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Portuguese food

Some would say that Portuguese food is not worth writing about however, many who have eaten in true Portuguese restaurants (rather than bistro or glitzy tourist eateries) would disagree. Over the years the reputation of Portuguese food has been severely damaged both by proliferation of "get rich quick" restaurants and especially by the very poor quality of the food provided by tour operators on their day trips. In general if you want to eat well look for where the locals go! Do be aware though that some of the best places by this definition are not open on a Sunday and so the ones that are will be very crowded. Locals often get preference and are served first! You could of course either eat early (before 7:30pm) or have a BBQ.

Do also watch out for places offering cheap prices where you do not actually get what you ordered. The Steak you order might not come from a cow. Again go where the Portuguese eat. Few seem to eat in places run by Brazilians.

Main courses...

are normally simple, generally grilled and can be a delight. Pork, chicken (often with a spicy/hot marinade 'piri-piri'), and ultra fresh fish, simply done, are the mainstays. More unusual are Cataplana (a mixture of sea food, including shell fish and shells, cooked in a sort of pressure cooker) and salt-cod dishes (supposed to be 365 of these - one for each day of the year). One other recommended specialty is Presunto - Monchique’s dry cured ham.

Fish...

This merits an entry on its own as the quality is generally superb! In many towns tourists can visit the fish markets (Albufeira, Quarteira, Portimao, Olhao) and see the quality and variety available. Most restaurants, of both Portuguese and international persuasion, offer fish dishes. The better Portuguese ones will often have fish available for you to select, either from a chilled display or an iced platter; These fish are sold by the Kilo., vary on a daily basis and are, generally, simply grilled for the customer.

A wide range of fish types are available. If you don't normally eat fish try a tuna steak (this has the texture of a pork chop and hardly tastes of fish at all). The more adventurous may like to try Scabbard fish (the Portuguese think highly of this fish) or select a fresh Sea Bass or other fish (the author remembers a spectacular sea trout with great delight) from the available selection. Regretfully there are now (2000) some places that offer these sorts of display, but the fish is old and well past its best. Fresh fish should not even smell of fish, have bright clear eyes and the gills should be bright not dull red. 

Finally a word about the ubiquitous sardines. The smell of these grilling is almost everywhere at mealtimes. If you go to any organised function, that includes a meal, you will be confronted with sardines. They come with heads on, and are often un-cleaned. They are impossible to eat with a knife and fork and should be eaten with the fingers.

THE SECRET IS to pinch the body of the fish between forefinger and thumb. Pinch along the length of the fish from head to tail so that the backbone is squeezed to the belly. This loosens the fillets of very tasty flesh from the bones allowing you lift it away and eat it. Traditionally, plates were not used as the sardine was placed on a trencher (a large slice of bread eaten afterwards with all the escaped flavours trapped in it). Do try the sardines and show off that you know how to eat what is a very tasty, but often despised, fish.
 

Desserts...

are nothing special, except that they tend to be very sweet however, the Portuguese like, and hence make, excellent cakes and pastries. (A selection of these can be sampled in the UK at Lisboa Patisserie, St Golbohne Rd, London, W10) and can be found in the better coffee shops in Portugal.

It is sad to say that in the past ten years most tourist places including some that serve superb starters and main courses have given up on traditional deserts and "dumbed down" to factory made ice cream things - the kids seem to like them but they replaced deserts that were often homemade in nature if not actuality. Today (2003) even the quality of the ice cream deserts has reduced and it seems impossible to find the Orange and Pineapple ice creams that used to be served in their own shells/skins. Worse is that when you do find Portuguese deserts they are often tired and stale since most order ice cream in some form. This "dumbing down" even applies to the Cheese option where you are likely to get some unnamed anaemic blob of cheese and some stale crackers. It seems the days of masterful cheese selections (Portugal - rather than the Azores - makes some outstandingly brilliant goat and ewes milk cheeses) are gone along with the popularity of Port. 

Davesguide would recommend that if you can't get proper Portuguese deserts then you settle the bill and go to one of the excellent Gelataria (ice cream parlours) that are springing up.
 

