Holiday Review 2009 - The Restaurants

[Bristle Si]

Following on from my review on the General thread, here's my restaurant review from the last week and a half:

Ma Ja's - 1st visit for us. Good service, friendly owner, nice little restaurant, but the food was just OK in our opinion. Wouldn't put anyone off going; try it for yourselves. I think it's 'home-cooked food' label is probably best suited to the cooler months, when a hearty portion of sausage and mash or home cooked pie would be better appreciated.

Grand Cafe - Sunday lunchtime visit - because the day before we spotted a couple we met in the Round Up the night before who were tucking into a gorgeous looking pizza (we were lunching at O Barco). So we went for a pizza the next day at lunchtime and they are very good quality, with really large dollops of topping.
Only downside was the wait - 45 minutes from order to delivery. My beloved could have stayed frazzling in the sun on the beach and i would have called her over when it was delivered to the table! (learning point for next year).

O Barco - a couple of lunchtimes - piri-piri chicken for me and we just love those chips - freshly cut we think; not the usual frozen variety. Nice and chilled for a post-beach beer at 5 o'clock.

O Indiano (Castello guest house) - visited twice. Really decent Indian in our opinion. Big portions and friendly service. Sat inside on the 2nd visit as the last couple of evenings were cooler in Carvoeiro, but lovely view of the sea as dusk set in. 1st time sat outside - to gtee a table outside i'd recommend to book a day or so in advance. 35 euros, incl. a couple of drinks each.

Oasis - i always insist on at least one visit each holiday, because i love their spare ribs - "Best in town" - the board outside claims and i wouldn't dispute it. They've now been allowed to 'expand' out on the newly cobbled pavement, so doing many more 'covers' than before. Very busy; advisable to book. A longer wait than previous years, due to increased covers, i suspect. 35 euros incl. a carafe of rose wine.

Chef Antonio - visited twice. Previous members have expressed mixed opinions on this restaurant, but we love it. Yes you can wait longer than some, but it's worth it and cooked fresh, so parents with 'fast food' junkies might want to consider a visit to 'educate' their loved ones that food is not always delivered within 5 minutes of ordering!
Bigger meals than the 'norm'. My wife especially likes the pork dishes; i plumped for the lamb's leg on both visits and it was superb, with roast potatoes and 3 veg. 2nd visit tucked into a large portion of chocolate fudge cake - divine! 35 euros, incl. a bottle of wine and a dessert to share.

Villa Medici - italian at top of restaurant hill, opposite Hotel Mirachoro. A favourite of ours - love the Penne Arrabiata (have i spelt that right?) and Calzone. Followed by the Profiteroles and Tiramasu - both absolutely divine desserts. 35 euros incl a couple of drinks

And so, to our 'all-round' favourite -
HAPPY'S - run by Libbre (not sure if i've spelt that right) and assisted by Harry - a dose of Double Dutch! We love the sledgehammer madcap humour, warm welcome and, of course, excellent, value for money food. Visited three times this holiday - booked two of the visits 10 days in advance before arriving in Carvoeiro - you must book well in advance. Great for larger groups, families (the kids are treated like royalty) and couples who 'understand' the humour and can take a joke!
Food choices for us were Chicken and Prawn kebab twice and the Chilli (the wife); for me, Duck and Orange kebab twice and specially requested (in advance) Rabbit in red wine sauce. Both loved the Spring Roll starter with a hot chilli sauce.
Beware the complimentary port wine, post-meal time, it doesn't stop flowing! 35 - 40 euros, incl. a couple of drinks each.

All of our restaurant choices are not overly expensive, but serve good quality, 'value for money' food.

And, what of the restaurants we thought about but gave a miss this year (have eaten at all these establishments before):
Tia Ilda - great position, but in our opinion is a little too expensive for the food served - however, it was busy every night and the food we have had there in the past has been of decent quality, but not convinced the price to pay is value.
Ele and Ela - In our opinion it has got far too expensive. We've eaten there in the past on special occasions (wedding anniversary in June; wife's bday in August) but we just think it's not worth that extra cost for what is served up. I mean 85 euros for 3-course meal and bottle of wine - at current exchange rates too expensive.
Elliots and O Salmao in Monte Carvoeiro - Again far too expensive for what is served - 15/16 euros for main meal, which by past experience is not worth it, compared to other Cvo restaurants. plus, this area is really lacking atmosphere compared to previous years.

