This village is, these days, often mentioned in the same breath as Acoteias, but is in itself a real village rather than a name produced out of nowhere by a tour operator. All the guide books tell you that the famous thing about this place is the fresh water spring exposed amongst the rocks at low tide, well, if you are able to park, and are at the right time, and there isn't a drought, then you might be lucky! There are though plenty of rock pools and coves to explore. The new promenade (2002) has improved the beach front with both toilets and showers.

In the main season Olhos d'Agua is a one way, frustrating trap for hire cars. You might get in but, especially at peak times, you will not find it restful, or conducive to a relaxing holiday. The steep hill, parked cars and people everywhere make attempting to leave a real driving nightmare. There are places to park at most times up the side roads. Having said all this the place is constantly recommended, though not for nightlife, apart from eating out.

At the end of the season Olhos d'Agua changes into a quiet resort. There is not that much to do in the evenings other than visiting one of a number of restaurants / bars in the town. On the other hand Albufeira, both the Town, and "The Strip", are only a short distance away and there should be enough going on there to keep most people happy well into the night!

Note - There is a bus service and a taxi rank - walking to "The Strip" takes approximately 30 - 40 minutes to reach Eddies Bar.

In June 1997 several visitors have recommended that Olhos d'Agua seems to be very children friendly. Child friendly - yes! but difficult for buggies and pushchairs with the steep hills and cobbled walkways. 

An enthusiastic comment in 2000...
What a lovely village - just our type of place - small, quiet, no lager louts, no discos, but plenty of places to eat within walking distance of all accommodation. Lovely town beach and the bigger Falesia beach next door We didn't find Olhos at all congested, we also didn't see the "eye of the water" but that didn't matter.
It is obviously also a holiday destination for the Portuguese and the mix of Portuguese and foreigners (like us) made it it very pleasant. Top marks to the Marrachinho supermarket and the "Medronherra" minimarket - they have everything you could possibly want.

Note that when eating out... 

• that at least one of the popular restaurants below does not take credit cards. Cash machines - one right opposite Ohlos do Mar apartments and one in the larger supermarket about 5 minutes down the road.
• The best restaurants are generally those frequented by the locals and so on Sunday nights when some do not open the others can be very packed with locals given preference. So book ahead, or eat early, or have a BBQ.

See also the surrounding areas of Albufeira - The Strip, Albufeira Town, Acoteias and Falesia.

Accommodation (A-Z)

• Apartamentos do Parque - 1999
  "is where I have always stayed and although many are privately owned they are available to rent and are in the perfect situation, 57secs to the beach on a run, just the climb back up is not so easy".
   
• Agua Plaza - 2000
  (June 2003) "This small family run "complex" was adequate for our needs, the accommodation is functional if a little "stayed", and could do with some updating as the décor and furniture is dated. Our bathroom had a showerhead which must have been 10 yrs old or more (i.e. scaled up). Some wiring was exposed, which caused us some concern, being that is was in the bathroom, about the mirror! Nice clean safe (for kids) pool and surrounds. 
   
  The complex was not busy during our stay. The only negative comment about the apartments is that noise travels easily in the buildings and so you can get disturbed sleep if there you are unfortunate enough to have noisy neighbours, or those who get in late at night are under or above you. The maid service is not frequent enough and the Bar Café shut all day and all night on a Tuesday, which I found rather strange seeing as we were in the middle of the holiday season. Overall the complex is run well attentively by the owner Marc and his son Roger (who runs "Rogers Bar")".
  
  (2000) "Stayed at the Agua Plaza with Barker Holidays, these apartments are first class".
   
• Algarden 1 - 2001
  (Oct 2001) (Style Holidays) Above "Why Not" bar. "We had asked for a high floor and that's exactly what we got.....The roof !! Spacious apartment with enormous roof terrace offering both total privacy and great all round views. Nice but very dated furnishings. Very smelly bathroom (possibly sewage). Soft furnishings were damp and smelly. Unfriendly reception. Erratic maid service. Could be lovely apartments, but in desperate need of updating".
    
• Domus Maris apart-hotel - 2003
  (June 2003) "Just a few metres up the hill from the Blues bar. Friendly staff, 24 hour reception, free courtesy bus to Albufeira. We had one room, which was a combined lounge, bedroom and kitchen, with a separate bathroom/toilet and a balcony. Room was spacious and in reasonable condition (but past its best). Two bunk-beds in the entrance hall opposite the bathroom, with two single sofa-beds (which were easily pushed together). The hotel had a L-shaped pool, with no separate kiddies pool; the shallow end, (such as it was - being the steps into the pool), was shaded and as a consequence got very cold in the afternoon. Poolside bar does snacks but closes around 5pm. Main lounge bar opens around 6pm and closes at midnight. No restaurant. Hotel is about 250 metres uphill from the beach and about 300 metres downhill from the town centre shops".
   
• Falesia Mar Apartments - 1998
  (Sept 98) "Apts are quite nice and the beach is nearby but is a few minutes walk downhill which is OK but the walk back can be a killer. The beach has a European Blue Flag. Also seen a few security
  guards about".
  
  (1997) "This popular complex has two small pools (both very cold in May), a pool side bar serving snacks, a good supermarket but no Kid's club. The excellent sandy beach is just a few minutes walk away".
   
