Without a reservation on a Sunday evening we stopped at this small restaurant on a popular square…read morein Tavira. Since they just opened we got a table but most were reserved so get a reservation if possible. I started with a glass of local wine which was relatively cheap but the drinks at this place were no bargain. We started with their peeled prawns in piri-piri sauce. The sauce was tasty but once again I was fooled by what they considered peeled in this part of the world. Messy. For my main I got the pork tenderloin braised in a port wine and onion sauce it was delicious but it took almost 45 minutes to prepare (so they claimed when we inquired on where our food was after a long wait). The side of fried potatoes was very good. My wife got the vegetable couscous which was not very exciting but she said "that's what I ordered". Service was good. Overall prices were reasonable but we noted that taxes were not built into prices like some restaurants...

The shrimp appetizer was yummy (12 euros), unfortunately the couscous with veggies was bland,…read moreveggies cooked within an inch of their life (mush) and served barely warmed. I tried some of my dates pork in a port onion reduction--- that was both tasty and served hot Service was solid. We arrived as the place opened, and got a nice 2-top without a reservation. Others were not as I lucky and were turned away.

Dined here numerous times. Outstanding! For my money, consistently the best restaurant in town…read more Fellow diners and friends always put O Tonel in the top 5 in Tavira. Cuisine is Portuguese with style. Try the lamb shank or duck confit. Perhaps the best I have ever eaten in country. Ambiance is cozy and authentic without being ostentatious. Service is prompt and courteous and not intrusive. Good price to value ratio. Like most eateries in Portugal, you can stay as long as you wish. I can dine here every day and not be disappointed or bored with the well curated menu and wine list. Don't miss this tried and true winner.

My husband and I passed by this restaurant when it was setting up for dinner and it looked like it…read morewould be a really cute dining experience. We came back right when they opened for dinner at 7pm and were lucky to grab a table as a walk-in. (The walk-in table was indoors; the rest of the tables, most of which were reserved, were outdoors.) A majority of the patrons had reservations, and many walk-ins after us were turned away or asked to make a reservation for another day. The food was amazing! I got the oysters as recommended by the server. They tasted so fresh and were great with a chilled glass of the house white wine. My husband is a vegetarian and got the pumpkin and goat cheese puff pastry--it was also very tasty. After paying the bill and exiting the restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised by the live music playing outside. We were enjoying it from inside the establishment and thought it was coming from a speaker this whole time! Overall, we had a wonderful evening and would recommend this restaurant to friends and family.

Tapas joint with Al fresco seating. Casual ambiance, decent selections. Needs more attention to…read moredetail, like its competitor. across the street.

Great service, delicious food (try the shrimp curry in creamy sauce) and pleasant ambiance. Fair…read moreprices, great location and also has outdoor seating.

ZDB is a solid choice for authentic Portuguese food at a reasonable price point. Al fresco dining…read morein the bohemian section of town lends to the charm. Fresh grilled seafood and meat dishes are properly prepared and are a good value. You can easily get away with a starter and split main and not leave hungry. Service can bog down during high tourist season (June through September) but Portugal takes life in small bites - in other words everything slows down. You can spend three or more hours here eating and drinking -- in keeping with cultural norms. Top tip: You can wander the neighborhood and see what others are eating.. The Bishops Square neighborhood lends itself to a look see before committing. We choose this way during slower months. Might want a reserve during high season.

The food was delicious. I would definitely go back. We also had the oysters for an appetizer and…read morethose were very fresh.

Don't walk- run to get one of the most memorable meals. 10 days in Spain and Portugal and amongst…read moreour group of 6 Aquasul was a clear winner for the best meal on our trip. Stand out dish was the beet carpaccio- I could eat that everyday. We tried several dishes and all were delightful. Enjoy!

