Welcome to the charming new accommodation in the Algarve
There’s a new space in the centre of Faro that promises to take you on a historical and cultural journey. With its fifteen charming apartments,
Mediterranean flavours are a key part of the Algarve’s culinary tradition, the origins of which date back to both Roman and Moorish occupation. A city steeped in tradition, Faro supplies diverse culinary options ranging from those made with the freshest of sea ingredients to those rich in earthy countryside flavours. Algarve-style snails, chorizo and bean-packed “Montanheira” soup, Wedge Clams soup and Xarém porridge are examples of dishes typical of the municipality.
To give you a better insight into the food options available in the city, we chose 12 of Faro’s best restaurants serving local taste sensations sure to satisfy any palate.
Set in a privileged location in Faro old town, featuring a rooftop overlooking the Ria Formosa, this restaurant is museum-like in its rich décor. Inside, original 15th century stone walls still bear traces of the 1755 and 1969 earthquakes, along with traditional blue painted tiles telling the tale of the conquest of Faro from the Moors led by King Afonso III. One of the most highly recommended dishes here is a cataplana, along with a visit down into the city’s historic tunnels.
Alameda is far more than a restaurant and meeting place of tradition and innovation; in fact, it’s an authentic culinary experience. The tasting menus are the most popular choices, with servers ensuring every diner is well taken care of, meeting their every need. Faro-born-and-bred Chef Rui Sequeira seeks to elevate regional traditions by developing new creative approaches to Algarve products. Ria Formosa oysters, shellfish, vegetables and Tavira tuna are seasonal priorities in the menu, supplied by small local producers with whom the Algarve-based chef has built close relationships over time.
Operating since 1925 and recommended by the Portuguese Wine Club, this restaurant is a typical establishment where ancient knowledge of traditional cuisine reigns supreme. For the first 20 years, it operated as a tavern where wine was kept in barrels, creating the perfect place for Faro’s merchants to socialise while discussing carob and almond prices. Diners tend to particularly enjoy the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff, as well as the restaurant’s privileged central location.
Serving a wide range of choices of typical regional dishes, the friendliness, atmosphere and quality of the food are the qualities most often complemented by diners here. The menu is filled with dishes rich with the flavours of home cooking and the freshest of ingredients, with honey-braised cheese, fried squid, “bulhão pinto” clams, octopus rice and prawn bread “açorda” soup sure to delight all taste buds.
Named after its location, this restaurant, which is located in Largo da Sé, is very popular for its wide terrace that faces Faro City Hall, just next to the Church. Located within the old city walls, the restaurant’s refined, welcoming atmosphere is characterised by a menu filled with typical regional dishes and a wide range of wines. Excellent service is provided within almost poetic surroundings.
Uniquely decorated, this small rustic restaurant is a hidden gem down one of central Faro’s busiest streets.
Characterised by the importance placed on serving dishes made on-site using fresh ingredients, Se7e Pedras is a cosy, nostalgic restaurant that genuinely honours traditional Algarve cuisine. The most popular dishes are pork cheeks and cod.
Chef Leonel Pereira’s delicacies include bluefin tuna ceviche; roasted mackerel; pork “secretos” with prawns, clams and padrón peppers, cod loin confit with plankton xarém porridge served in small pans and plates. Capable staff allow for the chef’s unapologetic brilliance to be reflected in each carefully prepared ingredient, with diners here having described the chef as natural, inspiring and creative.
Tertúlia Algarvia is more than a restaurant; it’s the perfect place to come together to share the best of times. Going further than simply serving meals, the restaurant also hosts cooking classes and demonstrations, craft workshops, business meetings and exhibitions among other experiences. With an inviting terrace for sunny days and a friendly and welcoming interior for colder seasons, the friendliness of the staff lives up to the quality of the dishes, elevating the ambience to ever-higher levels.
Faz Gostos has become a benchmark of traditional cuisine in the capital of the Algarve. Located in the Old Town near the Municipal Museum and Cathedral, the restaurant is notable for the detailing in its décor. Seating 150 people divided into two large halls, high numbers of diners don’t ever diminish the quality of the service, with the restaurant appealing particularly to wine lovers thanks to its ancient, underground wine cellar. A gourmet restaurant with specialities ranging from “Tomatada à Algarvia” (poached eggs in a tomato sauce) to the traditional salt-cod loin “Posta Especial de Lombo à Lagareiro”, diners must remember to leave some room for regional sweet treats and desserts such as Fig balls and Almond with Cinnamon Ice Cream.
Aperitivo restaurant is a fusion between traditional flavours and a family atmosphere. Setting off an authentic identity, the restaurant is an excellent representation of the city of Faro and the Algarve as a whole. The menu is cheerful, versatile and cosmopolitan, reflecting not only the establishment itself but also its surroundings. An eclectic locale, it features a terrace forming a pleasant corner in central Faro, with its interior hiding a Cigar Room.
Having opened in 1964, this rustically decorated restaurant featuring arches and a tiled roof over the bar is an unmissable culinary benchmark when visiting the capital of the Algarve. Centenário’s cuisine is rich in flavours from both the land and the sea for those who seek out all things genuine and regional. Next to the Marina and Rua de Santo António, it’s ideally located for those staying at the Palacete, as you get 10% off for being a My Choice customer!
Guests staying at Palacete da Baixa can also enjoy 10% off at Faroon, which serves meals inspired by Mediterranean and international cuisine, though meat is the real protagonist on this menu. Both tender and succulent, Faroon’s meat dishes get mouths watering and diners falling head over heels, eager for more. Providing a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and attentive staff, this restaurant is a must for meat lovers.
Still not sure what to get up to on your two-week escape? Come and stay at Palacete da Baixa, placing you only steps away from trying a different restaurant every night of your stay.
There’s a new space in the centre of Faro that promises to take you on a historical and cultural journey. With its fifteen charming apartments,