• Quatros Irmaos - 2001
  (May 01) "These 2 bedded apartments are in a 2 storey, block of only 8, set in a very well kept garden, with a smallish (but adequate) swimming pool. The apartment itself was a very good size, adequately furnished, with a good kitchen, and satellite tv (only Sky 1 & CNN in English - all the rest in German). The apartment is only some 20 metres from a small supermarket, and about 300 metres from the main beach, down some steep steps. There were a lot of children there, although we deliberately took our holiday during school term time to avoid this. To sum up, Quatros Irmaos is in a perfect location within the resort, the apartments themselves are fine - but don't stay there if you don't like children"!
   
• Naturimar Praia - 2003 
  Note - see also Turi Garden
  
  (Apr 2003) "I found the appartment very clean, spacious, well appointed and cleaned regularly. Pool cleaned daily but facilities round the pool were closed. Yes, the loud rock music did start towards the end of my stay".
  
  (Oct 02) "found ourselves agreeing with your reviewer who stated that they had 'gone downhill a bit'. The sheets and towels were in need of replacing, but the apartment was spacious and with a great view from the third floor. Big problem with neighbours. As a lot of the apartments are owned by locals, we found we had the lifeguard who lived downstairs playing loud music day and night and the apartment next door had the builders in as the owner was renovating it. Also, the lift is one of those with no internal door and is prone to break down. I was stuck in it twice. Just bang the door and it should move!"
  
  (Aug 01) "Following arrival (at the Naturimar Pria) we were quite relieved not to be staying in the Turi Garden (which shares it's reception with Naturimar Pria) as these were in a high rise land-locked block with a view of our apartments and no pool".
  
  (Aug 01) "self- catering apartments in Olhos d'Agua. The apartments themselves were spotlessly clean, even if the general decor left a little to be desired. We were fortunate (?) in being on the top (5th) floor, which meant we had a very large balcony and a pool and sea view. The Naturimar had a very relaxed atmosphere, with many families staying there and a mix of nationalities including Portuguese were represented".
  
  (2000) "which, the first few times were fine, but feel they have gone downhill a bit"
   
• Oceanus Aparthotel - 2002
  (May 2002) "comfortable and well located for restaurants, bars, shops and supermarkets. A steep walk up from the beach but quite manageable Suggest guests request a corner room overlooking the pool as they are roomier and have larger balconies. Our room on the ground floor had a minuscule balcony, but had a very well equipped kitchen. The kids loved the indoor pool but it is a little hazardous with very slippery surround and sudden increase in depth from 0.9m to 1.40m. The Hotel bar was very comfortable with view of indoor pool. The outdoor pool area was much nicer than that of its neighbouring sister hotel the Olhos d'Agua but the pool area is overlooked by residential apartments".
   
  (Christmas 2001) "the apartments were simple and very pleasant. The reception staff were pleasant and helpful and the only complaint we had was that the on site snack bar was not open at all over the Xmas period so we couldn't get food when we arrived and on our last day".
   
  (Aug 2000) "It was package (Style Holidays). The apartments were of good size and comfortable - so anyone booked in there need not worry".
   
• Olhos do Mar Apartments  - 2002
  (June 02) "We stayed at the Olhos d'Mar apartments and they were very good. We had an apartment and everything was very clean and the towels were lovely "!
   
  (May 01) "where, after an initial room switch due to faulty drainage(poooh!), we were totally untroubled. Nice pool, clean towels and cool tiled floors".
   
  (Sept 01) "Very clean, friendly and maid service 6 times a week. Although apartments were all full when we visited we seemed to be the only people who used the pool in the mornings - absolutely fantastic - our own private pool - even in the afternoons not all the sun beds were used. The pool was spotless and cleaned thoroughly every day. Well equipped kitchen and nice spacious balcony. One point to be aware of Reception is only manned at certain times. Both supermarkets, the one across the road and the bigger one further down were fantastic, better than at home".
   
• Turi Garden - 1996
  (1996) "Our apartment was quite spacious and fairly well equipped. The apartments have a bar (Shakers) and a sun terrace, with a pool, children's pool (both pools are unheated) and a snack bar. The apartment block has a range of studios and apartments which should suit most requirements".
   
• Villa Vivenda Mamacri - 2001
  (June 2001) "it was an excellent place to stay on my visit to the Algarve"

Eateries (A-Z)

• Ambrosia Nectar - 2002
  (Sept 02) "is another favourite of mine. Great food, fair prices and lovely staff".
  
  (Aug 2002) "On left on main street from beach. Very popular and always busy. Excellent Monkfish kebabs. Approx. £13 head including all drinks. Complimentary port. Suffers on a Sunday due to its popularity".
   
  (Oct 01) "We found the service to be fine, if a little impersonal. Meal was perfectly acceptable. Good sized portions + home-made chips for a change. Wonderful new potatoes. Always a busy restaurant with a cosy feel if you're sitting inside. Bill for 2 with beer - 5000esc (24.940€) (£15.00) ".
   
  (Sept 01) "Undoubtedly one of the best meals on holiday - Waiters/waitresses were friendly, service was good and the food excellent - ate there twice. Wide selection of menu for meat eaters and fish lovers".
   
  (Aug 01) "probably the worst meal we had all week. Food was average, but service was awful - we waited about 20 minutes for our drinks to arrive"!
   
  (June 2001) "I ate several times at the Ambrosia Nectar and enjoyed the meals".
   
  (2000) "Again the service was slow and some items on the menu were "not available" The food was ok but the portions were small. Their chips were undercooked frozen "french fries" - yuc"
   
  (1997)"A good selection of Portuguese dishes and wines. The fish Cataplana dish which is supposed to serve two would have served three". Does not take Visa/Mastercard.
   
