Ate at A Ver Tavira last night on their "whole trip" tasting menu (the full, 9 course tasting menu)…read moreand certain of the dishes were enough for me to conclude that this was the best meal of my life (surpassing experiences in Tokyo, Paris and San Sebastián). First, it should be noted that in February, the mushrooms in the Algarve are some of the best you'll ever taste -- meaty, full, long; chef's first dish, "Autumn" a riff on a dish his mother used to make for him, involves a delicate sous vide egg yolk that looks like a full hunter's moon and has enough body to retain its roundness but explodes across the mushrooms to bind them together in a delicious mix. The "Line Fish" was a smoked mackerel but so lightly smoked as to render the mackerel melt-in-the-mouth. It was one of the best fish preparations I've ever had. To a Western eye, the umbilicus plant, a type of pennywort, will look like a very very miniature nasturtium leaf. The middle three dishes had significant and strong umami, provided either through vinegar, citrus or garum -- all highly recommended although I preferred the lighter dishes. All dishes paired with meaningful and significant tableware clearly carefully and lovingly selected by Chef Brito. Stay at the Convent Pousada Tavira and walk 20 steps to A Ver Tavira -- you will not regret it. (Be advised, there is a 9 course tasting and a 7 course tasting -- choose according to your appetite and capability.)

Sunday the 1st of October saw us spending a blissful late summer's day on the wonderful Ilha de…read moreTavira. After a morning of beach walking and kite flying we struck gold with a perfect lunch at the Restaurante Ze Maria. I have tried out many of the restaurants and snack bars on the attractive little strip you walk through before you hit the beach proper and this, in my opinion, is probably the best place in which to get yourself a tasty fishy feast. It's not a place with any pretentions of grandeur but if you are lucky you will find yourself eating a meal which might just live in the memory. If you want to find Ze Maria it is the second restaurant that you will come across, just before you turn right to the main strip, as you wander towards the beach after departing from the ferry. Despite temperatures being in the low 30's early October is still right at the end of the season so the beach and the restaurant were both pretty quiet on this visit; a perfect time of year for a long lazy lunch in the shade and the opportunity to chat with our very friendly waiter. While we were having a nibble on the ubiquitous couvert and drinking a cheeky pre-lunch beer I wandered over to the chilled tank to have a look at what was on offer and make an attempt at assessing its freshness. Amongst a decent selection of fish it was the lobster, crab, various types of clam and the oysters that really caught my eye. After a quick consultation with the waiter a lovely plateful of local oysters was ordered while we started on a bottle of the Vilacetinho Vinho Verde. This wine was a great accompaniment to our meal; crisp and dry with plenty of finish. Our oysters soon arrived and looked very attractive on the plate, with wedges of lemon and a garnish of lettuce but there was no sign of any hot sauce. Our waiter shook his head when I asked for Tabasco but smiled and said he had something even better their own home made hot chilli sauce. This was the real McCoy, with a great kick which brought out the best in the oysters. At 5 euros for half a dozen I thought the oysters were great value particularly when you realise that you will be paying an added premium for everything you consume on the Ilha. Next up for me was a big, big plate of the most sublime razor clams which had been cooked perfectly in a white wine and garlic sauce which was just crying out to be mopped up with a bit of bread. I have had razor clams on a number of occasions and in the main I have been quite disappointed; this plateful was a real revaluation and a joy to eat. Meanwhile B was chowing down on her frango which came with skinny frites and rice. She was very complimentary about her meal and the piece of chicken I tried had a nice char but was still very succulent and full of flavour. By the time we had finished our wine, and the large bottle of water we had ordered, we must have been in Ze Maria for nearly 3 very happy hours and our fellow diners had long since been and gone. We called up the bill, which was a real pleasure to pay, said a fond farewell until next year and went for a final stroll along the beach before sailing back to Tavira for our final night in town happy days indeed.

I always like to try a restaurant that we have not yet had the pleasure of eating in whenever we…read morevisit Tavira. On this year's mini break we were fortunate to end up in the Portas do Mar on a Saturday night after a recommendation from Luis who runs the Brisa in Tavira. You will need to walk 20 minutes from town, drive or catch a cab, at a cost of 4 euros, to get to the Portas do Mar but it's well worth the trek (if you are staying here out of season it's very near the only ferry crossing that will be running to the Ilha so this might make a good stopping off point on your return). On our visit it was quite empty, unlike most of the restaurants in town, but the punters that had made the journey seemed to be a regular crowd who appreciate the food and wine. During the high season of July and August you will be lucky to get a table and booking well ahead is apparently essential. The restaurant itself is quite old school in terms of its décor and menu, which is no bad thing, and it's situated in a lovely spot right by the river which is a great location to watch the sun go down. We sat in the conservatory area at the front on our visit which was very pleasant. Our waiter and waitress for the evening were both attentive without being over fussy I would recommend that you have a chat with them if you have any doubts about what to eat or drink as they are very helpful. As with most places in Tavira, but perhaps even more so at the Portas do Mar, fish and seafood in particular should be what you are ordering. Armed with a gin and tonic, resisting the allure of the couvert, and after much debate while nibbling on the very tasty bread we finally made our order. I kicked off with a lovely fish soup comes highly recommended; plenty of white fish in a delicate veggie laden broth made for a good start to our meal. B had the asparagus and shrimp soufflé, after a lot of discussion about the merits of in or out of season, which was less successful being a tad burnt on top and a bit undercooked inside. Stick with the fish and keep it simple would be my advice. For our main we shared the seafood cataplana which I enjoyed immensely and B thought was a food obstacle course. I love the drama of the large clam like dish being brought to the table and then flipped open to reveal a multitude of mussels, clams, crab, lobster, bits of white fish and spicy sausage all in a lovely fragrant sauce. To do justice to this meal, and to make sure you do not leave the restaurant hungry, you will need to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in. You will be supplied with the shellfish tools of the trade in terms of cutlery and you will need to put them to good use. If this is not your idea of foodie heaven you might be wiser to sticking with a fillet of fish. The wine list at the Portas do Mar has plenty of choice, even for those of us drinking on a budget, and is very keenly priced. We had a lovely bottle of Planeta which cost 9 euros which was a couple of euros less than we paid in town. I liked this place a lot, probably a little more than B did but as I am the one posting up this review I will give the Portas do Mar a well-deserved 4 stars. I look forward to a return visit.