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.

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).

I never would have found this place if it were not for Bart, the golf pro and all around good guy…read moreat nearby Benamor Golf Club. Thirty of us played 18 holes of wonderful Stableford golf at Benamor, then only 20 headed to Brisa do Rio for dinner because there just was not enough room for all 30 of us. We were met with tables already laden with bottles of water and wine as well as bread, olives, fish pate, and butter. Once we all had been seated, the appetizers started to flow family-style. Fresh octopus sauteed in a zesty tomato sauce, razor clams in olive oil, garlic, and parsley, as well as chevre cheese topped with honey and apricot jam, I believe. They we all sublime. My entree was the lamb chops, four of them, perfectly seared and cooked to a medium rare accompanied by a mint sauce with a bite, likely a bit of a local favorite, piri piri (chilli) sauce. The chops were delish, accompanied by new potatoes perfectly seasoned and roasted to a semi-crispy dark brown. The service was impeccable with three servers keeping watch over our party of 20, replacing empty water and wine bottles and clearing empty plates post haste. The dining room is simple, yet sophisticated with just enough light to be able to read a menu without hurting my light sensitive eyes. There is also a dining room in the back to handle overflow as well as provide a place for wine tastings, from what I understand. An excellent meal and value at 30 Euros for a four course dinner, including wine and coffee, I recommend getting a reservation because they are fully booked pretty much every night. CombatCritic Gives Brisa do Rio 9 Bombs Out Of 10 With Room For An Extra Bomb For When I Return ... More Bombs Are Better!

Honored to be the first to review Polvo & Companhia Restaurante! Located in Santa Luzia, a small…read morefishing village on the eastern Algarve, this place far exceeded expectations. We actually didn't intend to go here, but I'm so happy that we did. The restaurant we were trying to go to was closed, and this seemed like the next best option. To my surprise, it ended up being one of my favorite meals of the trip! For those that don't know, polvo is the Portuguese word for octopus. Santa Luzia is famous for them. In fact, Santa Luzia is widely considered the octopus capital of the world. So, we didn't want to leave Santa Luzia without trying their world famous octopus. To eat, I ordered the black linguine with octopus and prawns, and the fish and octopus sashimi. While I thought the sashimi was fine, the black linguine dish was very memorable. If you find yourself in Santa Luzia, definitely try to give this place a try. You will not be disappointed. Between the food and service, there's nothing not to like. The menu has a lot of great options, prices are reasonable, and the location is great. The ambience and decor are certainly elevated. There's good reason why every table in the restaurant was filled. Next time I'm in the area, I will not hesitate to come back.

Fun place in town to stop at as a tourist. Great view of the harbor. Serves octopus. I also…read morenoticed locals gathering here for family events

I'm always keen to try somewhere new whenever I have the chance to visit Tavira so Jamies Cozinha…read morewas an obvious destination for dinner on my recent mini break. I turned up last Tuesday without having made a booking and had no problems getting a choice of tables in this nicely turned out small restaurant which is situated just over the river from the central square in Tavira (walk over the bridge, the small one open to traffic, just along from the lovely old Roman bridge). If you are planning on eating here in June, July or August I suspect a booking in advance would be essential to avoid disappointment. There are a couple of tables on the narrow pavement outside but the road is quite busy so this is not a place I would recommend for dining outside (try the A Ver, the Brisa do Rio or the lovely roof terrace at the Patio if you want to eat in the open air). However, the restaurant itself is quite charming and has been restored sympathetically with the interior design based on the original green tiles. It's has a modern look and a nice vibe no overhead strip lighting and candles on the tables. The owner obviously knows his market, he runs a small local hotel, and has pitched this offering just right. There is something on the menu that should appeal to all tastes and there is a good selection for vegetarians which is rare in Tavira. Prices are higher than most other restaurants in town but the menu is a bit more adventurous and the cooking is well executed. The staff are friendly, professional and efficient no doubt they will cope well with the demands of the summer season!! If you are fond of a glass of wine there is plenty of good stuff on the wine list from reasonably priced and easy drinking house wine to some more interesting choices which will not break the bank. I had a very tasty starter of sardine fillets which came on a bed of panzanella salad this would be a good sharing plate if you want to pace yourself and get through three courses. I then moved onto a main of sea bass with saffron seafood risotto. This was a big fish which was perfectly cooked and nicely presented with a side of risotto stuffed full of octopus, mussels and clams a nice plate of food but there was just a little bit too much going on flavour wise for my palate. By now I was totally stuffed and after a quick bica I was off into town for a bit of a walk before a cheeky nightcap. I'm already looking forward to a return visit to see how Jamies develops after the summer season.

Good food and a amazing view. The people are very polite and the atmosphere is nice. The food could…read morebe a little better but your paying for the view.

Been here with my family for a "Cataplana de Polvo com Batata Doce" and the food was delicious!!!…read moreService could be better and staff are not as friendly as they should be! Overall was a great experience but I prefer the traditional Portuguese cuisine/dishes and not so much this "french cuisine style" where the focus is more on the looks and the small portions!

Ordered some cuttlefish with chips for me, and kebab of prawns with chicken for my wife, and…read moreeverything just tasted like if it was cooked by an amateur! Only good think on this restaurant is the staff! Very friendly and professional! I wouldn't recommend or visit this restaurant again.

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.