• Aquario Snack Bar - 2003
  (Apr 2003) "Next to California bar, excellent for a light lunch. Toasties for 1.5 Euro and half a litre of wine for 2 Euro".
   
• Atlantico - 2003
  (June 2003) "3 of us had 'steak tournedos' here, was asked the waitress for a description, it and she recommend. But this was not to be relied on, as this, collectively was the worst meal we had during our stray in Olhos. Our steaks were inedible, the toughest, most overcooked we have ever experienced. We asked for medium rare and got incinerated meat, we complained and the waitress shrugged here shoulders as if to say, "tough luck". Overall Assessment: Give it a Miss".
  
  (Sept 02) "standard Portuguese menu, food took 35 mins to arrive despite eating at 6.30pm, quality of food was reasonable".
  
  (Aug 2002) "To the left of O Duarte. Mediocre and uninspired food. Better restaurants within 50m".
  
  (May 02) "Lovely warm friendly welcome and service but oh dear! the food was dreadful. Children thought the hake fillets sounded interesting and were disappointed to discover they were fish fingers!. Crème Caramel would've made Mr Dunlop proud" !
   
  (Oct 01) "Friendly service and functional food. We went here on our first night so weren't too adventurous with our choice from the menu, although other meals being served in the restaurant looked lovely".
   
  (May 2001) "Very Portuguese style restaurant, with extremely friendly waiters. Immediately you are seated they put bread, olives, cheese & sardine paste on the table - and although these are inexpensive, they are not free! Although the service was very good, unfortunately the food wasn't. Sirloin steak ordered medium rare, turned up with both chips and rice (!), and was v. well done. The restaurant wasn' t busy, so there's no excuse".
   
  (1996)"Another good 'Portuguese' style restaurant." (NOTE - On the Albufeira - Faro road).
   
• A Touch of Class Bar - 2002
  (Oct 2002) "Seems to have disappeared, but looks like it has been replaced with Sol Cafe" 
  
  (May 2001) "(close to the horrendous "Holidays") we were more than happy to stop off for a nightcap. The music was good, the bar staff friendly and a pleasant environment for those of mature years who were not interested in karaoke, quizzes or the like".
   
• Azul - 2002
  (Sept 02) "there seem to be two restaurants - one on the beach and one on the hill. We went to the one on the hill and were disappointed after reading all the good reviews. The service and food were okay (though chicken piri piri was very dry) but nothing special".
  
  (Aug 02) "On left on main street from beach. Very popular and more expensive than others on main street. Good for seafood but not the best (see Bluebird). Recommend tropical banana desert".
   
  (Aug 02) "After visiting Olhos D'Agua for the past seven years, we were disappointed to discover (on our first year with the Euro), that Azul's prices seem to have rocketed, in comparison to the other excellent restaurants in the area".
   
  (June 02) "Azul Restaurant - this was my favourite but more expensive but still reasonable. Lots of dishes to choose from and again child friendly. Did get very busy as well which is normally a good sign".
   
  (May 02) "best in town for fish. Yes a bit more expensive but worth it. Prawns piri piri are out of this world, best prawns ever to be had.".
   
  (May 02) "Definitely the best restaurant we visited with excellent food and service. It doesn't take credit cards but the waiter did give us a lift to the cash point and offered us complimentary after dinner drinks. A little more expensive but worth it".
  
  (Oct 01) "Always a busy place, excellent friendly service, lovely food and a perfectly palatable house wine. A little more expensive than most other places, but you get what you pay for !"
  
  (2000) "Food good, very friendly and attentive staff and they certainly made you feel welcome. It was full every night. The prices in this restaurant however were noticeably higher than average, which spoiled things a bit."
  
  (1998) Opened only in 1997. Excellent food and service under the eagle (and very friendly) eye of Carlos Guerreiro.
   
• Bar Forja - 2001
  (2001) "is a favourite place of ours to visit. Lucinio Pereira, the owner is a superb host - he recognised our Scottish accent in 1999 and remembered us when we returned for a small beer and a bar snack in 2000. Last year (2001) we ordered fresh Tiger Prawns two days before a special lunch. Yummy, simple, tasty food, washed down with local wine. We were there for as long as we wanted, great place to watch beach life go by - locals and tourists and I suspect we will return for a snack and a beer this year when we go further west".
   
• Bluebird - 2002
  (Portuguese "Passaro Azul" - On the beach to the right of La Cigale). 
   
  (Aug 2002) "Turn right on the beach to next bay. Steps up from the back if the tide cuts you off. For that romantic night with a sea front view book at least 2 nights in advance. Excellent food and best seafood. Very popular with the Portuguese. A little more expensive than some but worth the beach setting".
  
  (Aug 2001) "probably our favourite restaurant we tried that week. Book in advance to avoid disappointment and to get a table fronting the beach, as this place was very popular with the Portuguese who travel down for the weekend. The fish was fantastic and plenty of choice. The service was good and friendly. Not the cheapest restaurant in the village, but compared with UK prices, everything is cheap!"
  
  (1997) "It serves excellent fish which you can choose from the display as well as good kebabs. House wine is excellent. Prices are not the cheapest in the village but represent excellent value. Visa cards are accepted. Note: the restaurant is not always accessible from the beach at high tide but steps lead down to it - or up from it, if the tide is high by the end of the meal"!
   
