may return for the better, once of this darn farm.
So, yes it was strange to listen to a Glaswegian ,Portugese accent, but the lunch was lovely and the banter and service good.

[joanne]

We have visited this place on a number of occasions, but last Monday we had a really average meal, not very good service and we were out within an hour....We felt like they wanted us to leave as soon as we arrived, there was just the two of us and I was sat over a grid.....Really sad as have had nice meals before and really spoilt it, as our one night out without the girls, and we paid more for the two of us than we did the next night in the Steak House.....

[sfuller]

we love the place! only place we have found that guarantees vegetables as well which are a must for us if our 3 year old has any chance of some decent food on his holidays! It is slightly more expensive than the others restaurants inj the square but it is worth it!

[EMM]

Also one of our favourites, the monkfish tart and the mussels farcie are two of the best starters we have had.
Only wish they would double the portion size and serve them as a main course.

[Bristle Si]

Been going to CVO for 9 years now. This restaurant is overpriced and over rated.

[EMM]

Take it you don,t like it then ? we prefer it to El and Ela. its quieter and you have a bit more room to dine. We do not like places where you are sharing your meal with the people on the table next to you.

[bruce]

EMM thought it was just us that thought that about Ele & Ela.
Not somewhere we would go back to.
We have always enjoyed the meals we have had at O'Salmoa and never thought it to be overpriced.

[blue]

O Salmao - love the food but take your own atmosphere.

[HampshireRich]

EMM thought it was just us that thought that about Ele & Ela.
Not somewhere we would go back to.
We have always enjoyed the meals we have had at O'Salmoa and never thought it to be overpriced.

Strange you say that bruce (and EMM) - like all restaurants it's very personal as to what you find good or not.

I wrote the review on this restaurant last year having stayed at Monte Carvoeiro since the mid 90s and eaten at the restaurant many times but never really compared it to any other place. I have noticed many rave reviews about Ele & Ela but have to say despite a few visits there I have found it lacking compared to places such as O'Salmoa. Again, I stress this is just personal but I have never found Ele & Ela to be particularly exceptional - my last visit there in 2009 was really a bad experience. However, the majority says otherwise but for me, O'Salmoa has always been a geat place to eat and superior to Ele & Ela for choice and service - perhaps I've just been unlucky there.

[alantansley]

Have just returned from a very pleasant (and very warm!) two weeks in my favourite place.

Thought that we (four of us) would have our final night meal at O Salmao as we have always found the food good even if the service has been a bit slow at times.

The food was again pretty good if not exceptional but the service was terrible. We waited 1 1/2 hours for our main course to arrive and when I queried why people who arrived well after us were being served theirs well before us I was told that we should expect to wait as we had had starters and they hadn't! I was also told that they were busy and we should expect some delays - there were only 8 tables occupied! No hint of an apology and the attitude was disgraceful. Moral of the story seems to be only have one course!

When talking to a fellow long standing holiday maker and O Salmoa patron he also said that he found the service dreadful and had walked out after waiting 2 1/2 hours. Not opnly me it seems.

I have eaten at this place many times in the past ten years but this will be the last. Contrast this with Ele & Ellas where we were acccommodated late in the evening and were treated to excellent food and service with a smile.

My message to O Salmoa is don't take things for granted. There are eateries closing all the time and competition is fierce, no matter how long you have been there.