Adega Nova Restaurant

Posted on March 9, 2008
Filed Under Restaurants

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.

A minute after siting down, small plates of sausage, cheese, bread or other type of appetizers quickly find their way to your table, thanks to the friendly staff, who’ll stop to chat and tell you what’s happening with their specials, wines and fresh fish. Our favourites are the grilled fresh fish: robalo, dorada, squid and cuttle fish. And Adega Nova’s seafood rice is quite nice, but don’t order it unless you’re really hungry; this little dish comes out in a piping hot clay pot and there’s almost enough for 2. But our favourite is the “camarao a gillo” a starter, sauteed in tons of olive oil and fried garlic and served with a half lemon sunk in the middle and intended for seasoning - it’s a bit messy. But, hey you get to lick your fingers and don’t forget the bread for dipping! Add a Vinho Verde to take you all the way through the grilled fish and your set for starter and main course.

After all that, if you’re still hungry or have an ache to fill a sweet tooth, this is a great place to get fresh traditional Portuguese deserts; like the massive torta de claras/merigne with sweet egg custard (very eggy and sweet, but quite light), moradgo: a rough marzipan almond cake with egg custard and gila filling, creme caramelo, tarta de alfaroba/carab tart and a slew of others that would show up on most traditional family tables, and with one of these you must have a bica/espresso to finish it all off. By the end of dinner, we expect you’ll be pleasantly plumbed up and ready for a walk. Good thing Faro marina just a few yards away, and close enough for a walk long enough to get you feeling like an “un-stuffed” version of yourself again. A visit to Adega Nova will have you knee deep in what some of the traditional fare is like and what most Portuguese feel after a good meal….stuffed!

Restaurante Adega Nova
Cusine type(s): Traditional Portuguese
Avg. price: €15-20 per person (bottle of wine, appetizer, main dish and desert)

Location: Rua Francisco Barreto, nº 24
8000-344, Faro
(view on Google Map)

Hours: Open Daily
12pm-11:30pm Monday to Sunday

Tel: 351 289 813433

Comments

3 Responses to “Adega Nova Restaurant”

Raj on March 18th, 2008 12:06 pm

Your Blog is very good for hotels
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