• Blues - 2003
  (Aug 2003) "What can I say ….fantastic food !! We were informed about the Blues by a German couple, who enthused about the food at Blues, so thought why not? Let’s give it a try. What a great surprise, high quality menu that you only find in a few places in the city, never mind in Portugal. The staff were great, always helpful and the breakfast Bacon sandwiches are to die for".
   
  (June 2003) "Best cooked English breakfast in town, (5 Euros). Closed Thursdays. Doesn't take Visa"
  
  (June 03) "I was recently a customer (June 03) at Blues, and was appalled by the service given by a place so highly recommended. My family and I we're subjected to rude and unspeakable behaviour from the staff, and for the price of the food I would have expected more".
  
  (May 03) "we wish we had found it during the first . We can not recommend it highly enough. The food was absolutely fantastic. The chef not only presented it well but cooked all dishes to perfection. The Staff made us feel at home and were wonderful with children. Our six year daughter Bayley became their biggest fan. We would like to thank the owners Allison and Neil for make our holiday complete. Their breakfast is a must as well".
   
  (Apr 03) "we have visited a few times in 2002 and 2003 and have found superb food, excellent service and at reasonable prices. we will certainly go again".
   
  (Oct 02) "Didn't eat there as the prices were sky high"
  
  (Aug 02) "Another good restaurant just opened 2 weeks ago in Olhos d'Agua is Blue's restaurant owned by a couple from Manchester. Well worth a visit".
   
  (Sept 02) "on the steep hill, only opened 5 weeks ago, fantastic UK-bistro style food - in a completely different league to all the other restaurants. We only found it on our last-but-one night - and then went back on our last night. It's not a "Portuguese-style" restaurant but the variety of the menu made such a welcome change from the same old menu which every other restaurant in the resort has. It was already very busy so best to book if you want to eat after 7pm".
   
• Cabana (bar) - 2002
  (Sept 02) "Great fun as always !! particularly in the wee small hours as that's when the local guys and gals finish work in the restaurants and come out to play - always preferable to spending the evening in the company of Brits !"
  
  "run by Sylvia and Victor and caters to all needs and has a variety of cheesy but fun themed nights, and always serves free popcorn which tastes good but definitely makes you drink more!! A highly recommended drink is the Cabana Special, be warned of the sparklers though.
   
• Cabrita's - 1996
  "Another excellent 'Portuguese' style restaurant. Takes Visa". (NOTE - On the Albufeira - Faro road).
   
• Calheiros - 2003
  (June 2003) "Superb food, especially the mixed grills (meat or fish). Closed Saturdays. Takes Visa".
   
  (Oct 02) "Our favourite, ate there most nights. Excellent menu, excellent value for money and big portions. Try the grilled mixed meats (lamb chop, pork fillet, spare rib, steak and chorizo) with rice and home made chips all for €5.90 (£3.50) or the pork and clams 'Alentijo'. Still do the complimentary white port. Very friendly staff".
  
  (Oct 02) "Friendly service, good value for money"
  
  (Aug 2002) "Opposite O Duarte. Small bar and restaurant. Worth booking as excellent food and good value. Paella for 2 superb. Best Portuguese steak. Free complimentary port. Our favourite out of 8 restaurants"!!
   
• California Bar - 2001 
  (Oct 01) "Bar near to Indian corner restaurant (it's next door to an estate agents). Cosy bar run by the wonderful friendly character that is Antonio. This is a late night bar where the local workers relax after the other bars / restaurants close. Nice atmosphere".
   
• O Caixote - 2003
  (June 2003) "We had eaten here on previous visits to Olhos; however, the restaurant has been completed rebuilt and refurbished since our last trip. The menu is the same, good quality fish and seafood, at a price tho. Their Tiger prawn are the best in town without a doubt and so large you can not eat more than 3 (honestly!). we also had Sole and Sea Bass, all very nicely cooked. My only comment is the prices, since our last visit in 2001), when we ate a comparable meal, the prices have gone up by roughly 50%, we paid €138 for 3 main courses and drinks which I think is rather too expensive and detracts slightly from what otherwise is a nice restaurant. Overall Assessment: Hit - Go there".
   
  (Sept 02) "It's been refurbished since I was last there (Aug 01) and the result is that it now looks as good as the food tastes ! I had a couple of wonderful meals this year. I'd like to recommend it for the unsurpassable views it offers - if you get there a bit before 7, you'll be able to eat whilst watching the sun set, plus you're more or less guaranteed to get a table as it's so early. The fish soup is to be missed at your peril - it's nothing short of glorious ! The octopus rice was a treat, although you have to get there early for that as it's always a favourite and is eaten up very quickly. The waiters were extremely friendly and kind, both nights I ate there, my coffee was on the house. The prices, it could be claimed, are a little inflated but if you take into consideration what you get for your Euro's, it's a steal ! One thing though, it gets a bit breezy down on the beach at night, so I would definitely take something to put round your shoulders for warmth".
  
  (Oct 01) "The service was better than usual (considering it's usually very slow here). Food was nothing special, contrary to what other reports suggest. Nicest house wine we tasted all fortnight. Best to book in high season, especially if you want to guarantee a table with a view".
  
  (2000) "Excellent fish restaurant - portions large, prices fine, quality of food superb - but could someone please tell the waiting staff that a smile and a friendly word don't cost anything?
  
  (1999) "The best restaurant is undoubtedly O Caixote, from brilliant food, especially the fish and chocolate mouse, to a traditional portuguese atmosphere with an unbeatable view at anytime of day. Many of the previous waiters are successful restaurant owners such as Carlos of bar Azul".
  
