 
'Couvert' |
| Before each meal |
Fresh bread, olives, garlic carrots and / or tins / dishes of sardine pate. ( Not free but an optional extra ) |
 |
| Shellfish is, like most everywhere these days, is getting very expensive in the Algarve. Cockles, (Small) Clams and Mussels are the most reasonable, for anything else
ask before ordering as prices will normally be adjusted according to availability. Any prices you see will generally be quoting per kilogram, this includes fish, so you may not end up paying the
price you thought. Having said that most restaurants are pretty good and will volunteer the price without being asked. |
| Polvo |
Octopus |
| Ovo Maionese |
Egg Mayonnaise |
| Ovos com Fiambre |
Eggs with Ham |
| Ovos Mexidos |
Scrambled Eggs |
| Salada de Atum |
Tuna / Corn Salad |
| Milho com Atum |
Tuna with corn |
| Patê de Atum |
Tuna Paste |
| Caracóis à Algarvia |
Snails |
| Santola recheada |
Dressed crab |
| Camarão |
Shrimps |
Cocktail de Camarão  |
Shrimps Cocktail - generally fresh not frozen and a better presentation than anything you get at home. |
| Omelete de Camarão |
Shrimps Omelette |
| Resunto |
Smoked ham |
| Melão com Presunto |
Melon with Smoked Ham |
| Chouriço assada |
Grilled pepper/garlic sausage |
| Meijoas |
Clams - The Alvor clams are perfection. |
| Amêijoas na Cataplana |
Clams Cataplana |
Cataplana. Served in a traditional brass pan, it is a mixture of clams, pork, spices, garlic, onions, tomatoes and white wine. |
Soup ( Sopa ) |
| Note: that Soup in Portugal is generally served tepid / lukewarm, so don't assume it is just bad service. If you prefer it to be hot ask for it 'Bem
quente' (pronounced 'beng kent'). |
| Caldo Verde |
Soup made with kale |
| Canja |
Chicken broth |
| Creme de Camarão |
Cream of Prawn |
| Sopa de Conquilhas |
Shellfish soup |
| Sopa de Peixe |
Fish soup |
| Sopa Transmontana |
'Soup from across the mountains' is made from white cabbage, potatoes, turnip, carrots and may contain some pork meat. |
| Sopa de Ervilhas |
Just Pea soup. |
| Sopa de Legumes |
Vegetable soup |
| Sopa de Campo |
'Farmers Soup', from radishes, carrots, celery and garlic |
| Canja |
Basically a chicken broth. Rice and ham are common ingredients |
| Sopa de Agriões |
Watercress and potatoes soup. |
| Sopa de Pedra |
'Stone Soup'. The soup is prepared from lettuce, egg, onion, and lots of garlic. Watch out it as it does have the traditional small stone is placed in the soup. |
Salad ( Salada ) & Ingredients |
| Salada de Tomate |
Tomato salad - most everything will be accompanied by this even roast dinners. |
| Salada Mista |
Mixed salad |
| Cenoura |
Carrot |
| Alface |
Lettuce |
| Cebola |
Onion |
| Tomatoe |
Tomato |
| Pepino |
Cucumber |
Meat ( Carne ) |
| Porco |
Pork |
| Carne de porco com Amêijoas |
Pork and Clams - If you have tried this in Alvor you'll not bother elsewhere. |
| Carne de Porco à Alentejana |
Fried cubes of pork and cockles cooked together with a tomatoes and onion sauce. |
| Carne de Porco à Alentejana |
Pork with Clams Alentejo Style |
| Lombo de Porco de Monção |
Pork from the oven with chestnuts |
| Lombo de Porco Assado |
Pork Loin Roasted |
| Costeletas de Porco |
Pork Chops |
| Febras de Porco |
Pork Fillet |
| Entrocosto de Porco |
Pork Ribs |
