U & CO

🍽️ FOOD EXPLORERS REVIEW — U & CO

🌊 Ocean Views, Great Atmosphere & Portuguese Flavours

Our Food Explorers visit to U & Co was a great opportunity to discover another venue with a beautiful Algarve setting and a view that immediately catches your attention.

With the ocean as a backdrop, U & Co has a relaxed atmosphere that makes it an enjoyable place to sit back, enjoy good food and take in the surroundings.

We were also delighted to meet Tatiana and Nunu, who are both managers at U & Co and have joined the growing Algarve Food Explorers WhatsApp community.

For us, this is an important part of what Food Explorers is about — connecting with the people behind the restaurants, sharing experiences and supporting the good ones we discover.

🥗 Starter — Prawn Salad

We started with the Prawn Salad, which was fresh, colourful and very nicely presented.

The prawns were a good size, soft, tender and moist, with a light coating that didn't overpower them.

Fresh sliced onion, tomato and mango brought a lovely combination of flavours, while the peanuts added a welcome crunch and texture. There was also a pleasant chilli bite that gave the salad a little extra character without taking over.

Overall: A fresh, well-balanced and flavoursome starter.

🥩 Main — Pork Secreto on the Skewer

For the main course, I decided to move away from the usual steak or burger and try something with a distinctly Portuguese character — Pork Secreto, a prized cut of Portuguese black pork traditionally associated with the Alentejo region.

The Secreto was beautifully rolled and served on a skewer, making for an attractive and interesting presentation.

But it was the taste that really stood out.

The pork was exceptionally succulent, tender and full of flavour, with the rich and distinctive character of the black pork coming through beautifully.

For anyone looking to try something different from the usual steak or burger, this is definitely a dish worth considering. It delivers that authentic Portuguese character and depth of flavour that makes local cuisine so enjoyable to explore.

☕ Dessert — Affogato Tiramisu

To finish the evening, I tried something a little different — an Affogato Tiramisu.

It arrived with ice cream balls, with coffee poured over the top, creating that wonderful combination of cold, creamy ice cream and rich coffee.

It was a light and enjoyable way to finish the meal, with the coffee adding just the right amount of intensity to the creamy dessert.

A fun and interesting take on the traditional flavours of tiramisu and affogato — and certainly a memorable dessert to finish the evening.

⭐ Food Explorers Verdict

U & Co gave us a combination of beautiful surroundings, a relaxed atmosphere and some very enjoyable food.

The Prawn Salad was fresh, colourful and full of contrasting textures, the Pork Secreto was succulent and packed with flavour, and the Affogato Tiramisu provided a light and enjoyable finish.

It was also great to connect with Tatiana and Nunu, and we're pleased to welcome them both into the Algarve Food Explorers WhatsApp community.

Another venue discovered, another experience shared.

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

Get Directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sawGnp31SGYQ1TYt9?g_st=awb

AKVAVIT Restaurant

ALGARVE FOOD EXPLORERS | RESTAURANT REVIEW

📍 AKVAVIT Restaurant – Vilamoura Marina

There are some restaurants you visit once, and others that become favourites. AKVAVIT at Vilamoura Marina is definitely one of mine. ❤️

Situated right on the marina, AKVAVIT offers both a beautiful indoor restaurant and a veranda overlooking the water. In the evening, the setting becomes especially romantic, with candlelit tables, soft music and the marina creating the perfect backdrop for a relaxed seafood dinner.

🦐 THE SEAFOOD CATAPLANA

My choice was the Seafood Cataplana, and what an experience!

The cataplana arrives at the table in its traditional large, sealed dish, keeping everything beautifully hot and full of flavour. Inside was a generous selection of seafood, including clams, prawns, mussels and squid, together with pieces of chorizo, all cooked in a rich, flavour-packed sauce.

It is served with rice, bread and olives, and the portions are generous.

What I particularly enjoyed was the way the meal is served. Your first portion is brought directly to your table, and once they see you're nearly finished, they are happy to top you up with more rice before opening the cataplana and serving you a second generous portion.

So come hungry! 😋

🍨 DESSERT

After the richness and gentle heat of the cataplana, I finished with a beautifully presented ice-cream dessert.

Two generous scoops of rich, creamy ice cream — one vanilla and one chocolate — were served with a delicate wafer leaf.

It was a lovely way to finish the meal. The cool, creamy ice cream was particularly refreshing after the warmth and spice of the cataplana, cleansing the palate and bringing the meal to a perfect close. 🍦✨

⭐ THE FOOD EXPLORER'S VERDICT

AKVAVIT delivers a complete dining experience — great seafood, generous portions, excellent service and a beautiful marina setting.

The Seafood Cataplana was full of flavour and generous enough to make sure you certainly won't leave hungry. The dessert was the perfect refreshing finish, while the atmosphere in the evening makes this somewhere that works equally well for a relaxed dinner or a more romantic occasion.

❤️ RECOMMENDATION

I've been to AKVAVIT several times, and I'm already looking forward to going back.

From Algarve Food Explorers, this is a definite recommendation. If you love seafood, generous Portuguese-style dishes, beautiful surroundings and a relaxed dining experience overlooking the marina, AKVAVIT is well worth discovering.

⭐ Food Explorers Recommendation: Highly Recommended

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