Portugal

252
THE ALGARVE
10
ALBUFEIRA
atmosphere, with crude wooden tables and chairs made for leisurely drinking. The second-floor
restaurant is a heavily beamed room with a marble slab floor and simple
wooden tables. Ceiling fans create a cooling breeze, and the partially visible kitchen
provides all the entertainment many diners require. Your menu includes regional specialties
such as tuna salad, cataplana clams, bream, and swordfish, as well as tournedos with
mushrooms and Portuguese-style steak. The house wine, Portas do Sado, is available by
the glass.
Rua do 5 de Outubro 9–11. & 28/951-20-59. Reservations recommended. Main courses 10€–22€. AE,
DC, MC, V. Daily noon–11pm.
Café Doris GERMAN/PORTUGUESE This German-operated rotisserie-creperierestaurant
turns out well-prepared crepes, home-baked cakes, and ice cream in many
flavors, as well as heartier fare. Rich-tasting goulash-meat soup is always offered as an
appetizer, as is savory goat stew. You might move on to roast pork with onion sauce,
monkfish with rice curry, or a good steak with cream sauce, herbs, lyonnaise potatoes,
and a salad. Doris has an unusual selection of hot drinks, including coffee Algarve (with
Medronho). The cafe has an intimate vibe, with wooden tables and chairs and regional
art adorning its white walls.
Av. Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro, Areias de São João. & 28/951-24-55. Reservations required in summer.
Main courses 8€–18€. MC, V. Daily 9am–1am. Closed Nov–Feb.
Fernando PORTUGUESE Fernando, with its large terrace and pleasant dining
room, serves tempting, economical fare. We always go here for the fish of the day.
You can count on good soup, usually fish based. If you’re tired of fish, the chef will fix
you a simple steak or a Portuguese specialty such as clams with pork. Several varieties of
tempting kabobs are also available. Desserts aren’t anything special.
Rua Bernardino de Sousa. & 28/951-21-16. Main courses 14€–18€. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon–midnight.
La Cigale FRENCH/PORTUGUESE La Cigale stands right on the beach, 7.3km (41 ⁄2
miles) from Albufeira; its terrace makes it a romantic choice at night. Its atmosphere reflects
the mood of the sunny southern coast of Europe—and, fortunately, the food matches the
atmosphere. The wine list is fairly distinguished, in keeping with the impressive menu. The
amiable management works efficiently. Specialties include clams a la Cigale, shellfish rice,
steak with pepper sauce, sea bass, and a daily selection of fresh-caught fish.
Praia de Olhos d’Água. & 28/950-16-37. www.restaurantelacigale.net. Reservations required. Main
courses 15€–30€. AE, MC, V. Daily 10:30am–11pm. Closed Dec 1–26 and Jan 5–31.
Restaurante A Ruína PORTUGUESE This restaurant sits opposite the fish
market, overlooking the main beach. From the arcaded dining room, with its long candlelit
wooden tables, you can watch the fishers mending their nets. Another cavelike
room has more tables and a bar. The decor is unpretentious, and the reasonably priced
seafood is fresh. A bowl of flavorful soup will get you going; then it’s on to one of the
fish specialties, such as grilled fresh tuna. The fish stew, caldeirada, is the chef’s specialty
and our favorite dish. Typical desserts are custard and mousse.
Cais Herculano, Albufeira. & 28/951-20-94. www.restaurante-ruina.com. Reservations recommended.
Main courses 15€–30€. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 12:30–3pm and 7–11pm.
ALBUFEIRA AFTER DARK
You can have a lot of fun in this hard-drinking, fun-in-the-sun town, discovering your
own favorite tucked-away bar. To get rolling, you might begin at the Falan Bar, Rua São