Discover new dining destinations in the Algarve, as well as new wine options for every occasion from local producers
Vale do Lobo opens two new restaurants
Part of the resort’s new branding strategy, Vale do Lobo has announced the opening of two new eateries this month.
First, Doce will be a celebration of coffee and baking, pairing outstanding Portuguese bread and pastries with coffees from around the world. Visitors can indulge in everything from healthier pastries to super-sweet morsels such as “ovos moles”, all perfectly matched with coffees whose bitterness provides the ideal balance.
A bread delivery service will be available to property owners, residents and guests at Vale do Lobo.
Meanwhile, the new Tinto restaurant will honour traditional Portuguese taverns, serving an exquisite selection of 40 or so regional petiscos (snacks) paired with a superb selection of national wines. Tinto enjoys uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean and can seat up to 120 diners.
Paxá Reserva Tinto 2021
Made from Syrah, Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet, this wine with an alcohol content of 13.5% has a sweet and intense aroma.
Ripe black fruit and blackberry and plum flavours are paired with a caramelised touch and vanilla essence. It comes from a very selective manual harvest, vinified at a controlled temperature and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.
The perfect choice to go with hearty dishes such a cabbage stew, stewed beef or sausages, it’s a full-bodied, firm, purple-coloured wine with great potential to develop in the bottle.
Pequeno Mundo renews Silver Fork
Almancil’s idyllic Pequeno Mundo restaurant has yet again earned the Boa Cama Boa Mesa Silver Fork award. A reference in Portugal, the national restaurant and hotel guide has consistently recognised the quality of this classic restaurant.
Set within a charming Algarve country house with romantic patios and cosy dining rooms, this elegant and refined family-run restaurant, also recommended by the Michelin Guide, is renowned for its international cuisine with distinct French influences, impeccable, classic service and beautifully stocked wine cellar.
Highlights on the menu include a delicate asparagus mousse, a rich and unctuous crab soup, and an exquisite châteaubriand. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner.
Quinta dos Sentidos’ eclectic white
Quinta dos Sentidos has just launched its first Blanc de Noir – a white wine made with red grapes.
The light and dry SENTIDOS Paladar white 2023 is an easy, everyday-drinking kind of wine, of which just 1,521 bottles were produced.
This eclectic white wine is a blend of Aragonez (43%), Syrah (28%), Tinta Caiada (15%), and Touriga Nacional (14%). Its pale yellow robe, with subtle hints of pink, unveils a vibrant fruity aroma reminiscent of citrus fruits and cantaloupe.
Fermented and aged on fine lees for four months in stainless steel vats, this straightforward white has lots of fruit on the finish.
Michelin chef takes over Albufeira’s Primadonna
Located by the VidaMar hotel in the Salgados area, Primadonna has a new concept and menu spearheaded by chef Vittorio Colleoni, who won a Michelin star in 2013 while working in Italy.
Seating up to 90 people, the restaurant offers stunning views of Salgados beach.
The menu features a variety of authentic Italian dishes with a few moments inspired by the Algarve, using only fresh, certified ingredients (DOP and DOC), doughs made in-house, wood-fired pizzas and homemade desserts – all paired with top Italian wines.
Primadonna is open Wednesday to Sunday for dinner.
Quinta dos Vales takes the gold
Quinta dos Vales’ DUO Red 2018 has been awarded the prestigious Grande Ouro Medal at the Concurso Cidades do Vinho, one of the country’s most respected wine competitions, attracting a panel of distinguished judges and an array of entries from across Portugal’s diverse wine regions.
A blend that showcases the richness and complexity of the Algarve’s terroir, the wine combines the best of two typically Portuguese grape varieties (Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca), resulting in a harmonious balance of robust flavours and elegant structure.
Duo Tinto 2018, Quinta dos Vales
Noélia Jerónimo opens new restaurant
The popular Algarve chef is taking on a new challenge.
In July, she will open “Marina com Noélia” at the five-star Real Marina Hotel & Spa in Olhão.
The restaurant will seat around 30 inside and 70 outside, with signature recipes inspired, as always, by the Algarve and the Ria Formosa, using ingredients from the nearby market.
Chef Noelia Guerreiro
Monte da Casteleja Palhete
This 2022 is the third ‘palhete’ to be made at organic wine producer Monte da Casteleja near Lagos, this time with 80% Bastardo and 20% Sousão grapes, with skin contact taking place for no more than 12 hours, during the first phase of fermentation.
The wine is aged in steel with no added sulphites and is a deep cherry red tone in the glass with floral notes coming to the front on the nose. Fresh red fruit balances with good acidity to create a harmonious mouth feel and great freshness.
This is definitely not a wine to be aged, but a young red to be enjoyed straight away, ideal to be served with spicy food.
Wine Monte da Casteleja
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