@ninkat,
Sorry I’m late to the party on this thread, but you’ve received great info already.
We also dined at RAMIRO but downstairs in the enclosed terrace, dining among visitors exclusively. I don’t know if that’s just how they seat non-Portuguese diners now, or if it was by happenstance (I doubt it). The waiter spoke to us in very good English and suggested at the end of the meal that “service isn’t included” and that we could add a tip to the bill presented to us on his tablet. We declined and left a small tip in cash. Just a slight discordant note to our meal. We dined on their fabulous “pão torrado com manteiga” (that irresistible buttered bread), their famous amêijoa Bulhão Pato" ( clams in garlic sauce), delicious “gambas al ajillo” and “santola” (spider crab).
I would second the recommendation of PRADO, which was just named by Mesa Marcada as #1 of the top ten Portugal restaurants (the new Cozinha das Flores. by Nuno Mendes in Porto is rated #9).
We also loved our meal in Belém at O FRADE–outstanding cooking from the Alentejo around a semi-circular bar watching the chefs put the finishing touches on each plate. Fantastic breads, terrific small plates.
About Matosinhos,
Of those I listed, we planned to go to O GAVETO but our hostess steered us to O VALENTIM instead, which she insisted was every bit as good but a better overall value. We went at lunch on a weekend, and were the only non-local diners. It was outstanding and since then we’ve had confirmation from others regarding its quality. So in short, I can enthusiastically recommend it. It’s not “fancy” but yet not “rustic” either.
About Porto,
I would also heartily second the rec. of TABERNA DOS MERCADORES, especially for their signature flaming sea bream. Same owners as Adega São Nicolau. It’s charming.
About Lagos,
We spent 5 nights there with recommendations from our hostess at the Quinta Bonita (now a whole house rental) and honestly, little stood out to us compared to our dining in Lisbon, Porto, Matosinhos, Coimbra, Evora, Portalegre, Cascais, etc.
I expected a few really great stand out seafood meals in the Lagos area, but our best meal we had on the Alentejo Coast on the way down, at TASCA DO CELSO in Vila Nova de Milfontes plus a lovely and huge “arroz de tamboril” at O PAULO high above Arrifana beach, again on our way down.
We did have one lovely meal with a very kind host/owner in the center of Lagos at CANTINHO ALGARVIO (great prawn skewers!) and a pleasant tapas style dinner at A TASCA DO KISKO next to the boatyard, but nothing else stood out. At A TASCA we dined amidst Norther European visitors that come down for the sun, no locals. Lagos just isn’t a “foodie Mecca”.
We did enjoy our wine touring, however, as the Algarve is making some lovely wines in the Silves area now, and our hostess had an honor bar filled with local wines.
Our hostess also recommended VILA VEHLA in Sagres for dinner, but we couldn’t fit it in and MAR A VISTA in Sagres, which was closed the day we did our windy drive to Cape St Vincent.
Other restaurants our hostess recommended in Lagos that we didn’t have time to try:
Casa do Pintor
Dois Irmais
O Camilo
Cachoa
A Comidinha
We wanted to have perceves in the perceves capital of Vila do Bispo but after the Perceves Festival in October, they’re no longer found on the menu until the spring (strictly regulated).
Our very best meals in our 8 days in the Algarve we experienced on the east coast, at a completely unpretentious, simple but terrific CASA CORVO in Fuseta (best fish in the area, said our Tavira hostess) and the most memorable meal of all at NOELIA in Cabanas de Tavira. In high season this is a very hard table to book, but we were luckily with a rainy day in November to just walk in at the end of the lunch service. I would rate it as THE outstanding place to dine in the eastern Algarve. Noelia is loved by all the chefs.
I would actually listen to Ziggy and replace Lagos with Evora, as Evora is blessed with some very noteworthy dining these days, as reflected in Ziggy’s dining notes (we loved ORIGENS and our winery visit & lunch at ESPORÃO and another winery visit & lunch at HERDADE MALHADINHA NOVA in Albernoa). There is such outstanding dining in the Alentejo now.
