Algarvian cooking is a fisherman's kitchen touched by Moorish sweetness: salt, charcoal, olive oil and coriander on one side of the pantry; figs, almonds and carob on the other. Menus read short because freshness, not range, is the point.
The seafood canon
Start with amêijoas ao Bulhão Pato — clams in garlic, olive oil and coriander — then graduate to the cataplana, the region's copper clam-shell stew. Grilled fish is ordered by the kilo and chosen from the ice display; dourada (sea bream) and robalo (sea bass) never disappoint.
Land dishes worth knowing
Inland, pork steams with clams in 'porco à alentejana', chicken arrives grilled under piri-piri bricks, and xarém — a cornmeal mush from Olhão — partners boiled shellfish. Mountain tables add wild boar stews and goat cheeses from Monchique.
Sweets and strong coffee
The Moorish dessert line runs through fig, almond and carob: try dom Rodrigo in Lagos, 'morgados' in Olhão, and fig cheese anywhere it appears. Pair everything with a bica, or a milky galão if mornings require gentleness.
Drinks of the region
Algarve wine has quietly improved — look for bottles from Lagoa, Portimão and Tavira slopes. After dinner, locals pour medronho, the fiery fruit brandy of the mountains; sip, don't shoot, and nod approvingly.
How to spot the real thing
Chalkboards listing 'pesca do dia', working people at the bar, and menus that shrink when something sells out — these are the signals. Our Restaurants collection curates the shortlist; this guide teaches the reading.
