RESTAURANT "O TIAGO"
Family run restaurant located in Budens village square by the church, excellent home cooked food. Specialities include Steak on a Stone (Which is a must), Pork in Fruit and Cream, and Roast Lamb (dish of the day every Friday) Any tradicional portuguese cuisine can be pre booked 24h prior.. Prawns Ajilhó excellent. Tel. 282 695081. Reservations recommended. Closed on Sundays.
MIRA MAR
(A rustic restaurant on the promenade looking out to sea, no access from the road)
“Mira Mar”, “Bistro Central” and “Agua Na Boca” are our “posh” favourites but as Mira Mar is only open-air, it’s sadly closed in winter. Open for lunch & dinner, great seafood, meat, kebabs, omelettes & occasional pasta dishes, all cooked by a very good Portuguese chef. Most dishes come with his distinctive sautéed spuds.
BISTRO CENTRAL
Run by a Frenchman, Bertrand, who takes the whole concept of eating very seriously…the food’s definitely the best in Salema (and some say in the Western Algarve!). Huge salads, generous portions and delicious everything. A lovely place to eat outside in summer - definitely worth splashing out on.
AGUA NA BOCA (“water in the mouth”)
Very popular, you must book. Really delicious food, a wide menu to chose from and a lovely ambiance here.
BOIA
(on the promenade, looking out to sea)
A great restaurant, a must for fresh fish and there is always a good variety. The pork fillet in a mushroom cream sauce and “chicken Pescadores” stew come highly recommended. Or for lunch, have a yummy Bifana (pork sandwich) for just over 2 euros – bargain!
SAO LOURENCO
(On the far side of the square, over little bridge, on your left as you head up hill)
Traditional Portuguese, family-run restaurant; great food, a similar range to the other restaurants in Salema but with added (local) extras like Cataplana (fish or chicken stew) and great pork spare ribs. Far more reasonable prices as there’s no sea view.
CORSARIOS (“the car park snack bar”)
Mama Rosa (the small lady in the kitchen)
In true Portuguese style, start your day with their equivalent of a bacon sandwich - a “bifana” (thin, marinated pork in a bap – add some piri piri oil and mustard). Rosa’s are the best bifana on the Western Algarve (2 euros) A good place for a cheap lunch with the kids – it has sandwiches, pizza etc. But without kids, just stick to her Portuguese food as the sandwiches/pizzas are definitely nothing to write home about. Recommended; her rabbit stew and yummy roasted pork (porco assado)
HAVELI
(Salema’s new Curry House)
A new addition to Salema’s gastronomic portfolio. Probably not quite as good as a British Ruby but good food all the same (avoid the luminous orange Chicken Tikka Massala!)
ATLANTICO
Average food (fish, meat etc) but in a great spot overlooking the sea
Local Bars
If you are looking for nightlife, the Western Algarve is surprisingly vibrant. During the summer months, Salema gets a little livelier. The best bars are Atabua located on the left hand side of the main square, and just a little further up the Aventura bar run by Carl & Zoe, a tidy little bar that lots of the ex pat locals use, great coktails really good atmosphere. Both bars open till 2am. Sagres is also a great night out, great atmosphere, very relaxed and chilled out.
INGRINA
You’d be mad not to go here – a secret gem! It used to be dirt cheap & although it’s getting more expensive, it’s definitely worth going for the BEST seafood, overlooking a secluded bay in the Natural Park. Try clams in garlic, calamares, prawns in “special” (garlic & tomato) sauce, baby squids in a dark garlicy sauce & at weekends, a great lamb stew. Closes at sundown & Tuesdays.
