The Best In Town and other Alvor, Portugal Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Taverna do Guedes

This Restaurant is certainly the best in town, I love it. The food is Fantastic and it has a real local traditional family run atmosphere. As soon as you walk in the door you will know that you are on to something special, The Traditional Fishermans house type decor really gives it atmosphere and indeed the Owner of the Restaurant used to be the Captain of one of the local fishing boats and his son still goes out at night to catch Fish some of which is served in this great Restaurant.

You might have to call in and book because it does get busy although when dinning you can take all night if you want to.

I cannot praise this Restaurant enough service food atmosphere and (as my mother would point out) lovely clean toilets.

They do a good Tourist menu at a very reasonable price

Closed on Sundays

Favorite Dish: The Fish is great as is the Portuguese Steak and If your lucky there will be some of the really fantastic home made crème caramel left for desert

The Octopus Salad is gorgeous

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 282 458 528
Address: Rua dos pescadores, 25. 8500 Alvor
Directions: Go down Rue Fredrico Mendes ( Main road down to the old Fish market), and just over halfway down (just as the road goes down steeper there is a alley way on the left. turn down it and it is facing you about 20 yards down.

Restaurant Name: Buganvillia

The Buganvillia is a great Restaurant that serves traditional Portuguese food with a few extras, Although it's not a traditional looking restaurant and does indeed look more like a hotel dining room or a couple of Apartments made into one big room with an open kitchen it still looks great, modern with a few traditional bits of decor and great family service.

The food is great and has that home cooked taste that you would expect from a Family run restaurant like this one and probably second only to Taverna Do Guedes, but the main speciality is Steak On A Stone which is a steak (either fillet or Sirloin) served raw on a hot piece of stone with chips and a selection of dips. It really is good but a word of warning, your shirt (or blouse) can get a bit splattered by the cooking steak and wearing a white one is not recommended. As I found out on one visit and had to get my shirt Cleaned at our hotel, I have not had this problem on other occasions though so maybe the stone was extra hot on that occasion making it sizzle and spit more than normal but its worth being careful.

I suppose the only problem is that I like the steak on a stone so much here that when we go (which is normally on our first night after dropping our bags off at the Alvor Park) I just can't have anything else lol

However I have had the Biscuit Cake though and that is really delicious :)

Favorite Dish: Steak on a stone

Biscuit Cake

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: Rua Padre Mendes
Directions: just off Rue Antonio Jose De Almeida Opposite Paddy's Bar

Restaurant Name: Restaurante Beach Bar "O LUIS"

For 40 years Luis and his family have served wonderful food with wonderful service, at a spectacular beach setting this wooden Beach Restaurant has Great fresh fish served daily along with many other delicious dishes, you don't have to eat though, if you just want a drink that is fine and indeed it is a great place to sit and watch people on the beach and is a great place to watch the sun set over the sea. I will call in here for a drink in the mornings after having a walk along the beach and for lunch at some point during my visit to Alvor.

(They also rent sun shades and sunbeds on the beach)

Favorite Dish: Fresh grilled fish, cataplanas, monkfish kebabs, tiger prawns, avocados stuffed with prawns and a large list of excellent steaks Chicken and loads more.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 282 459 688
Address: Torralta Beach
Directions: On Beach behind Hotels Alvor Pria and Delfim, take dirt road

Restaurant Name: Pyramide Steak House

This great restaurant is modelled after an Egyptian tomb with paintings on the walls all done in an Egyptian manner. The food was fantastic we had the mixed grill and there was plenty of it. The most memorable bit of our visit to this resaraunt was my Father. We were sat in a room that had all tiled walls and my dad had to make constant remarks about how we were eating in a toilet. I suppose you had to be there really but it made it a most memorable visit and we will be going again next time we are in Alvor.

Favorite Dish: The mixed Grill is Fantastic

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Theme: Steakhouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 282 458276

Restaurant Name: EL REI Snack Bar & Restaurant

Restaurant EL REI is a lovely small restaurant with friendly and helpful staff.
The food is good with large portions. We always go here for breakfast on our first morning and will have lunch here a couple of times.
The Chicken Piri Piri is lovely but best of all is the lovely home made chips, BIG CHUNKY CHIPS not your little french fries or bought in frozen ones here but real great chips.

