[Closed] Portugal

I’m not, but I go surfing in Sagres and it’s just stunning.

How’s the food? Portuguese cuisine has a reputation for being a bit boring.

It's a lovely country and you won't find friendlier people anywhere!

There's nowt wrong with the food either. You can find influences from around the world and as for the wine...

How’s the food? Portuguese cuisine has a reputation for being a bit boring.

Eh?

Have you been deluded into believing that Nando's is representative of Portugal or that the tourist catering in the Algarge is Portuguese?

Bit boring? Possibly, depends what you want from your food. They do some wonderful fish and rice stews (caldeirada and mariscada) while the salted codfish dishes are a bit 'acquired'(bacalhau) for some. They aren't super fancy like the french, but if you like fresh produce cooked simply but well, what's not to love about proper piri piri or lamb on a charcoal grill with some potatoes and a salad, or keep-em coming plates of sardines or prawns down by the harbour.

And one of the best meals I've had bar none, Michelin star places included, was a tiny place by the harbour in Alvor, between Portimao and Lagos on the Algarve.  Scrubbed tables and the menu was a blackboard, most of which was blank - it had the staples on but the rest of it was dependant on what the chef was currently bringing back from the fish quay in sight of us which he then prepped, and grilled on coals and it was simply divine.

You can keep your sauces and your fancy 29 components piled up on a plate with dabs of emulsion artfully smeared around it - I'd swap it for that red snapper in an instant.

Love the country and often go there for work.  Some of the most friendly helpful people you could ever meet.

Boring food?  WTF?  Amazing fresh food and of course seafood.

So like Spain, but a lot lot friendlier...

Lol. I was only asking! I’ve never been to Portugal, so was curious.

Sounds proper lush, now you’ve described it on those terms.

And, no, i’ve never been to Nando’s either, for what it’s worth.

"was a tiny place by the harbour in Alvor"

Not this place was it?

http://www.aribeira-alvor.com/en/#container

I've eaten there a few times & it was superb.

And, no, i’ve never been to Nando’s either, for what it’s worth.

Well should you happen to find yourself there, and since you don't like boring food, I'd recommend the Wings Roulette it adds an elements of interest to your food!

So like Spain, but a lot lot friendlier…

Eh? Not seen much of Spain then at a guess.

Anyway, I love visiting Portugal - lovely place with lots of (slightly run-down) charm.

....Spain's pretty big and diverse, and can't even agree on a language for the national anthem. I've only visited Portugal a few times (Algarve surfing and Lisbon - one of the best euro city breaks. Possibly the best) but the thing that strikes me is zero language guilt as it's so bloody difficult (sounds like Polish or something despite looking Spanish written down) that please and thank you are about as far as I've ever got. I don't speak Spanish either, but it's so bloody easy sounding I feel the need to keep trying. None of that in Portugal.

Bacalhau !!

Been once and moved it, going again next year it was so good. Lovely people, lovely countryside, surfing was excellent too. Bit scruffy in the cities but we didn't spend long in them

Agree about the food being boring though, I'm vegetarian which is a concept they don't seem to have grasped and the choice was very limited. Likely to be helped by learning Portuguese though, I suspect I only have myself to blame for not really being able to talk to lingo.

How’s the food? Portuguese cuisine has a reputation for being a bit boring.

We found the constant sardines and boiled potatoes a little repetitive around Lisbon, but there were some other very good options away from the tourist traps.

Portuguese cuisine has a reputation for being a bit boring.

British food has a much much worse reputation for being boring, and we still find stuff to eat 😉

I've a place down on the Algarve, inherited from my mum. Despite it being in the family for years and having spent just about every summer of my childhood holidays there I've  been once in the last twenty years and even that was 14 years ago.

<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Many fantastic beaches. Whether you want secluded coves or long sandy expanses. Oh, and proper waves, not like the med!</span>

There are plenty of good restaurants, just follow the locals. Agree on the vegetarian thing, but find France to be the same.

Not this place was it?

http://www.aribeira-alvor.com/en/#container
/a>

I’ve eaten there a few times & it was superb.

It's not but (hipster mode on) it might have been FWIW, I'm talking 30-odd years when Alvor was tiny. I still love those restaurants down by the fish market when we go there (like Alpin my folks have timeshare down there so we go maybe 1 year in 4) but there are far more now and they have become a bit more commercial with glass frontages and aircon, but the food's not changed much.

First time we went was 1987, I know because it was my A-level results and in a triumph of planning we were away for them, and without mobile phones or internet lord knows what i'd have done if I didn't hit my grades and had to go into clearing from what was a pretty run down country then. The only way we could get the results was for a friend's mum to open them and then we phoned her from the 5* Penina hotel that was the nearest place where you could 'rent' a phone call; even then you gave the number to a telephonist, she dialled it, got the call set up and then transferred into a wooden booth a bit like a confessional with a curtain you pulled over to keep private!

And while we were in there we got accosted by a South African sales guy who offered us a round of golf on the Penina course if we listened to him and visited a timeshare complex he was building on the hotel estate. We loved it, bought one, still do love it. I remember the guy's name still (John-Paul Raymond) because it was a cross between the Pope of the time and the Porn baron, which was a strange dichotomy even to a naive 18yo country boy - and he gave us the address of the fish place.........

but the thing that strikes me is zero language guilt as it’s so bloody difficult (sounds like Polish or something despite looking Spanish written down)

Yep. One of our regular riders is Portuguese. He sounds like he’s from Eastern Europe somewhere, and looks like a U-boat captain when he’s wearing his winter gear.

I’ve  been once in the last twenty years and even that was 14 years ago.

Are you renting it? If not be wary of cowboy plumbers gaining entry

Had my honeymoon in Lagos. Quite enjoyed it. And the town was quite nice too

I still remember the Stone Bass steak we both had at one restaurant; it was about 8in across & 1in thick, amazing piece of fish. Couldn’t face the bacalhau though

Lived and worked there for about 3 years (Lisbon), even managed to pull a native for a while.

Ace place, many a fond memory.

Don't recall ever having spuds and sardines though, used to eat in the factory canteen and go to all sorts of places in the evening so I suspect I did a good sweep of all the available grub.