[Exit Salema up the winding hill towards the Parque da Floresta Golf Course cross roads. Turn LEFT onto the N125 towards Sagres. After a few miles, you come to Raposeira. At the crossroads here, turn LEFT towards Zavial & Ingrina. Carry on along this road until you get to an obvious “Y” junction. If you go left, it takes you to Zavial beach (very pretty but not great food). Taking a right at the junction takes you to Ingrina. It’s a little bay with a café perched on the low clifftop, surrounded by “pineapple” palms]
“MARAGIL”, Raposeira (en route to Ingrina)
Traditional Portuguese; fantastic slow-cooked roasts on Sundays but order in advance
EIRA DO MEL, Vila do Bispo
Delicious slow-cooked food, typical Algarvian food in a rustic setting. Try wild boar cooked in red wine, rabbit stew and great fish, or the signature wild prawn, pork and chorizo cataplana (cooked in a copper pot with onions, peppers and garlic)
[Exit Salema up winding hill towards the Parque da Floresta cross roads. Turn LEFT onto N125 towards Sagres. Keep on main road, through Raposeira and at Vila do Bispo, ignore the 1st turning into the village, driving under a bridge and take the next sliproad into the village (RIGHT). Go straight over a roundabout, past a bank on left & some shops/cafes on right. At next R/about, turn LEFT and head slightly uphill towards Vila do Bispo’s beaches. Eiro do Mel is to your RIGHT, infront of you (white and blue building)]
PIZZA PAZZA, Pedralva
Relflects the hippie vibe of the West Coast and considered by many to be by far the best pizzas on the Algarve. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, everyone raves about the pizza here. You’ll find it hard to believe when you get to this middle-of-nowhere place but Princes William & Harry apparently come here.
[Exit Salema up winding hill towards the Parque da Floresta cross roads. Turn LEFT onto N125 towards Sagres. Keep on main road, through Raposeira and at Vila do Bispo, take the sliproad on your RIGHT, heading towards an old windmill/water tower? Drive past a few industrial buildings on right (& a surf shop). Follow this road for about 10 minutes, through some lovely scenery – wooded hills, valleys and tonnes of eucalyptus trees and wind turbines. You’ll see a sign on the RIGHT to Pedralva. The village is tiny and easy to find the Pizzeria]
“SITIO DO RIO”, Carrapateira
Great, good value food behind the dunes at Carrapateira beach. A huge menu & the Portuguese eat here – always a sign of good food at a decent price.
[Exit Salema up winding hill towards the Parque da Floresta cross roads. Turn LEFT onto N125 towards Sagres. Keep on main road, through Raposeira and at Vila do Bispo, take the sliproad on your RIGHT, heading towards an old windmill. Drive past a few industrial buildings on right (& a surf shop). Follow this road for about 15 minutes, through some lovely scenery – wooded hills, valleys and tonnes of eucalyptus trees and wind turbines.
If you’ve already seen the incredible scenery between Amado & Carrapateira beaches, then continue on the main road to the village of Carrapateira and turn left towards the beach. You’ll come across Sitio do Rio restaurant on your right as you head towards the beach.
If you want the scenic drive… Just before you get to Carrapateria you’ll see a sign on LEFT to AMADO beach. Turn left here and follow coast road round. AMADO is the first beach you come to – it’s a huge, fantastic surfing beach with a surf school. Great fun beach & quiet in winter.
Continue around the coastal path, past SITIO DO FORNO restaurant (a lovely spot high on the cliff edge – good fish but a pricey restaurant), past lots of new wooden walkways with views out to sea. Carry on until you see Carrapateira beach – you can’t miss it, it’s such a huge stretch of sand.
To get to SITIO DO RIO restaurant, carry on along the coast road a bit further, heading down the hill and towards the village of Carrapateira itself. You’ll see Sitio do Rio restaurant on your LEFT. Hasn’t got the views that Sitio do Forno has but the food’s much better]
“SITIO DO FORNO”
(On coast rd between Armado & Carrapateira: see previous instructions for getting here)
The food’s not as good as Sitio do Rio but the location, perched on the clifftops overlooking the sea, is incredible…and what a great drive getting here!
PASHMINA CURRY HOUSE, Luz
If you’re desperately missing a good Ruby, Pashmina’s a great place
[Pass the church, take the little road directly towards the beach. Park in the dusty car park on your left. Pashmina’s in the line of restaurants]
TAVERNA DO LAGOS”, Lagos
Right in the centre of town, a lovely romantic place, newly renovated with moody lighting and lots of atmosphere, run by a German
“ADEGA DA MARINA”, Lagos
(A long white building with green paintwork, opposite pedestrian bridge to the marina – stay on the Lagos TOWN side of the water though. Park on the Avenida)
A cavernous, traditional, noisy (but atmospheric) cantina where the speciality is the fresh catch of the day, chicken piri-piri or pork, all served with chips and salad. The pork spare ribs are SO good! Great value & full of Portuguese families…definitely worth a visit
Go past the town centre & look out for the pedestrian “Millenium” bridge which crosses over to the marina. The “ADEGA DA MARINA” is on the TOWN side of the water (not the marina side) but it’s very near this bridge so use it as a landmark. It’s a long white building with green paintwork. Park either side of the Avenida]
LAGOS MARINA & MEIA PRAIA BEACH
There are a number of restaurants at the marina.
