Alfonso’s Restaurant

🍽️ Alfonso’s Restaurant — A True Hidden Gem of Traditional Portuguese Cuisine

Some restaurants leave an impression after just one visit. Others keep drawing you back, and for me, Alfonso’s is one of those places.

I discovered this restaurant a while back and have returned several times since, enjoying different dishes and experiencing the traditional Portuguese cooking that makes this place so special. It remains one of those hidden gems that deserves to be discovered by more people.

🇵🇹 A Taste of Traditional Portugal

Alfonso’s serves the kind of traditional Portuguese food that reminds you why this country's cuisine is so loved. The menu offers the opportunity to enjoy a proper three-course meal, with hearty starters, beautifully prepared main courses and something sweet to finish.

On my latest visit, I started with a delicious sopa de legumes — a thick, flavoursome vegetable soup filled with legumes. It was comforting, enjoyable and a lovely way to begin the meal.

For my main course, I chose the classic Carne de Porco à Alentejana, a traditional Portuguese dish combining pork and clams, served with chips. I've always had a soft spot for this dish, and the version here certainly didn't disappoint.

The pork was succulent, the clams were delicious, and the sauce was quite simply out of this world! If I could make one personal request, it would be to serve the dish with the traditional little cubes of fried potato rather than regular chips. That's my preference, but it certainly didn't take away from how enjoyable the meal was.

I've also enjoyed other dishes here on previous visits, including black pork called Lagatos — another reason I've come to appreciate the chef's ability to prepare a variety of dishes with care and flavour.

🍷 A Lovely Wine and Something Sweet

A good Portuguese meal deserves a good wine, and I enjoyed a lovely red wine from Alentejo, which complemented the food beautifully.

To finish, I had a freshly baked, cake-style pudding dessert. It was a satisfying end to a thoroughly enjoyable meal, and the whole experience came together very nicely.

🎶 Traditional Setting, Vibrant Atmosphere

It's not just about the food, either. Alfonso’s has a vibrant atmosphere, with good music playing in the background and a traditional dining setup that feels welcoming and comfortable.

The round tables make the restaurant well suited to accommodating larger groups, too, whether you're enjoying a meal with family, meeting friends or simply sitting down to appreciate some good Portuguese cooking.

⭐ The Food Explorers Verdict

For me, Alfonso’s is a genuine hidden gem. It's a restaurant where traditional Portuguese dishes take centre stage, the chef puts real care into the food, and you can sit back and enjoy a proper meal without any fuss.

I've visited several times, tried different dishes, and left with the same feeling: this is a place worth returning to.

I'm delighted to share my experience with our Food Explorers community because discoveries like these are exactly what we are here for — finding those special places that may not always be widely known but deserve a little more attention.

I’ll certainly be visiting Alfonso’s again soon!

📍 Discover it. Experience it. Share it.

Algarve Food Explorers

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Viet Eats

Food Explorers Find: Viet Eats, Portimão 🇻🇳

Restaurant review by Tee | Algarve Food Explorers Community Review

Viet Eats in Portimão was recommended to me by a friend who lived in Vietnam for a few years. It was my first time eating Vietnamese food yesterday, and it did not disappoint!

The restaurant is small, very unassuming and tucked away in the most unexpected place.

Every dish we ordered was beautifully presented and packed a punch of exquisite flavour. 👌🏻

We shared shrimp pancakes and fried pork wontons for starters. For mains, we ordered the peppered duck, beef satay, chicken curry and stir-fried chicken.

Everything was truly fabulous, and the staff were amazing too!

A wonderful first experience of Vietnamese cuisine and a great recommendation to share with our Food Explorers community.

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Review and food photographs kindly shared by Tee, one of our Algarve Food Explorers.

We discover. We share. We recommend. We support the good ones.