The Aquasul was recommended by a friend and we didn't regret our visit here!…read more It was perfect from the beginning to the bill. It was a saturday and of course the place was fully booked. I asked whether there was a free table later that evening, so we got a reservation for 9 am. Lucky for us! At 9, the place was still full, but the waiters were very nice and fast! The interior is pretty cool because of the beautiful tiles and open kitchen, a cosy, art-and-mosaic-filled setting. The menu is short but full with yummy sounding dishes, so it was hard for use to decide. We ordered a lentil burger and fish (I don't remember which one it was) with a tomato risotto. IT.WAS.DELICIOUS! Really, I can't remember the last time I ate such a good dish for such a good price. We tried the cheesecake for dessert and that was the perfect ending of the evening. I think it's very cool that the owners make an effort to source sustainably from the market. Also, they offer gluten free pizzas (which you have to preorder).

We ate here after reading a review in Rick Steve's guide book. I was surprised there were not any…read morerecent reviews. We had an excellent meal. We started with the tempura octopus which was very good. Our waiter was attentive and knowledgeable. He recommended a viognier made locally that was very nice. My wife had the dorado filet with risotto and I had the Catalans with sea bass, clams and prawns. Both were delicious. Overall a very good dining experience

This riverside spot is a must! From the excellent service…read moreto the lovely view, to the incredible seared tuna bowl and ginger lime tuna sandwich, it's a perfect dining sanctuary.

Such a great little find. Fresh prawns with garlic, so yummy. Great octopus stew as well.read more

Great food and wonderful service. The fish was super fresh- we loved the clams and sea bream. They…read morealso offer delicious meat options. We also had the lamb chops and chicken kebab with pineapple. Really fun atmosphere too!

Overrated, wannabe French Parisian style eatery. Cramped quarters unless you dine 6plus guests -…read morewhich buys you the largest and most roomy table. The chef (Jeremy) is a skilled line cook, producing authentic escargot bourguinon, Beef bourguinon, pate fois gras and sautéed fois gras over brioche with sweet jam/glaze. Warms bread is filed out in small bits with a nice compound butter to match. Steak dishes include a nice entrecôte swathed in a nicely prepared and seasoned wild mushroom ragout. Other cuts like a filet mignon or rib eye are successful because the meat itself (like most Portuguese beef) is properly aged and needs little but a sprinkle of local salts and turn of pepper . For the pescatarians, liocally sourced dorado or robalo filet over creamy local mashed potato's and your choice of two vegetables(I prefer the brocolli rabe or crispy cauliflower) needed here to augment the fish or meat without over saucing). Grilling and crispy sautée on all proteins is usually perfect. . This basic meal with a nice Portuguese red or white (let your host choose the wine pairing - usually a perfect match). A finish with a properly prepared crème brûlée which is bruleed tableside with a flair. Espresso with sharino ( a shot of medronho sguardiente) or a snifter of locally made digestif called beirao closed"s the deal. Now here's the rub. I have eaten here more than a dozen times, almost always for a special occasion hosting out-of-towners, the price to value ratio .is off. With then exception of the escargot (readily available for DIY l, imported from France PRE - frozen and seasoned in shell at Auchan in Faro tor a mere 12 Euro for 2 dozen; a quarter of the restaurant price. The balance of the small menu is basic Portuguese cuisine which gets you up charged to 100 Euro pp or more depending on your wine selections All ingredients are available screamingly fresh at the local Mercado l(where Jetrmyband his front of house partner shops (as I do) // where half dozen fine butchers (""Talho) carry the meat,, and dozens of fishmongers carry fresh morning caught seafood from local waters, Monday through Saturday. Shop at 9:00 am for the best choices. As a local resident I avoid Artefact because it is a cutesy tourist trap, wrapped in a French brioche Special occasion is nice, but easily reproduced by a reasonably skilled home cook. Most local Portuguese restaurants will feed you as well at half the price. Top Tip: Don't buy into Travel advisor ratings. These are subsidized reviews. If you need the occasional snob appeal that Artfact offers, bring 6 guests and be willing to drop a grand. Your guedts will be impressed and well fed. Not the top restaurant in town. Dig deeper in the Tavira periphery and neighboring towns. You will get honest great eats, and a reasonable bill. Better still, source the bestningredients yourself, add some love and you too can have Artefact at home as often as you wish. Your guests will be impressed too.?