| Leitão Assado / Bairrada |
Roast suckling pig |
| Churrasco |
Pork (Spit roasted) |
| Entremeada |
Thick slices of bacon (Gammon) |
| Feijoada |
Black Beans, Meat / Sausage Hotpot |
| Favas à Algarvia |
Broad beans, Meat / Sausage Hotpot |
| Bife à Frigideira |
This is a rump steak with a thick slice of gammon ham on top fried in a earthenware oval dish with a slice of bread. |
| Cozido à Portuguesa |
This is a meat stew (without the liquid) made from the beef shin (other meats can be used), boiled white cabbage, carrots, turnips, smoked sausage and rice. |
| Empadinhas de Castelo Branco |
These are meat pies with various meat content with onions and some white wine. |
| Ensopada de Borrego |
Spicy fried pieces of saddle of lamb, onion and garlic sauce, with slices of bread covered in the sauce. |
| Espetada de Lombinho |
Lamb on the Spit. |
| Cataplana de Carne |
Meat Hotpot. |
| Espetada de Carne |
Grilled Meat on the spit. |
| Bife a Portuguesa |
Steak Portuguese Style. |
| Bife de Vaca |
Beefsteak. |
| Rosbife |
Roast Beef. |
| Carne assada |
Roast Beef. |
| Cabrito assado |
Roast Goat (kid) |
| Bife do Lombo com Pimenta |
Pepper steak |
| Sanduíche de steak |
Steak sandwich. |
| Vit |
Veal. |
| Vitela com Amêndoas |
Veal with almonds. |
| Vitela Assada |
Veal from the oven. |
| Vitela Estufada |
Veal Stew. |
| Costeletas de Vitela |
Veal Chops. |
| Bife de Avestruz |
Ostrich Steak. |
 |
| Frango Piri Piri |
Also called Chicken Piri Piri. Chicken gilled on charcoal while basted with a special mixture prepared differently by each chef. The essential ingredient is the hot piri piri
sauce and the chicken must be served straight from the grill. Normally chipped potatoes and salad accompany it. Can be very hot, spicy or plenty of
chillies. Bottled dressing on chicken is not considered real Piri Piri. |
| Frango Assada |
Grilled Chicken. |
| Frango napucara |
Chicken casserole. |
| Arroz de Pato |
Strips of roasted duck mixed with rice and roasted again in the oven. |
| Faisão Estufado |
Stewed marinated pheasant in brandy and wine. |
| Faisão no Forno |
Oven cooked Pheasant. |
| Peru |
Turkey. |
| Bife de Peru |
Thick slices or steak of turkey fried with garlic and served with chipped potatoes and side salad. |
| Pato Bravo |
Wild Duck. |
| Arroz de Pato |
Roast Duck mixed with rice |
| Coelho à Minhota |
Rabbit marinated for 24 hours and then fried in small sections. Served with a tomato based sauce. |
| Javali Estufado |
Wild Boar Stew. |
| Churrasco de Javali |
Grilled Wild Boar. |
| Carne de Veado |
Loin of Venison. |
 |
| Cheapest are Sardines and they bear no resemblance to tinned U.K. offerings! Tuna, Swordfish and the Dourada bream are pretty much boneless, Locally caught Sole,
Bass, Red Mullet and various types of Sea Bream are the bony ones. |
| Bacalhau Recheado à Algarvia |
Cod Fish Algarve style. |
| Bifes de Atum com Tomate |
Tuna Fish and tomatoes. |
| Atum Grelhado |
Grilled Tuna. |
| Pescada assada à Algarvia |
Whiting Fish. |
| Lulas cheias |
Squid stuffed with cured meats and rice. |
| Lulas Recheadas |
Another variation on the above. |
| Arroz de Polvo |
Octopus and Rice. |
| Cataplana Algarvia |
A variety of Fish with Rice. |
| Ameijoas na cataplana |
Steamed clams with spicy sausage and onions. |
Cataplana.
