Where to eat in the Algarve, Portugal

Restaurante Atlantico in Salema

The Atlantico, in Salema, is one of our favourite watering holes!  The restaurant used to be more of a shack on the beach but following some  EU legislation to move beach bars off the beach, the Atlantico moved back slightly and went a bit up market at the same time.  Through this, it has managed to maintain its easy going character.  The Atlantico is ideal for lunch while watching the kids on the beach, for an early evening drink prior to going on elsewhere, or staying and having a very nice meal.  The staff are efficient and have a good sense of humour.  Little touches like going and getting a bowl of water for our two dogs without being asked, makes the Atlantico a relaxed place to visit.  This is another reason for liking the Atlantico, as we can sit on the decked terrace for a meal or a drink with the dogs under the table, looking over the beach to the sea.  Obviously, they are not allowed inside!  The outside restaurant area is as large as the inside space so there is plenty of opportunity for outside eating.

We visited one evening in June, meeting up with Patti and Denny, who had just arrived from the USA.  They were very excited about their newly modernised village house in Figueira; no water, no electricity, no furniture but they were happy on their blow up bed and a shared deck chair and looking forward to getting it all sorted!

Three of us had fish soup, egg mayonnaise and pate as starters, Denny had three cigarettes and most of the wine as his starter!  We followed with Portuguese steak (recipe in August 2007 newsletter) for me - this one had potatoes stacked around the steak with bacon and olives on top, Steak Atlantico (steak with mushrooms in a cream sauce) for the ladies and Denny had the grilled salmon with baked potato with green beans.  This is always his first meal of their visit to the Algarve, something he looks forward to every year. The second bottle of house red was, as always, as good as the first and seemed to disppear as quickley.  If you have read any of the other restaurant reviews you will know that the house red is our favoured choice and we have never been let down - this one was a Regengos from the Alentejo and complimented our food choices very well.  We finished with three coffees and a tea.   Unfortunately we can't find the receipt but the Atlantico has middle of the road prices.

The Atlantico is a really pleasant place to visit.  To sit by the ocean with a drink on a nice warm evening, cannot be beaten.  The food is well cooked, there is always a good selection of fish and the ambience is excellent.

Local telephone number (+351) 282 695 507

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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