We lived in the Algarve for a good few years and a portuguese friend recommended this place just last week, as were round the corner (well 7 miles away, but it was close enough!) we thought we would pop in for a piri piri fix as that vastly overated fast food chicken place doesnt even come close.
Its an odd location, busy road, parking can be fun half of the frontage is a takeaway place with pretty reasonably priced meals, the other half a cafe.
Thus we had 5 minutes of figuring how to get into the dining area which was apprently out the back of both places. To save the mystery of asking, you go in through the cafe to a most bizarre mural decorated room with an all round galleried landing, very odd and certainly different.
the welcome was warm, the menu prices a little eye watering for the environment (check them out on there website), sadly no piri piri option on the eat in menu. We asked if we could have it and the lady in charge agreed and 1 plain chicken, 2 piri piri chickens, a large salad and enough fries for the five of us (i would like to point out, it was my wife and i, with our three children, eldest 14).
Chickens came, looked very good, had some doubts over the piri piri, was VERY hot compared to what i remembered, and the residue just looked like it was grilled chicken with a hot sauce, no evidence of garlic or chilli, it was ok, but not quite the proper piri piri experience i was hoping for :(
The spicy ones were to hot for the kids (both boys would normally have piri piri) and a conversation with the owner afterwards revealed the waittres may have ordered very hot rather than hot, bah.
desserts were authentic and tasted very nice, coffee was disappointing, would have preferred bondi coffee but hey.
But the real shock came with the bill, the gill menu i had read quoted a family hamper of 2 chickens, 2 chips, 2 rice and 2 salads for £27.
We had one more chicken, no rice, one more chips and one large salad rather than two normal, so not a million miles away. plus we ate in and had two rounds of soft drinks plus desserts to help put the fire out.
What would you expect per head for a family of five (children aged 8-14) in a strange windowless room behind a takeaway and a cafe?
Not much change from £90
I thought that was a bit steep personally, the drinks were £2 a tin, desserts were huge and not finished, so smaller dessert cheapr price would be a better option, portion sizes were good, i just found a bit steep to sit down and eat something almost a third of the cost to take away (excluding drinks and desserts) especually when we used to buy some of the best pirir piri in Portugal for all five of us for less than twenty euros at the chicken shack in quarteira not the fanciest restaurant, but neither is this
Would i return, i am not sure, friendly people, nice food in good quantities but expensive for what it really is. read more