Favorite Dish: Full English breakfast is great.
Chicken Piri Piri is good
The Chips are fantastic

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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 282 458 552
Address: Rua Marques De Pombal

Restaurant Name: Taberna Ze Morgadinho

This is quite a nice Restaurant next to the Lifeboat House and old fish market Their adverts say that "since 1890 Alvor's fishermen ate grilled fish or had a brandy here after a cold night at sea"

it's a good place to sit and enjoy drinks, snacks or a meal and watch the world go by. They serve a Wide range of food Including T-bone steaks, Ribs, roast lamb with a Full fresh fish list. All are cooked to order and the Charcoal grill in full view so you can see your Fish or Steak being cooked. The service is friendly and good.


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Theme: Local
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 282 459 144
Address: Rua Frederico R. Mendes
Directions: At the bottom of the main St, with old fish market in front of you it's on the Right, Look for the green Chairs and Umbrellas.

Restaurant Name: Restaurante O Alcaide

Down a side street in an old wine storehouse this Restaurant is not big but it has had and continues to get some really good reviews in the local tourist papers, The food was good and the portions large but it did seem slightly expensive compared to some of the other restaurants in the area.
When we visited there was only us and another couple in it may have been a better experience if there had been more people in and more of an atmosphere.

I am planning on visiting again later this year,

The Owners also own the Cinco Quinas Restaurante on the beach and have just opened a Snack bar called Estrela Do Mar which is near the Alisuper.

Update October 2008:

We called in again and i had Shrimp Cocktail followed by fried Cod Algarve style and it was delicious, Service was ood and the restaurant busy so had a great bustling atmosphere, totaly different than my first visit, I would certainly recomend it.


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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 282 459 330
Address: Rua do Castelo, 17 - Alvor

Restaurant Name: Alianca Cafe

Set on the main square along with a small church and shops this Bar is normally full of Locals enjoying a Coffee or a beer while watching the world go by. The place has that Local feel and a lot of tourists may be put off on entering as it does have a cafe look. You can sit outside as the square is usually full of tables and chairs and it's a great place to spend some time watching Village life.


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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average

Address: Alianca Square
Directions: Main Square off Rua Marques De Pombal

Restaurant Name: Por-Do-Sol Restaurante

This beautiful restaraunt is just outside the town center and is certainly worth a visit.
It has that traditional feel and look but with a style that you would only find in high class restaraunts.
The service is fantastic and very attentive with out you feeling pesterd, the sort of place that if you drop a fork off the table a waiter would apear from nowhere , catch it and put it back on the table before you had even realised you might have dropped it

The food Is lovely, not the largest portions around but certainly enough to fill you.
I had a starter of Smoked Ham with Gherkins followed by a main course of Green Pepperd Sirloin Steak, served with French fries carrots and green beans. All beautifully cooked, the steak melted in my mouth the pepper sauce was just right and the veg cooked to perfection.
Declining a sweet my mouth watered as my mothers strawberry flambe was prepared at the table.
All in all a most enjoyable experience.

We visited again in 2008 and the only thing i can add is that the Sirloin Steak with Bearnaise sauce was delicious.

Not the cheapest restaurant around but certainly a lot more reasonable than you would expect judging by the looks, style, service and food.

Please note: This Restaurant closes from the end of November untill the end of December.


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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 282 459 505
Address: Estrada de Alvor, 8500-521
Directions: Set back off the road with a large Palm tree in front of it, opposite Vila Marachique.

Restaurant Name: Adega d' Alvor

This Restaurant is recognisable by the large lobster that that sits on the roof, looking down at passers by.
while not that big on the street the restaurant stretches back quite away, most of the tables being set in a covered garden at the back.
the kitchen is viewable (if your sat in the right place) and makes more of the experience seeing the chef's bustling about.
The food is well cooked and beautifully presented and the service was ok.
Not the cheapest restaurant around but then it does mostly serve Fish, Crabs, Lobsters (crabs and lobsters can be seen in a tank as you come in). Lamb, Steaks etc.
none of which are cheap anywhere I think prices for a main course meal start from about Euro 9.
They have a children's menu.


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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 282 457 407
Address: R Marques de Pombal, 50. Alvor