Sushi Ya Restaurant

When we first moved to the Algarve, there wasn’t a Japanese restaurant in sight. This was a sad thought for sushi lovers like us, so we resigned ourselves to making it at home. Then one day while driving through downtown Faro, we spotted what appeared to be a mirage….a small, new van with the words SUSHI written on the side….could it be?!

Since we were in an one-way lane, we needed to circle back to get more information off the van. Excited to find where fresh sushi was hiding, we made a quick turn, and headed back…only to discover, it was gone!… :o(

Feeling a bit like we just lost our family pet, Moses and I returned home, and tried to forget how close we came to having sushi that day. Knowing it was “somewhere” near by, we asked around every chance we got. Then finally, a friend who also happens to love sushi directed us to where we could find it!

Feeling a bit like kids at Christmas, we planned a dinner and even took an uninitiated soul with us. On arrival, we couldn’t believe this place had been under our nose the entire time, “Sushi Ya”. We had driven on a crossing street to the restaurant dozens of times, but now we were here and excited to try sushi in the Algarve.

Casa do Polvo Restaurant - The Octopus House, Santa Luzia

What a treat we stumble on…actually have to give all the credit to our friend Rui, who found and took us to the little gem last summer. Otherwise, we would have never found this spot, that we now frequent whenever we’re in Tavira.

Casa do Polvo - Santa Luzia

Their number isn’t listed, and the number I did find took some work (thanks Sulezio), it might just be the owners cell…so use it wisely, I don’t want any run-ins with angry Octopus’ or their captors.

Casa do Polvo, is a unique little restaurant dedicated to Octopus, that’s right - the multi tentacle invertebrate, most people aren’t really sure what to make of. Well, all I can say, is cooked up right, it’s absolutely wonderful, and this little place knows how to choose, prepare and cook it deliciously.

Adega Nova Restaurant

We hear from friends and tourists, that they would like to go to a restaurant that feels really traditional here in the Algarve. Well, we have a favourite place that’s traditional and it’s right in the heart of Faro, and we like to go there whenever the traditional urge hits us.

“Adega Nova Restaurant” - this place has been around since the 80’s and started by a husband and wife and now passed down to their son, who is regularly on hand to watch over every detail. It’s tucked away on a side street close to the heart of old Faro, and it’s all about tradition. You won’t find fancy cocktails, with exotic names or refined fusion anything, what you will find is good old hearty, rustic Portuguese food. The decor is well traditional, and in what looks like a converted and hollowed out house/barn, dimly lit with high ceiling and lots of wood, bottles of wine, ceramic plates and hunting paraphernalia. Bench type seating makes for a casual but intimate feel and they recently added a partial second floor that will accommodate smokers now that the smoking ban is in full force.

Sabores do Mundo Restaurant - Albufeira

A few nights ago we ended up at Sabores do Mundo on the Albufeira Marina. Although we’ve been to Albufeira countless times, the Marina somehow eluded us. And now we understand why; when you first drive to the marina area, you completely miss the Marina! But, it’s neatly tucked away behind the brightly coloured lego’ish looking apartment complex, the marina is new and quite spacious with lots of walking and playing room for the little ones, which is always a nice surprise.

Along the marina there are a number of shops and restaurants to choose from, and that’s where you’ll find Sabores do Mundo (Flavours of the World). A modern Asian fusion restaurant with a crisp edginess in its décor, and their open kitchen lets you watch Alain the chef, in action from almost anywhere you’re seated.

Chinese Gourmet Restaurant in Almancil

A few nights ago we had a craving for something different, the other side of the pond kind of different, which was the perfect opportunity to go to a place we had heard nothing but good reviews about. So off we went to Chinese Gourmet in Almancil … tucked away in a little side street we whipped by it a couple of times but when I called the restaurant, their hostess was wonderful in directing us and stayed on the phone until we found it, when we arrived she was awaiting us on the patio. This was a good start.

Chinese Gourment Restaurant in Almancil

We were seated right away and menus arrived almost instantly. Now the choosing, when you love food, having a long list of good looking choices is similar to slow painful torture and the thought of missing a great dish by ordering a lesser one seems to loom over every written line. Moses wanted something different, really different, so for our appetizer we decided on fried seaweed, we made sure we had a back up plan and also ordered the spring rolls. I’m a bit hesitant about ordering spring rolls at Chinese restaurants in the Algarve since most end up in a soft crepe type of roll, rather then the thin crispy rolls I’ve grown accustomed to in my travels, so we’ll see…

Browsing through the menu I noticed Read more

Vila Joya Restaurant in Algarve

A number of years ago, some friends and I decided, celebrating birthday “week” had so many more advantages then just birthday day, so I’ve kept on the tradition. And why not, you only live once! With that objective in mind, we squeezed as much out of the week as possible and made this year all about Algarve food and wine.

Having recently seen Vila Joya’s nomination for the World Travel awards and their 2 Michelin stars, we were curious as to what all the fuss was about and if in fact they deserved these coveted stars. Loving food as much as we do, and having been to a good number of great restaurants over the years, we thought we were well equipped to put Vila Joya Restaurant to the test.

Vila Joya Restaurant in Algarve

Vila Joya is in a quiet area of Albufeira, so discrete in fact we had a hard time finding the entrance. But their gracious host and maître d’, was wonderful in directing us to the gate.