Do Cais is good bistro-like food & Lazy Jacks is a good, cheap, all-round place for sandwiches, pizzas etc. The most popular bar at the Marina is the South Bar on the upstairs level.
[Drive as if to the ADEGA DA MARINA (above). Either park on the town-side (near the “Millenium” bridge) and walk over the bridge. Or if you want to drive all the way to the Marina, drive on past the Adega and at the big roundabout, turn RIGHT and follow signs to Meia Praia/Marina. At next roundabout, turn RIGHT towards the Marina and at next roundabout, RIGHT again. The road bends left towards the old & new train stations. Park anywhere here. The main Marina restaurants are to your RIGHT, through the passageways in high pink wall]
BAR A LOTA, behind Lagos Marina
A fantastically cheap little fish restaurant – basic, outside tables where you can gorge on fish till your heart’s content. You’ll be so pleased you bothered!
[To get here, follow the above instructions but drive on past the old & new train stations and park in the rough car-park beside the boat yard. You’ll see Bar da Lota opposite.
Continue to drive further on down the rough track to get to the 3 beach restaurants (Bahia, Bar Linda & Sao Rocco)]
3 beach-hut restaurants on Meia Praia beach, behind the Marina
These 3 are great restaurants to go to with the kids – right on Lagos’s famously long, white-sand beach.
1) BAR LINDA - very average American-inspired cuisine (ribs & burgers)
2) BAHIA (park at Bar Linda and take the wooden walkway to the left). Nice food, like a British Gastro-pub.
3) SAO RUOCCO (keep driving past the ruin to the furthest wooden hut). This is a beautiful restaurant, fantastic fish - but expensive. It has a kids’ play park in its grounds overlooking beach
[Read the driving instructions above, going past the old and new railway stations, past the boat yard. You’ll end up on a sandy track & it’ll seem you’re in the middle of nowhere! When you see a ruin on your left, take the track next to it taking you to Bar Linda]
“CASA CHICO ZE”, between Lagos & Odiaxere (25 mins)
A fabulous place for a yummy grilled fish/meat lunch. Not by the beach, infact it’s just off a main road, but once inside the walls of the Quinta (farm with horses & stables) you’ll forget the road outside! This place is only open for lunch & is really popular with Portuguese families & workmen. 4 chefs cook fish and kebabs to order on a huge open-air grill. You can eat inside or out on long trestle tables alongside other people. This is one of the best value meals you’ll have by far, it’s always chokka and you may have to wait to be seated but incredibly, you’re still served quickly. A great place to go for lunch if you’re in Lagos or en route to the airport.
[Drive as if to ADEGA DA MARINA. Go past the Adega, straight over at the 1st big roundabout and then at next roundabout, 1st RIGHT (towards “Portimao/Odiaxere”). At McDonald’s r/About, take 1st RIGHT and get into LEFT lane. As the road forks ahead, keep left onto the N125. Go past a petrol station on RIGHT. Pass “Solmate” Industrial Estate & just after a shop called “MoveisOn”, turn RIGHT where you see a pottery “Artesania” place & a sign reading “Torre”. Park at the pottery place - the restaurant is nextdoor]
BEM BOM
[Head towards Lagos on the N125. Just before you get to Lagos, turn RIGHT into Boa Vista Golf Resort. Drive straight through the resort & at the last roundabout, turn LEFT. Exit the resort, pass Bambino’s school on RIGHT and Bem Bom is on your LEFT (don’t confuse with café on right)
LAGOS, PALACIO CHINESE
Chinese food and excellent at that. Large and extensive menu. Our best choice for a Chinese meal in the area. Tel. 282 763791
LAGOS, ITALIA
Italian Cuisine. Extremely large menu. All food excellent one of the best Italian restaurants ever! Expencive but worth it for a special ocasion. Steaks, pizzas and pasta are recommended. Must book in advance. Tel. 282 760030.
LAGOS, O GALEAO
Portuguese and international cuisine. Smoked swordfish and steaks excellent. Good wine list. Tel. 282 763909. Reservations recommended.
LAGOS, NO PATIO
Danish and international cuisine. For a special evening out. Delicious menu. Tel 282 763777. Reservations recommended.
Enquiries & Info e-mail: palmeiravillas@sapo.pt
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