In an ancient building in central Tavira, the restaurant's dining areas have a historic, homey feel…read morewith a modern, artistic flair. Paintings by, most likely, local artists provide modern renditions of some of my favorite impressionist and post-impressionist artists, including Degas and Van Gogh. The service was friendly and efficient, but could have been better with water and wine glasses going empty more often than optimal. The food was tasty, but with flaws that prohibit me from giving one of my highest ratings. Our group of 20 stuffed into the small front dining room with little space for patrons or staff to maneuver. The starters were tastefully presented, a multi-level tray with cured meats, sausage. and salamis with a small cup of pate of some sort as well as a cheese tray with assorted sliced cheeses and a cup of orange sauce of unknown origin. The accompanying slices of crusty bread were soft inside and crispy out. The biggest problem was that there were only two trays of meat and cheese per table, making it difficult to get more than a sampling of each. The entree choices were limited to two, fish or steak, both coming with a small portion cauliflower au gratin on the plate. I chose the steak, a sirloin that was perfectly cooked between medium and medium-well so as not to leave too much blood on the plate. My steak was good, but with far too much gristle, causing me to chew and chew and chew and chew (etc., etc.), then swallow rather than spit out a big chunk of, well, you get the idea. They also brought out one small bowl of crispy, homemade french fries (chips to the Brits) to be shared by two people, not nearly enough for those of us who were still a wee bit hungry after the meal. The fries were scrummy, but each person should have received their own portion of fries. The dessert plate, again with one plate for every two people, was tastefully presented with a tiny, flaming copper pot full of brandy being poured on top of both of the two thinly sliced pieces of cheesecake, which was very good. There were also small pieces of cake and two teeny, tiny chocolate truffles that appeared to be homemade and were delicious. Dessert was the highlight of the meal with just enough of each component to have a taste without being overwhelmed by too much sugar. It was a very nice evening, but fell short compared to our previous week's dinner at another central Tavira restaurant where we received a better, more substantial meal and our beverage glasses were regularly topped-up. However, I will return with a much smaller party to see if my experience was merely the result of too many people overwhelming the kitchen and staff. CombatCrtitic Gives Artefact 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Best meal I had in Portugal; one of the best meals I had in my life period…read more Stumbled by this place after a beautiful day at Tavira Island. My brother and I split the fried shrimp in garlic sauce (they weren't actually fried) and I split the octopus rice with my cousin. Both were otherworldly The shrimp was subsumed in a garlicky, hot bowl of pure flavor and the shrimp were tender, fresh and tasty. I was digging my spoon through the sauce looking for remaining strands of garlic even after the shrimp was all gone The octopus rice came out in a massive bowl of scalding like soup. This too was incredibly flavorful and we downed the entire bowl which could have fed all four of us For desert I split a slice of Algorvean almond cake and espresso. The cake was delicious and not too sweet Our server was super sweet and gave great suggestions. This place is all about the food and stays true to the flavors of the Algorve. The place is right by the ferry so it's easy to find

Another fan of the garlic shrimp. My wife wanted to share mine and it was hard to give up any of he…read moredeliciousness. Her salad was not as great but the bar was already set pretty high at that point.

Today for lunch I decided to go over to a little restaurant for lunch with my family. We decided on…read morethe place because of the 1 vegan option and close to where we were. Personally I got the chicken kabob and I thought it was very good. The chicken was a bit burnt but the veggies and lemon and of course the shrimp was very delicious overall. The restaurant doesn't have lemonade fyi as we ordered it and got a 7 up instead. The appetizers were okay, the bread was a bit hard but the olives and cheese were good. The French fries with the chicken kabob was very good and overall I enjoyed the meal, a little slow service but after the wait it was good. Once we finished our food though we had to wait a while to pay. Overall a nice meal if you want a kabob or something vegan!

Friendly staff. Excellent fish and seafood, generous portions and very reasonable prices. Good…read morelocal wine. Exceeded expectations defnatly a place to go back to.