Served in a traditional brass pan, it is a mixture of clams, pork, spices, garlic, onions, tomatoes and white wine. |
| Arroz de Peixe |
Fish and Rice. |
| Açorda à Algarvia |
Bread and Shellfish. |
| Caldereida |
A fish stew - cooked with a fish of your choice. |
| Arroz de Lingueirão |
Shellfish and rice. |
| Bacalhau Assado ou Cozido |
Boiled or Roasted Codfish. |
| Bacalhau à Braz |
Codfish with potatoes and eggs. |
| Rodovalho. |
Halibut. |
| Lagosta / Lavagante |
Lobster. |
| Lagosta Grelhada |
Grilled Lobster. |
| Lagosta ao Natural |
Fresh Lobster. |
| Lagostim |
Langoustine (scampi). |
| Mexilhões / Percebes |
Mussels. |
| Ostras |
Oysters. |
| Santola |
Crab. |
| Sapateira |
Large Crab. |
| Linguado Grelhado |
Grilled Sole. |
| Carapaus Alimados |
Boiled Mackerel. |
| Douradas na Brasa |
Grilled gold Bream. |
| Gorazinhos Grelhado |
Grilled small Sea-Breams. |
| Salmonete |
Red Mullet. |
| Salmao |
Salmon. |
| Salmão Grelhado |
Grilled Salmon. |
| Robalo |
Sea Bass. |
| Massada de Peixe |
Small Sea Basses on Charcoal. |
| Linguado |
Sole. |
| Truta |
Trout. |
| Peixe Espada Grelhado |
Grilled Swordfish. |
| Lulas Recheadas |
Stuffed Squid. |
| Lulas Grelhadas |
Grilled Squid. |
| Arroz de Polvo |
Octopus with Rice |
| Camarão Cozido |
Boiled shrimps. |
| Gambas |
Large Shrimps. |
| Camarão Tigre Grelhado |
Grilled Tiger shrimps. |
| The Sardines must be tried, preferably caught the same day and cooked on an open grill. |
| Shrimps come in 3 sizes, first the well-known shrimp (Camarão) then the Gamba, which is considerably bigger, and third and largest the "Camarão Tigre", Tiger Shrimp. |
 |
The Portuguese are very fond of their "Doces" which means "Sweets", that covers it perfectly, all cakes, tarts and custards are highly sugared. A lot of restaurants have their Doces da Casa,
homemade sweets. Widely served are the Puddings/Mousses, Ice cream, Fruit or a Fruit Salad. |
| Bolinhos de Amêndoa |
Almond cakes. |
| Morgados |
Almonds, Figs, Eggs & Sugar (Very rich!) |
| Dom Rodrigo |
Almonds, Egg & Cinnamon. |
| Mousse de Amêndoa |
Almond Mousse. |
| Bolos à Fatia |
Cake (Slice). |
| Pudim Flan |
Caramel pudding. |
| Leite Creme |
Cream custard. |
| Mousse de Chocolate |
Chocolate Mousse. |
| Morgado de Figos |
Fig and Marzipan. |
| Fruta da Época |
Fruit (Seasonal). |
| Salada de Frutas |
Fruit Salad. |
| Gelados |
Ice Cream. |
| Merengues |
Meringues. |
| Ananás ao Natural |
Pineapple (Fresh). |
| Arroz Doce |
Rice Pudding. |
 |
| Bica Pingada / Pingo |
A small black coffee with a drop of hot milk.. |
| Cappucino |
A small black coffee served in a tea-sized cup usually served with whipped cream or with machine frothed milk. |
| Galão. |
More hot milk than coffee in a tumbler glass.. |
| Abatanado |
Coffee with some hot frothed milk in a tea-sized cup. |
| Café com Leite Apart / Serviço de Café. |
Coffee with hot milk to add in a tea-sized cup. |
| Bica, Expresso, Café |
Small black coffee - served in a small cup. |
| Italiana / Bica Curto. |
Small black coffee with less water. |
| Cimbalino. |
Small black coffee from a Cimbalin Coffee Machine. |
| Carioca / Bica Fraca. |
Small weaker coffee. |
| Bica Dupla |
Double black coffee in a cup. (recommended after midnight). |
 |
Medronho: A strong, jenever like spirit. Made from the red berries of the arbutus shrub. It does vary and any you find in properly labelled bottles is not nearly a good as 'local
supplies'. Treat with respect as it is a bit of a killer!
