Local Guide
Eating and drinking in the area is varied – in terms of variety, cost and quality. The best way of discovering any venue is by trying it, and through our experience, we can recommend the following as a sample of what is available.
On site, the Veranda restaurant provides an a la Carte menu and themed buffets on some evenings, enabling the taste of Italy or Brasil (for example) to come to your door. Food is good, with the Chateaubriand being among our favourites. The golf clubhouse does a range of snacks, and offers a golf and meal deal on competition days, with a wonderful array of dishes at competitive prices, with spectacular views thrown in for free.
Otherwise, you will not be let down at:
Cabana Fresca, Fisherman’s Wharf, Albufeira – excellent lunchtime snacks (sandwiches, soups) and a mid price evening menu, combining excellent service with the ambience of the promenade and quality fayre.
A Ruina, Fisherman’s Wharf, Albufeira – excellent seafood restaurant overlooking Albufeira beach, open for lunch and dinner. Fresh produce selected by you, and then grilled to perfection. On the expensive side, but a top venue for a treat.
Johnny Hoopers, Albufeira – good wholesome food and a wide ranging menu, with Johnny entertaining you with a saxophone repertoire on Tuesdays and Fridays. Good atmosphere and a very genial host.
Fairways, Vilamoura marina – can recommend the popular Algarvian dish, Cataplana, here, but menu is varied, and price not excessive for the location.
Azul, Olhos D’Agua – Blue fronted canopy on the road down to the beach identifies this particular favourite, with a comprehensive menu of seafood and meat dishes, served in generous portions. Attentive service and friendly atmosphere.
Sizzling Stone, Albufeira – a do it yourself venue with a choice of meat or fish served on a sizzling plate with your choice of sauce and accompanying vegetables. Located near the bottom end of the strip in Albufeira.
For those self-catering nights, or barbecue occasions, fresh produce can be picked up from local markets and supermarkets. Conveniently, there is a Marrachino supermarket in Olhos D’Agua (about 2kms from the complex) and a food market next door. Alternatively, a visit to the supermarket in the Algarve Shopping complex on the N125 main road provides a wider range of choice at lower prices.
Santa Maria and Santa Eulalia beaches are all within walking distance, and Sta Maria beach (Accessible through the Club Med complex) is appointed with a wooden restaurant and bar facility providing good food at reasonable prices. Shade and sunloungers are available for nominal charges, and the tide enables long beach walks at the right time. Indeed, the route from Sta Maria to Olhos D’Agua beach can work up a pleasant thirst for a refreshing beer or Sangria at either Azul restaurant, or outside at La Cigale (an exclusive, expensive but high quality seafood restaurant on the beach at Olhos D’Agua).