  "Superb location by the fishermen's landing area. Can be a bit chaotic when crowded but food good (particularly the fish soup)".
  
  "Seems to get better every year. Try the fish kebabs, they come on a hanging contraption and are delicious". NOTE: They do NOT take credit cards. Advisable to book at any time of the year.
    
• Cantil - 2003
  (June 2003) "(on the hill down to the beach) Not busy on this night we went there, some locals eating here which is always a good sign. If you prefer quantity over quality then place will suit you - we however don't! One of us had the fish kebab, served with plain boiled pots and over cooked (almost stewed) cabbage and carrots. Two other of us had the House special, a set menu for €12.5, which consisted of 3 courses, the obligatory bread butter olives and sardine paste/pate (which all restaurants charge aver €2 for if you check the bill!) The Fish soup was tasty, but was much too salty, and one of us had a steak, which was large and cooked well. Our Set menu main course was so too much, 3 large pork steak escallops and was ok a little tough but none the less edible and good quality. Service was ok, with a smile. A little slow. Bill came to € 72.00 Overall Assessment: Give it a Miss"
   
• A Cantina - 2002
  (Aug 02) "We visited many bars and restaurants on your guide to Portugal. Our favourite was Cantina restaurant".
  
  (May 02) "Only restaurant we visited with linen napkins. Good quality food at reasonable prices. ' Steak on a stone' is a must. Waiters lacked personality".
  
  (Oct 01) "Smart restaurant, and a little different from the others. Speciality "Steak on a stone" was a wonderful experience and a must for any steak lover (if you're brave enough to be laughed at for having to wear the stripy bib !). A couple of things we found slightly disappointing were the cheap plastic coated menus and very underdone frozen chips. The staff and service was a little intimidating but didn't stop us enjoying a top class meal. Advise booking in high season or if you want to request a window table. Three course meal for two including wine - 9000esc (44.892€) (£28.00)".
   
• Al Cantina - 2000
  (2000) "does an excellent and reasonably priced breakfast with a good choice".
     
• La Cigale - 2002
  (Sept 02) "went for lunch and dinner. Food and service good both times. It is more expensive in the evening but we thought it was worth it for the excellent view of the beach".
  
  (June 02) "where do I start with this one. We when there for lunch a couple times and also handy for it's right on the beach. The food was good and not too expensive. So we decided to go there in the evening, completely different menu and not child friendly and very expensive menu which had changed completely and we weren't allowed to sit where we wanted. I think it's because we didn't reserve. Snooty waiters as well... We left ! It would be good if you wanted a romantic evening overlooking the sea and didn't mind paying twice the price as everywhere else when the food is just as good elsewhere".
   
  (Aug 01) "another restaurant at the edge of the beach. We went here for lunch on our first day and again for dinner on our last. The menu and food was almost identical at both mealtimes, the key difference was the price! Granted the service was excellent in the evening (but almost too efficient - with your drink being topped up almost every time you took a sip), but the price almost doubled from what we paid at lunch and I didn't think this was good value. The tuna was excellent and we paid about 6 GBP for a huge tuna steak for lunch, which you couldn't have bought from the supermarket in the UK for that price. Worth a visit".
  
  (2000) "La Cigale has stunning views - especially at sunset. We thought the food was overpriced and although perfectly acceptable was a little disappointing considering the bill. However it was worth it for a once in a holiday treat just for the views and the experience of eating a meal whilst listening to the waves lap the beach and watching the fishermen set off for their nights fishing."
  
  (1998) "Recently refurbished. Has changed from a dingy wooden hut serving superb food to a place of elegance serving superb food. Panoramic views over the sea".
  
  (1997) "Slightly up market, serving Portuguese dishes, fish, chicken, pork etc. The house red was most acceptable". Sweets not brilliant, chocolate cake very dry but the almond tart is much better.
    
• Domingos - 2000
  "Italian restaurant - good sized portions and staff very attentive. Prices average. Excellent location "upstairs" overlooking the beach and cliffs".
   
• Domino Bar - 2001 
  (Oct 01) "Across for Bar Why Not on the road to Balaia. Another cosy, if somewhat dated bar where you'll find yourself drinking with the locals".
   
• O Duarte - 2003
  (June 2003) "on the top road - This is a treasure of a restaurant, service superb, and child friendly, with many families eating here. We arrived at 1830; by 1900 the place was full, inside and out, always a good sign. I cannot recommend the place more, we all had fish, it was superb, cooked very well and nicely presented. Not expensive, bill came to €54. Overall Assessment: Hit - Go there".
  
  (June 2003) "Superb food, the grilled Sardines are a must, but also try the Portuguese Steak. Closed Mondays. Takes Visa".
  
  (Apr 2003) "A must. The fish is out of this world. Look in the display counter and ask. The owner reminded us that the next day was Good Friday and promised to save us a "big Fish". Did he just! 800g. of golden bream with a starter, wine and coffee came to about £20 total. The meat is also excellent. Try the chicken kebab".
  
  (Oct 02) "Very friendly service, good food and very reasonable"
  
  (Aug 2002) "On main road top of hill. Very good quality food and inexpensive. Very popular with Portuguese so avoid the weekends. Closed Mondays".
   
  (Aug 02) "Discovered O Duarte produced sumptuous chicken kebabs".
  
