The Best Restaurants in Portimão, Portugal

Right in the middle of the old town’s pedestrian district is Café Brasil, a lesser-known seafood restaurant. This charming cafe, with a small outdoor area and pleasant atmosphere, is the place to go for locally sourced meals. The house favorite is the clam and razor clam mixed stew, but feel free to ask the owner Sousa what’s fresh. He won’t let you down.

A little outside the city – but well worth the 15-minute drive – this award-winning tavern with a 25-year history is a local institution. The menu is set, so you shouldn’t be too picky, but rest assured that all dishes are tasty and fresh. The chef’s daily menu is always inspired by what he finds at the local morning market, so you can’t possibly go wrong.

Atop the multi-toned cliffs of the sandy Praia dos Três Irmãos is this well-known restaurant, treasured for its closeness to the sea and premium service. The surprises start with the lift, which takes you up through the cliff to the restaurant, hovering above the picturesque cove. Do try the local meat and fish stew, an absolute must.

The secret to grilled fish is its freshness, as much as the skill of those who cook it. Few are more skilled than the family behind this breezy restaurant by the old fishing harbour. The catch of the day sits there on display and, depending on what’s available, you can find everything from mackerel to golden bream, grilled to perfection and accompanied by well-seasoned potatoes.

With a carefully curated Portuguese wine list and a hefty reputation, Carvi remains the best option in the city for a fine seafood meal. To be savoured in a tiled dining room with rows of white-linen tables, the incredible mussels are particularly noteworthy, and so are the grilled prawns, all prepared by the owner’s wife in the semi-open kitchen.

Found inside the local tennis club, this no-frills restaurant is a local favourite for grilled sardines – the city’s most famous dish, available only between June and September. Well-prepared on the grill, with the flesh cooked but still firm and full of juice, be sure to accompany your meal with an Algarve salad of raw onion, oregano and juicy tomato.

Hidden at the edge of the old town is a small courtyard shared by some of the city’s best restaurants, including the Taberna da Maré. In this historic venue, decorated with countless photos of another era and with vintage wine flasks to match, the food is typical of the coastline and well worth trying. Highlights include the marinated mackerel, followed by fried ray and a refreshing tomato salad.