Any trip to the Algarve should include a stop in Faro to sample its food. The city has much to offer visitors and a wide range of dining options for all types of tastes and palates.
Just as you will find high-end restaurants, recommended by the best Portuguese and international gastronomic guides, there are also many bars, terraces and other establishments where you can enjoy the finest regional cuisine at very reasonable prices.
Below we have put together recommendations verified by both customers and specialists in the field. As always, however, we advise you to let yourself be guided by your common sense and your sense of smell and sight when choosing where to eat in Faro.
- Recommended restaurants in Faro
- Where to try traditional local dishes
- Good and inexpensive options in the city
Recommended restaurants in Faro
Choosing the best place to eat in Faro is no easy feat. This is because, in addition to those establishments that have immersed themselves in experimentation and creativity—so fundamental in contemporary cuisine—there are others that, by staying true to tradition, offer truly memorable lunches and dinners.
The following list of restaurants in Faro includes a little bit of everything, with one basic requirement: quality.
CHECKin by Leonel Pereira (Castelo, 7)
If you want to discover what direction new Portuguese cuisine is going in, then this is the place for you. The prestigious chef Leonel Pereira invites diners on a journey through the best dishes of his culinary career. Available only for dinner.
Alameda (Polícia da Segurança Pública, 10)
Using ingredients sourced from local producers, Rui and Cristina Sequeira lead a team focused on offering creative, highly appealing and, without a doubt, tasty and surprising cuisine.
Chefe Branco (Loulé, 9)
A restaurant with no frills or pretensions, it stands out for the quality of its produce. Both seafood, which is enjoyed in the form of traditional stews known as cataplanas, rice dishes, grilled food and grilled skewers as well as meats. The prices are as satisfying as the food.
Pigs and Cows (Baptista Lopes, 57)
Despite its name, this is not a restaurant for carnivores and/or nose-to-tail eaters. Rather, it is a place for fans of good international food, eaten at a leisurely pace, in a sophisticated and very pleasant atmosphere.
Céu (Dr. Joao Lucio, 5)
An interesting fusion of South American and Southeast Asian cuisines, much like its chef and owner, Chef Sky, who has Indonesian roots but was born and trained in Curaçao, Brazil. Everything is served in small plates (rijsttafel-style), which is the best way to sample a large part of the extensive menu.
Sal’Mare (Av. Nascente, 6)
In this sophisticated beach bar on Faro’s beach, you can come for breakfast, lunch or dinner as well as to enjoy lively evenings with music and cocktails (in the summer). The latter are especially good on the rooftop terrace. As well as the fish and seafood dishes, it is also worth trying the grilled meats.
Vila Adentro (Praça Dom Alfonso III, 17)
Traditional Portuguese cuisine with many nods to the intricacies of modern, sophisticated cuisine. Visiting the different rooms of the house, dating from the fifteenth century, is as recommendable as sampling the dishes.
Outro Lado (Travessa da Madalena, 6)
One of the best examples of the diversity, versatility and flavour of good vegan cuisine. Only open for dinner, the food is based on the finest regional produce, without forgoing vegetables and recipes from other parts of the world.
Where to try traditional local dishes
Traditional dishes from the area of Faro and the Algarve generally consist of hearty cataplanas. The most popular being the one made with fish and seafood, although the stew can be prepared with all kinds of ingredients. Also delicious is the cod made in different ways, the rice dishes, the fish (including plenty of sardines), grelhados, or grilled meats, and, of course, the confectionary and desserts, which are so characteristic of Portuguese gastronomy.
Read on for some of the best local restaurants where you can sample these delicacies as well as other traditional dishes from the Algarve.
À do Pinto (Travessa Rebelo da Silva, 13)
This small establishment is a real tribute to the culinary teachings passed down through the generations of the family that owns it. A great place to try the famous Algarvian cataplana, cod açorda and rice dishes.
Tasca do Ricky (Forno, 21)
Don’t be fooled by the modern décor of this restaurant, because the name tasca, or tavern, in the sense of a place to eat homemade (and regional) cuisine, fits like a glove. Also a great place to try wine pairings with local wines and those from the rest of Portugal.
Cidade Velha (Domingo Guieiro, 19)
In addition to the seductive Algarvian cuisine, the undisputed star of this restaurant, is the charm of enjoying it on the lovely terrace. The food is traditional, but the presentation and some of the combinations of ingredients and flavours are quite out of the ordinary.
A Gruta (João Brito Vargas, Horta das Figuras)
The menu here is based on the magnificent catches of the day that arrive in the kitchen. Most of them are prepared on the grill (grelhadas) and served with generous portions of chips. A very local and authentic restaurant.
A Tasca do João (Largo do Pé da Cruz, 27)
Cuisine from the sea and also “from the mountains”, as they call it. The delicious cod caldeirada is matched by the wild boar ensopado and the black Iberian pork loins.
Há Patria (Av. da República, 78)
The slogan of this restaurant is “Flavours with a Portuguese soul”: a true declaration of intentions, which is reflected in a menu featuring assorted cataplanas, octopus, cod and cured meats and recipes based on Iberian pork.
Good and inexpensive options in the city
Eating well in Faro, with acceptable service, at very reasonable prices, is more than possible. All you have to do is look around a bit, ask the locals for advice and venture fearlessly into the streets off the main drags. Paying attention to your recommendations also wouldn’t go amiss:
Mercearia São Pedro (Serpa Pinto, 17)
For about 15 euros you can enjoy some of the most authentic home cooking in the city. Obviously, it is advisable to arrive early, because the place is usually full and the opening hours are limited.
My’oMeu (Conselheiro Sebastiao Teles, 8A)
The food at this restaurant, specialising in a fusion of Polish and Italian cuisines, is full of surprises. The stars of the menu are naturally the dishes featuring pierogi (Slavic-style dumplings).
O Chavalar (Infante Dom Henrique, 120)
Good fish and seafood of the day, assorted salads and, for those who want something more sophisticated, oysters. All served in an authentic tavern with a nice local atmosphere.
Cantinho da Ronha (Bocage, 55)
On one of the most characteristic streets in Faro’s old town, this small restaurant specialises in local fish, which is served with just the right seasonings to enhance the impressive flavour given to it by the Atlantic.
O Alminhas (Alportel, 46)
This establishment could be defined as an eatery, where the owner welcomes and serves diners while taking charge of the stove. For that reason alone (and for the price) it is well worth the visit.
Maktostas (Alportel, 29)
The specialty here is the toast with toppings, which are on the large side and made with an assortment of ingredients. You can also sample generous combo dishes and salads.