  (June 02) "this was the best value and served most of the local dishes which is mainly fish. Food was delicious and child friendly. Loo's also OK".
   
  (May 02) "Very good value and it was noticeable that the locals were eating in there at lunchtime. Lowest prices and reasonable quality".
   
• Fata Morgana - 1996
  "'Italian style' - Pretty much what you would expect to find in the UK, pasta, pizza, although the choice is a little limited. Well worth a visit if you fancy a change, also does take away". (NOTE- At the top of the hill near the telephone kiosks).
   
• Fast food A Rampa - 2001
  (July 01) "Great for a quick meal and take away. Open till 12 am and opens at around 10. Brilliant staff and great for a snack".
   
• Bar / Taverna Forja - 2002 
  (Oct 02) "Known as the 'Dug Out' as it is slightly below street level. Well run, mixture of locals and tourists, good place to sit in the sun by the beach reading or just watch the world go by. Good snack menu ranging from sandwiches and burgers to octopus salad and crab, spiny lobster etc. Good value and nice hosts."
  
  (Oct 01) "This wonderful little gem of a place has been here (beside the roundabout at the village beach) since the early eighties. Tiny, cosy bar inside with seating outside also. Bar run by the extremely friendly Leo who could teach most of us a thing or two about hard work ! Nice unusual bar food menu including fabulous Octopus salad. Nice bar to meet the locals".
   
• O Golfinho - 2003
  (June 2003) "Was empty nearly every night tho the menu is good, its is rather expensive".
  
  (Oct 02) "el gollfinho (on the right on the way down to the seafront) was particularly good - the comment we made in our diary was 'meal, service, ambience and waiter friendliness and helpfulness all A1 - a memorable meal' ".
  
  (Aug 02) "A new one called O Golfinho, next to Il Fratelli, was an excellent place for a "special" meal while on holiday, with a "talking dessert menu", (customers will know what we mean)".
   
• Hua Hoa (?) - 2001 
  (Oct 01) "Chinese : (Above Oasis Bar) Very modern, clinical and far too bright. Might get better with age. Neither waitress spoke good enough English to understand our order. Food was fair but nothing special".
   
• Il Fratelli's - 2003
  (June 2003) "on the hill down to the beach - This place surely must do the best trade of any restaurant in Olhos D'Agua, we found it very friendly, particularly, with kids. Service mainly good, but with it being constantly so busy, sometimes you may have a longer wait than ideal. Food was superb, caters for kids pasta and pizza's etc, the adults had fish and meats, all very good, good size portions and well cooked and well presented. You cannot go wrong eating here. Excellent value for money in our opinion. Overall Assessment: Hit - Go there".
  
  (Oct 02) "Quality Italian, funny staff (hilarious and aloof at the same time), food excellent. Pizzas are recommended as is the pasta, all very reasonable prices. One gripe, had seafood spaghetti expecting to find mussels, squid etc, but only got prawns".
  
  (Oct 02) "Not value for money - about twice the price of other restaurants"
  
  (Aug 2002) "After you've overdosed on seafood, cataplana's and Portuguese steak, an Italian makes a nice change. Good pasta and pizza's. Exceptionally busy and good for kids. Be prepared to queue for a table in summer. Recommend Calzone with a dribble of their Viagra olive oil!!! Found Tiramisu disappointing".
  
  (June 02) "Good Italian restaurant, good friendly service and nice. Again good for kids".
   
  (May 02) "Children's favourite with very charismatic waiters and good pizza's".
  
  (Oct 01) "When you fancy a change from the rather limited Portuguese menus, this makes a welcome change. Extremely friendly service, wonderful bruschetta, good range of pizza / pasta dishes and "not to be missed" home-made tiramisu !! Restaurant could be very cosy, but bright lighting inside made it feel a bit too cold and clinical. This is a very busy restaurant in high season, so if you don't want to wait ages for your meal or would rather avoid the hoards of inevitable children, then it's better to go before 8.00pm or after 9.30pm."
  
  (May 2001) "An Italian pizza restaurant. Very friendly and efficient waiters, and very good, proper Italian pizzas. Recommended".
  
  (Aug 2000) "I Fratelli - a good pizza restaurant. Unfortunately we must have chosen a busy night - the wait seemed interminable which colored our judgment".
  
  (Aug. 2000) "Pizzeria on the main street is extremely child friendly - in fact I would go as far as to say that on both of our holidays the 2 waiters - Antonio and Fernando - made our children's holiday special for them. The food is excellent - home cooked and fresh and reasonably priced. The Sangria is worth trying. They are more than happy to accommodate children's desires of variations on the menu and willing to share portions".
  
  (1998) "Italian restaurant on the road down to the beach - is quite good".
   
• Holidays - 2002
  (Oct 02) "Much debate has raged about whether it is a 'Fat Les' football bar or not. We visited it on five separate occasions (including one night when they were showing an England game on TV) and there wasn't a hint of beer bellies or lager louts. On the contrary, it is a very much family restaurant with a bar next to it. They serve the same type of food you will see in any small town British pub, and there will always be a need for this sort of place in the Algarve or anywhere where British holiday makers go, especially ones with children who are fussy eaters. They do 'Trivial Pursuit' based quizzes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and these were well received".
  
  (Aug 2002) "Only used for traditional English breakfast. Excellent value and friendly service".
   
  (Oct 01) "All I can say is that hopefully the new owners (if the Holidays ever manage to get the place sold) will give this place the personality it is sorely lacking. Cold, clinical looking bar / restaurant with the dreariest looking staff I have ever seen".
  