Coffee...

is almost sacred in Portugal and comes in a wide range of style from ultra black 'bica' served in small espresso cups, to a sort of hot milkshake served in a tall glass. Do try places displaying that they use the 'Delta' brand of coffee.

Wildlife!!!

It is not uncommon to have wildlife in either hotels or restaurants in any hot county. Visitors from colder climates should expect this to occur, however large infestations are rare. Many of the restaurants featured in this guide have kitchens that can be viewed from the eating area and so if you are at all concerned then you should aim to use these places. Cockroaches, whilst not common, are to be found. If you have wildlife in your accommodation then do talk to the management who will often either allow you to move rooms, get staff to kill the bugs or at the least offer you a can of spray. If you are with a tour operator then complain first verbally then, if nothing happens, in writing to the representative. If really stuck then most supermarkets sell cans of spray and/or powers to kill pests. 

Several types of Lizards (that eat amongst other things - cockroaches) can often be seen though rarely in restaurants. They do not bite unless you try to catch them and generally they see you before you see them and run away. The most commonly seen are the geckos and rarest is the chameleon. 

There are some snakes but you would be very lucky indeed to see one as like the lizards they slither away before most people know they are there.

Dogs and cats are often pests in the more touristy areas especially where there are several restaurants together. Do remember that these animals may well be feral, carry disease and will bite!!! 

International Food

You name it and you can almost certainly find a restaurant serving it. English (chicken and chips in a basket, full English breakfast), French, German, Italian, Cantonese, Australian Indian etc. etc., are to be found in the main tourist areas (especially in 'The Strip' near Albufeira). There are also a number of Pizza establishments providing a range of pasta, pizza and other assorted dishes. In general though flavours and variety are reducing year by year to meet international tastes. If you want real Portuguese food then go where they eat!

Water 

The water in the Algarve is these days quoted as safe to drink and fit to clean teeth with however invariably tour operators will recommend that bottled water is bought. The tap water can taste unpleasant and so Bottled water is worth having. It is cheap, widely available (hotels can charge silly prices though) and comes from several sources. Whilst on the subject of water two bits of advice that might stop your holiday being ruined...

1. Do not drink water from roadside springs. The exception to this is the water in the visitor area at Monchique.
    
2. Drink plenty of non alcoholic liquids - Many holiday makers get severely hung-over or suffer from dehydration as they are not used to the sun and heat. If you feel thirsty then it too late and you are already likely to be dehydrated so drink before you are thirsty. Whilst there are recommendations such as drink two glasses of water for each glass of beer - To be crude... drink water until you pee and your urine is straw coloured or lighter (if in doubt or you have a known medical problem consult a doctor for appropraite personal advice)!!! 

Drink (alcoholic)

Portugal produces a vast amount of wine of four distinct types - red, white, green and the most famous - Port!

It used to be (pre 1988) that you could choose the house wine in any restaurant and be sure of something that, while not spectacular, was drinkable. Today this is unfortunately, rarely true. The best advice in selecting wine in a restaurant is either to drink what you already know, or if more adventurous, if you want red, select the oldest and if you would like white then choose the youngest. More detail is given below.

Port...

If you come from the UK then, unless you know what you are buying and the UK retail price for the specific bottle, don't indulge. For any sort of vintage port it is often cheaper to buy it in the UK. (I know this sounds crazy but, be warned, it is true!). Even more crazy is that in recent years it has been far cheaper to buy port in some local off-licences (Garrafeira) than in the Faro Duty Free!

Most, if not all, of the international names are to be found. These include Grahams, Niepoort, Cockburn, Croft, Delaforce, Fonseca, Dow etc. etc.
 

Red Wine...

In general buy the oldest you can. Dao wines are generally drinkable. Do be careful though as often the wine is rough at first taste and requires time to breath. Try to get the bottle opened as soon as you can. If you prefer heavyweight reds then, unless you pay exceptional prices for the very best of Portuguese wines or shell out for the rare imported offerings, you will disappointed. Most Portuguese reds are of a light to medium weight and lack depth.