Amarquinha: An Almond liquor, usually taken as a desert 'wine'.
Beer:
Portuguese beers ( Cerveja ) are good. The most popular of the major brands is 'Superbock' with 'Sagres' close behind. Both brands also have a dark beer. 'San Miguel' ( Spanish ) is now more widely
available and is rapidly gaining in popularity. Magners Cider (Irish) is also popular in most bars (especially the Irish ones) as is of course is Guinness.
'Off Licences' and supermarkets have a wide variety of international beers.
Port:
Port is a fortified wine; the wine has had grape brandy added to it after a couple of days' fermentation. 80% wine 20% brandy.
- Tinto (red) - dark, sweet and the cheapest, made from a blend of wines of lesser quality.
- Tinto Aloirado (ruby red) - dark, sweet and the cheapest, made from a blend of wines of lesser quality.
- Aloirado (tawny)
- Branco (white) not so well-known outside Portugal. The dry version, "seco" makes a good aperitif.
- Seco (dry)
- Doce (sweet)
- Vintage Character Port (a cheaper version of Vintage Port)
- Quinta (wine estate)
- Colheita (tawny port, cask-aged for 7 years or more)
Spirits:
Other than Medronho mentioned above there are no other 'local' spirits produced on the Algarve (perhaps with the exception of Brandymel). Most international spirits
are widely available but despite generous measures (compared with the U.K.) they are quite pricey. |
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There are four major wine regions in the Algarve, these are Lagoa, Lagos, Portimão and Tavira. Lagoa is the probably the most important. The regions produce about 6
million litres annually between them, mainly red wine but also white and rosé.
The red wines are fruity and the whites are reasonably dry, both though are pretty high in alcohol content. The quality of the Algarve's wines is said not to be as high as that of wines
produced in other regions of Portugal, but I've found them more than drinkable.
With prices from 3 to 6 Euros for a 'nice' bottle from the supermarkets and about ten Euros in the restaurants
you can't really go wrong.
Make sure you try the restaurant's 'house' wines if you have no preference, you may be pleasantly surprised.
Lagoa (DOC)
This region covers the municipalities of both Albufeira and Lagoa. The soft sandy soil and warm climate provides a rich distinct flavour. The red wines are ruby-coloured which develop with age and
are easy to drink. The white wine is soft and full-bodied. Both red and white have high alcohol content.
Lagos (DOC)
This region covers the municipalities of Aljezur, Lagos and Sagres. The red wine is smooth and fruity with low acidity level. The white wine is lemon-straw in colour and tends to be full-bodied.
Portimão (DOC)
The red wine is light, smooth with low acidity and high alcohol content. The white wine is straw-coloured with a soft and rich aromatic flavour.
Tavira (DOC)
This region covers the municipalities of Castro Marim, Faro, Olhão, São Brás de Alportel, Tavira and Vila Real de Santo António (i.e, Eastern Algarve). The red wine is soft, pale-coloured and with
a fruity aroma. The white wine is straw-coloured, smooth and full-bodied.
Vinho Branco - White wine
Vinho da casa - House wine
Vinho clarete - Light red wine
Vinho doce - Sweet wine
Vinho espumante - Sparkling wine
Vinho do Porto - Port wine
Vinho da região - Local wine
Vinho seco - Dry wine
Vinho verde - "Green" wine (semi-sparkling acidic wine) |
Tip: For these tips and more detail click on the at the top of any page.