  (July 01) "brilliant service and food, great staff and DEFINATELY NOT fat les style. no beer-bellied men".
  
  (May 2001) "Despite what others say to the contrary - this is a hideous bar/restaurant that should be on the Costa Brava - not in a village like Olhos d'Agua. Why come all the way to the Algarve to go to an English pub/bar/restaurant - that is EXACTLY 'fat Les' style - complete with beer bellied, English tossers eating meals and drinking with their shirts off indoors - while watching English satellite TV on a dominating screen. If this is your idea of a foreign holiday you might as well go to Blackpool. Dreadful".
  
  (Aug 2000) "our favourite. British owned and run. Don't let that put you off - it's not aggressively British in a 'Fat Les' style. The food is excellent in quality, quantity and value. It's not traditional Portuguese - but there are plenty of restaurants that are. We had excellent breakfasts, Sunday dinner and evening meals. I know it's sacrilegious but I enjoyed eating without the ubiquitous smell of grilled sardines hanging around. Relaxed friendly atmosphere, we enjoyed the family quiz nights. We recommend it - but Alan and Jenny Holiday, the owners, are due to retire soon so it may well change in a year or two".
  
  (1997) "For anyone travelling (as we were) with small children this proved a particularly good choice for the younger members of the party. Well cooked food, very compassionate and helpful service and little extras (such as non-breakable cups and booster cushions) that make life MUCH easier for hassled parents. But don't expect anything more Portuguese than Piri-Piri !!! (Not even Sardines !!!!!!) The Lamb with Orange, Tabasco and Garlic was very good. British run".
   
• Laranjal - 2003
  (June 2003) "(Trad Portuguese) on the top road going towards Faro, opposite the Orange Mangroves (hence Laranjal) This place was a real find, only a short walk along the top road going in the opposite way from Albufeira. A large Air-conditioned restaurant, which was welcome on that day as it, was a particularly warm evening. Nice wooden beamed décor inside, there were locals eating there. The owner is a Fisherman, fresh fish a plenty in the cold display. It is a little more expensive than the town restaurants, but you get what you pay for, fantastic food, and excellent service. I had (fillet) steak Portuguese style, a lovely piece of meat, best I have had in years, served in a browning dish with sliced field potatoes around the edge, on top of the steak was ham and a fried egg, served with a fresh green salad. 2 in our party have worked in catering and agreed that there chef there is second to none in Olhos. Fish and prawns had by others highly commendable. Overall Assessment: Hit - Go there".
  
  
• Lin Chung - 2003
  (June 2003) "Jin Cheng: (I believe that you list this as Lin Chung). Good Chinese food, although I thought a little on the expensive side (especially when compared to Calheiros and O Duarte). Takes Visa and does takeaways".
   
  (Oct 02) "Good Chinese, just like in the UK except they use cucumber instead of spring onions! Nice set lunch for €4. Friendly staff, good portions"
  
  (May 2001) "recommended - charming Indian waiter"
  
  (1996) "Fine conventional 'Chinese' restaurant with a good selection of meals. Takes Visa". (NOTE- At the top of the hill near the telephone kiosks).
   
• Magic Route '66 -2001
   (Oct 01) "A friendly Belgian cafe bar (beside Oasis bar) that sells lovely traditional bar snacks (Bitterballen and vlammetjes) and plays good music. This place also has an open fire for those chilly nights".
   
• Oasis (bar) - 1999
  "An up and coming bar run by Toze is called Oasis a good one to find all the locals, great place for young people to meet before going to Oura".
   
• Oceanus Snack Bar - 2002
  (May 2002) "Okay for a snack (ham croissant) but seafood pancakes were cold on arrival. Heated up but as well as hotter in temp, also overdosed on pepper"!
  
  (2000) "Good value meals and take away".
   
• Pinoqiou's - 2002 
  (June 2002) "also a cheap place for snacks and drinks. Plus there is live music there on a Wednesday  evening, a very funny man playing Portuguese folk music".
   
• Restaurante Olhos d'Agua - 2002
  (Aug 2002) "On right on main street from beach, nearly opposite Azul's. The memory woman took our order for 8 + drinks and got it all correct even giving the meals and drinks to the right people!! Small restaurant but service was slow, good food though and worth the wait".
  
  (May 02) "Disappointing although recommended in previous reports. Least memorable".
  
  (Oct 01) "Fair, but by no means as good as other reports had suggested. From that point of view it was rather disappointing because we had been looking forward to eating here. I had ordered my steak medium rare, but when it arrived it was unfortunately well done. Our order was taken by "memory woman", so perhaps she was just having a bad day. She seemed to have forgotten how to smile the night we were there as well".
  
  (Aug 01) "We didn't experience the memory woman first-hand, although I think she was serving the other tables. Very good value, good service and tasty meals. highly recommended".
  
  (May 2001) "Has a nice terrace overlooking the street. The 'memory woman' waitress, as previously described by others is in evidence, and is friendly - and DOES remember you order without writing it down! The food and service here was all pretty good. Recommended"
  
  (May 2001) "Recommended"
  
  (Aug 2000) "is also very child friendly. The food was very good. The cataplana is served in single portions and can be recommended and they have a children's menu. The bread is served warm. Fillet steak was excellent".
  
  (2000) "By far the very best restaurant in town. The owner and the waitress were very attentive and extremely friendly. Top marks to the waitress who can remember the complete order without writing it down. Portions large and quality superb. Interesting to note that the same people were in every night. Small restaurant, elevated above street level, across and up a bit from Bar Azul".
  