That's our views - hope there's some insight for newbies or those who frequent CVO on occasions.

[completecarvoeiro]

Cannot agree with you about Ele & Elas its probably the best presented,service and cooked food in CVO,nowadays its more or less the only place i would frequent in CVO.

[EMM]

Sorry have to disagree, Ela and Ela is a abover average but that is all.
Worst house wine in the vlllage ( maybe thats a tactic to get you to pay for a better bottle ).

For example we have had better meals at Salmao and at Tascos and for less than E & E.

But each to their own.

[patti]

I have to disagree with you on worst house wine, the winner of that award has to be 'Oasis'

[kteee]

Have to agree with you Patti. We don't go there that often and I have to try to remember each time!

Interestingly I have the opposite view of many of the restaurants reviewed in the opening post.

Don't like Villa Medici, Chef Antonio or Happys

Like O Salmão, Elliotts and Ele Ela

Just as well we're not all the same!

[patti]

It certainly is Ktee otherwise lots of bars and restaurants would go out of business and restaurant hill would be deserted !!!

[EMM]

Note, avoid the house wine at Oasis.

[kteee]

It certainly is Ktee otherwise lots of bars and restaurants would go out of business and restaurant hill would be deserted !!!

and we'd never get a table in the ones we like!

[Bristle Si]

Great to see some replies; always nice to read debate.

We are not your typical villa owning/renting English middle class couple or families that are in large supply in CVO, so cannot afford to eat in places like Ele and Ela, O Salmao and Elliotts. They do not offer brill food that i'd expect at their prices IMO...simple as. So we go for the better value restaurants.

Plus we ate out every one of our 11 nights in CVO, plus a few lunchtimes and therefore support the bars and restaurants for a large proportion of our holidays in CVO.

And yes it's good we all have different tastes otherwise CVO and the world would be boring, wouldn't it?

Plus, i would add we have no connections with any of the restaurants, so my views are 100% unbiased, with no hidden agenda.

[kteee]

We ate at O Salmão a couple of weeks ago (one of my infrequent outings for a family birthday!) 4 people, 3 courses (inc 2 specials), wine, coffee, for 25€ a head - we thought it was very good value for what we had!

[e-richard]

What a fascinating diversity of views.

We went to Ele & Ela last night, and have been raving about the house wine all day.
The food was pretty darn good too.

[EMM]

The house wine in Taste was much better so maybe they have changed to this at Ela and Elas.

[blue]

I have to say that a lot of the restaurants on B S's post would not be restaurants that we would go to even looking at 'better' value restaurants, Grand Cafe was really expensive for what you got as was O Barco, in Chef Antonio we were served huge portions of slop (supposed to be seafood pasta & seafood rice) & in Villa Medici we had the most overpriced mediocre pasta we'd ever eaten. I've recommended some of our favourite restaurants to friends who have been less than impressed with our preferences so each to their own. Personally I'd rather eat out less often & more discerningly. Vive la difference!

[sam]

Have just returned from Carvoeiro. Went to our usual restaurants plus a couple I had not tried before. Pleased to see Lynn and Fraser at O Forno de Fraser (by post office). My mum is still raving about the meal we had there. She was disappointed in the restaurant size - I had warned her, but she did not realise I meant that small. Mum & I had great, freshly made pizza, a nice bottle of wine and a large bottle of water for 17 euros, and even had some left which Lynn put in a box for us to take home for my son's supper. Best value of the holiday.

Ate at Oasis twice - always enjoy it there. Always found house wine to be cheap, and acceptable. Better wines available, but obviously cost more.

Also old favourites - Lanterna Velha, A Palmeira and Casa Algarvia. Usual good food and value.

As my vegetarian son was not with us we tried O Fonte for the first time - good meal, big portions, and again good value.