Occasionally restaurants have wine lists that have a few red wines well beyond the ordinary and at very low prices (1985 Dao Reserva at £11). Exceptional Bairrada and Douro of some age can be found - A good pocket wine guide can be a great help in sorting out the real stars.
 

White Wine...

In general buy the youngest you can. As with the red wines Dao wines are "safe". In general Portuguese whites are lightweight in taste, but heavy in alcohol and suit most food. If you really want to try an exceptional and different white then try one of the top price band Vino Verde wines such as those from Vinhos de Monacao (often labelled Cepa Velha).

Green Wine (Vinho Verde)...

We are not talking about the pink sweetened version sold in the UK but about a young, fresh and easy to drink wine that can be drunk with a wide range of dishes or snacks. If you inspect a menu, or look at a supermarket shelf, you will find that there are two price bands coupled with the alcohol content. The lower price band is the young refreshing one, with the more expensive (and more alcoholic ones being much fuller and more complex. Recommended in the lower band are:-

• Santola (has a bright red crab on the label and comes in a green hock type bottle)
• Gatão (has a cat on the label and comes in an oval squat bottle) slightly sweetened

In the top band:-

• Vinhos de Monacao (often labelled Cepa Velha)

Beer...

There is a wide range of international beers available (mainly lager style) but the two most popular local beers again lager style - Sangres and Super-Boc - are very drinkable.

 

Spirits...

There are two main local spirits or firewaters, Brandymel which tastes like honey and paint stripper, plus, Medronho which is the paint stripper without the honey and is a sort of schnapps made from the fruit of the arbutus tree. There are other almond flavoured liquors which are not so harsh or overpowering and might be worth a second taste. Again with any spirits, Portuguese or international,  Duty Free is almost certainly going to cost more than the local supermarket or booze shop.

Warning - Drinking and Driving!

The police are very strict and perform random breath checks. The limits, as with most European countries, are lower than that of the UK. (UK 80mg/100ml of blood, Portugal 20mg/100ml - 1995, Spain 50mg/100ml - 1999) Note - it is understood that Portugal changed from 50mg/100ml in October 2001 having been at 50mg/100ml since 1995)

Self Catering

A lot of people visit the Algarve on a Half Board, Bed and Breakfast, or Room-only basis. This allows one the freedom to eat what, when and where one likes. If you don't feel like cooking, or fancy a change there are lots of restaurants around where you can even buy breakfast.

These days any one who wishes to cater for themselves will find that the supermarkets have an extensive and international stock of goods. As recently as 1985 fresh milk was not generally available for purchase but now some places even stock a choice of full, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. Visitor recommended supermarkets are "Marrachinho" or "Alisuper" with branches everywhere and "Modelo" ("like Tesco") near the bullring close to "The Strip" (plus Portimao and Silves)

If you have suitable cooking facilities then finding the ingredients for a meal should not present a problem as in most supermarkets, especially in the main tourist areas, staff are multi-lingual. The following list of items and comments may be of use.

Cheese

Cheddar is not as English cheddar nor are Edam look-alikes, Edam.

Why not try some of the more unusual Portuguese cheeses...

Queijo De Ovelha - A small Sheep's milk cheese, mild when firm and young

Queijo Do Azeitão - A larger Sheep's milk cheese that has been matured in olive oil. Creamy and mild when young, but runny and pungent when mature.

Wine

Red, White and Green wines are available. In general drink the oldest reds and youngest whites from Portugal. Do beware of high prices (especially for port) when compared to home.
 

Bread

White sliced bread is available if required in the larger supermarkets. Far more tasty are the rolls and breads made and baked for the Portuguese market. If you are buying rolls for breakfast then you should be warned that Portuguese bread and rolls go stale far quicker than white sliced bread. Buy your bread and rolls on the day you wish to eat them or don't keep them for more than 24 hours. 
 

A useful tip is to buy rolls one day and then put them in the ice box of your fridge. Take them out when you go to bed and then the rolls will be 'fresh' for breakfast.