  (2000) "Situated on the left hand side of the road and before the shops. It may be small, but the staff are very friendly, especially with children, and the service is excellent. Good food and drink at very reasonable prices".
    
• Pickwick's Tavern - 2003
  (June 2003) "Reasonable food and prices, but breakfast not as good as Blues. Serves cold Guinness. Open all day".
   
  (Oct 01) "Well it was raining and this was the nearest bar that was open at the time. Typical English pub (OK if you like that sort of thing on holiday I guess). If nothing else, at least it was very clean".
   
  (Sept 01) "Very English bar - excellent bar meals / snacks, not cheap, but good traditional pub food".
   
  (2000) "Why do people want an "English" pub when on holiday"?
  
  (1996) "British pub serving British food. Friendly, although not Portuguese at all".
   
• Shakers Bar - 2002
  (Oct 02) "We had the misfortune to have Shakers in the same block in which we were staying. During the time we were there, at least two fights broke out (locals, apparently) and we wouldn't recommend it unless you are desperate to watch football with like-minded individuals. I watched a few games there and the atmosphere got fairly tense once or twice. Staff very restrained, too".
  
  (Oct 01) "I hadn't been in here since 1995 and it hasn't changed a bit........still looks like the decor is trapped in the 80's. I guess you have to have somewhere to watch the footie though and this was the only place that any kind of atmosphere for that. Wouldn't set foot inside the place otherwise. On the plus side, Superbock was wonderfully ice cold".
  
  ( July 01) "Brilliant friendly staff and great Elvis night on Tuesdays. open late".
   
  (June 01) "I also drank at The Shakers BAR which I thought was, not to bad though I only went because my home town football club (Bury) is nicknamed the SHAKERS, I investigated as to why they were called the shakers and apparently had nothing to do with Bury F.C."
   
  (May 01) "Another dreadful Brit bar decked out completely in Brit football memorabilia. Horrible in the UK - absolutely awful in the Algarve. Avoid".
   
• Sol Cafe - 2002
  (Oct 02) "Excellent family friendly bar run by two very friendly locals. Was busy every night (at Holiday's expense), has pool table and good beer @ €2 per pint. Does bar snacks, toasties, chips etc."
   
• Tavertino's - 2003
  (June 2003) "We had eaten here on previous visits and were always a little disappointed. This visit confirmed, it is an awful restaurant, if only for the service. The food is highly average and unremarkable, rather boring compared to Laranjal, and not cheap or value for money. The thing that let's this place down is the waiters, the one we had the unfortunate pleasure of was in a rush, no smile, grumpy and grunted his replies. We observed him giving people behind us the wring food with barely an apology. One meal then had to be quickly cooked and was presented to them 15mins after the other partner had finished, and all without so much as an apology or free bottle of wine or token gesture. They could not give a toss. And when then complained he just smiled at them! They use a ludicrous and undignified method of ordering, i.e. by numbers (like a UK Chinese Take-away), which they key into a hand held keypad, presumably this is to avoid mistakes but as was evident this is not the case. Overall Assessment: Give it a Miss".
  
  (Oct 02) "Probably the worse meal we had the entire fortnight. Waited ages for food which gave my wife and I gippy tummies for the next few days. Over microwaved lasagne, suspicious tuna steak, snooty staff, restaurant was empty. Should have realised why".
  
  (Oct 01) "Nice cosy looking restaurant on the top road. Service was a bit on the slow side and not exactly friendly. Disgusting toilets".
  
  (Christmas 2000) "Tavertinos was nice. It was open (pretty important) & offered a nice menu. Since it was quiet we had attentive service, and good food. The waiters were a touch chauvinist about a women ordering piri-piri!!!"
  
  (2000) "The service in this restaurant was very poor. They could not cope with the number of customers and it took 50 minutes for them to bring our main course after we had eaten our starter. The waiter was totally uninterested when I asked why there was such a delay. The food was "average" at best and the bill when it arrived was wrong".
  
  (1998) "Excellent restaurant with a selection of fresh fish, bream, sea bass, sardines, etc. Try the grilled fresh sea bass if you get the chance. Children's meals and half portions are available as well as more familiar food. Takes Visa". (1996) (NOTE - On the Albufeira - Faro road).
  
  (1998) "Tavertino's was excellent, great value there".
   
• Top10 - 2002
  (2000) "diner" type restaurant up beside the Chinese restaurant who's name escapes me for the moment (not "Holidays"). They did "take away" anything you wanted, all excellent quality and their pizzas were fantastic - and very cheap".
   
• Top 10 Music Bar - 2002
  (July 02) "At last we've found a new entertainment bar suitable for all the family! They advertise the best karaoke in the village and we must say that is exactly what it is - not too in your face and overpowering, which is just like the sport they show. They have a large cocktail selection which was always served by very friendly and polite English staff. For a new, modern bar the prices were very reasonable compared to the other run down Portuguese bars offering entertainment!"
   
• Vira Milho - 2001
  (A ten minute walk down the Albufeira road).
   
  (May 2001) "Vira Milho where we wandered on our first day and received a lovely bowl of soup and a great welcome - especially when we attempted Portuguese".
  
  (1997)"The food is good, the welcome warm, and the restaurant is very popular with the Portuguese. As much fish as you want from the display cost 1000 escudos (4.987€) in August 1997 - amazing value".