Vista Restaurante - Portimão (Portugal)

@vistarestaurante is a must for anyone visiting Algarve. This fine dining restaurant is located in the beautiful Bela Vista boutique hotel, with a nice panoramic view to the Atlantic that makes the perfect atmosphere for such a special meal.

Up and coming executive chef @joaooliveirachef is taking the country by storm. Clearly committed to sustainability and focused on fostering a good relationship with local producers, he displays a menu centered around seasonal ingredients from the region, mostly seafood, that showcase the best that the Algarve has to offer.

I particularly appreciated how João brings his own background in modern cuisine to reinterpret ancient local Algarvian recipes. A main example of this is their signature squid doughnut, which is served with different sauces that include a grilled head and ink. After finishing my plate, I could not help but dream of coming back to the Algarve and being lucky enough to try the original dish that inspired this one at a local fisherman’s home.

Each serving here is refined, elegant and beautifully plated, as the pictures show, but many times also playful - including the interpretation of pastel de nata for dessert, that is served in a tube that emulates a cinnamon bark, making the meal more fun and enjoyable overall.

Vista is located in the main street in Portimão, a place where one would not expect to find such a special restaurant. While I am almost certain that neighboring establishments are tourist traps, do not think twice about making a reservation here.

(Versão em Português nos comentários)