Algarve restaurants and food

During your days in the Algarve, treat yourself without guilt to the variety of local dishes.

The cuisine of the Algarve is clearly influenced by Mediterranean culture, and every morning its ports and markets take delivery of the fresh fish that takes centre stage in its dishes.

Fish and seafood

There's a star dish around here called Cataplana. The name actually belongs to the special pot it's cooked in, a sort of metal vessel made of two concave halves, into which go seafood or meat along with vegetables and seasonings.

Freshness defines everything typical in the Algarve

The tuna is another local speciality, since it's caught along this stretch of the Portuguese coast. Among other ways, it's served with onions, garlic, tomatoes, oil and parsley.

We'd also recommend trying a speciality called Muxama de atún, which is simply pieces of tuna loin, salted and left to dry using the same technique the Phoenicians used two thousand years ago. It's delicious.

Fish in general is almost always prepared very simply: grilled, baked or fried in batter, as it is all over Portugal. But one very particular way you'll only find in the Algarve is cooked with almonds, which gives it a unique flavour and texture.

Oysters, octopus, squid and clams may come as starters or as tapas. These same ingredients also star in small pastries and croquettes.

The fish soup is always there, and every restaurant has its own special recipe.

Last but never least: salt cod. The king of Portuguese cooking appears on every menu in the Algarve's restaurants.

More than just fish

Roast lamb

The specialities, as we said, are the fish and seafood, but that's not all. There are traditional dishes too, such as fried rabbit, lamb, pork with clams and partridge stew.

Also, as in the rest of Portugal, you'll find “churrasqueiras” where you always eat well. Meat and chicken grilled to order, served with plain white rice, a lettuce and tomato salad and chips.

There is one dish that is very much of this area, called arjamolho, a sort of local gazpacho with tomato, garlic, cucumber, pepper and oregano as the main ingredients.

In recent years more international places have opened, and it is now perfectly normal to find curry, sushi, gourmet burgers, poke and other specialities.

Algarve sweets

Dried fig ice cream from the Delizia ice cream parlour in Tavira

And to finish your meal in style, you will have a choice of exquisite sweets made with figs, honey, almonds, oranges and cheeses, all locally produced.

Convent sweets, as in the rest of Portugal, take pride of place in the cafés and bakeries of the Algarve.

You will find puff pastry and custards made with egg yolks and almond essence in a huge variety of sweets.

One very particular speciality of this region is carob bread (alfarroba in Portuguese), a dark, dense loaf that tastes wonderful with jam at breakfast.

Children's menu at the “Ponto de encontro” restaurant in Tavira

Children's menu

Something else you will often come across in restaurants in the Algarve is a children's menu.

With dishes that usually go down well with children: spaghetti, fish fingers, nuggets or burgers.

Prices in restaurants here are generally a little higher than in the rest of Portugal. But in most places around €12 will get you a main course plus a drink.

To see a list of recommended restaurants at the time of your visit, book a table and earn points while you are at it, we recommend the ElTenedorapp, and as we mentioned above, you can get €10 off if you download the app and enter the code 7B64F18F at the final step of the booking. After 7 days you will have €10 in your app for your next reservation.

In high season we always recommend booking ahead, as the most popular places tend to be full.