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Where to eat in the Algarve, Portugal
Amici Ristorante Italiano - Bar in Praia da Luz
Well, about time! At last there is a quality Italian restaurant in Luz.
 One of the best things about Praia de Luz, apart from the wide, clean and safe beach, is the number, and variety of great restaurants. Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, even S. African (did you know you could get Ostrich steaks in Luz?) restaurants are easily found, even English restaurants if you are feeling just a little home sick. It really is tempting to just visit a different one each night without ever using the kitchen facilities in the apartment or villa you may be renting.
However, apart from the occasional pizza, there was no Italian restaurant to be found until AMICI RISTORANTE ITALIANO - BAR opened up in the St James complex in October 2007.
 Situated on the ground floor of Block 5 of St James, Amici has a great corner position, with plenty of parking right outside. There's also a wide pavement area that fronts the restaurant and my guess is there's going to be plenty of opportunity to dine outside in the warmer months.
We watched with great interest the flurry of activity during the week prior to opening and as soon as the opening date was announced we booked in to give it a try. Along with a couple of friends we had persuaded to join us (not difficult; they enjoy a night out as much as Jackie and I) we arrived at the restaurant and received a very warm welcome.
 The décor is very modern; the tables are black and white marbled, which contrasts starkly with the white linen napkins. Crystal glassware and heavy cutlery complete the stylish table layout and the unobtrusive background classical music seemed just right. Just inside the restaurant there is a bar where you are welcome to have a drink, if you prefer to study the menu first. We noticed a lot of coming and going at the bar and it may be that there is a takeaway service offered but as yet we can't confirm this. The kitchen is bright and sparkly stainless steel and is open on the restaurant side so you can watch what's going on in there, particularly when the chef demonstrates his flair and sends sheets of flame up to the ceiling, during preparation of something or other. Another nice touch is the screened off area which hides the doors to the “facilities”.
 As we were choosing our meal our drinks were served. Amici, has a wide selection of wines, mostly Italian and a fair selection of bottled beers, although at the time there were no Italian beers on the menu. (Delivery failure, they will be here tomorrow - well it is Portugal!)
 A good range of starters are on offer which range from garlic breads with cheese or tomato for €3, to melon and Palma ham at €6.50, Calamari at €7, sea food salads, tomato and mozzarella, and antipasti, all at about €7.50. We chose Calamari fritters (2), served with a garlic and herb dip, a lasagne (starter size), and a melon/ham. All of these were big portions and were served with that attention to detail that makes a meal memorable. After our very tasty starters we  were looking forward to the main courses and we weren't disappointed. We had ordered Lasagne al Emiliana (2) (don't know who he was, but his lasagne was much appreciated at €8.25), a Risotto Marinara (€9.50) and a Troffiette Del Contadina (€7.50). The sea food risotto was a rich mix of  mussels, prawns and white fish with the risotto rice cooked just right with that little bit of bite to it. The Troffiette was a chicken dish with the chicken in strips and mixed with carrots, broccoli and asparagus in a rich creamy cheese sauce. All these main courses were excellent and were complemented by the light and spicy Italian wine at €16. After a little breather, they do serve big portions, we had a look at the dessert menu and  decided we couldn't quite manage anything from the long list of gelatos, tiramisu, and panacotta, all at €3.5 to €4. (Oh well it's an excuse to go back again, maybe a main and a dessert next time). However, what we did have was a selection of cheese which was served with biscuits, fried bread slices, and strawberries. Apparently this was an excellent way to round off the meal, especially taken with the coffees but since one member of our table hogged most of this, we'll have to take their word for it.
 We had a great meal at Amici ristorante and will certainly go again. It's not a cheap option (our night out for 4 with wine, 2 bottles of water, and coffees came to €86) but the surroundings, the welcoming staff and the excellent food make it an experience to repeat. Well worth a visit.
Amici Ristorante Italiano - Bar can be found on Rua 25th Avril, half way up the hill with the St James complex on your right. As they have only been open a short time, its possible that you won't need to book but we were there on only their second night and there were maybe a third of the tables taken so it's going to get popular and in the “season” you will need to ring 282 763 119 to make a reservation.
Jackie & Tony October 2007
If you would like to know more about Portuguese Food and Drink, why don't you dip into our Restaurants in the Algarve section and our series of articles on Portuguese Wines and Ports. We also feature some Traditional Portuguese Recipes and a glossary of useful Portuguese food & drink words and phrases
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