Alameda - Faro

We were in Faro for my partner 's birthday and always try to find a fantastic dining experience for that occasion. Alamadea certainly didn 't disappoint in fact, it 's probably one of the best tasting menus we 've ever enjoyed! It didn 't hurt that there were only four tables occupied that night (being out of season) and there were eight people working for the eight people dining making what would have already been exemplary service even more personal and attentive. The four inside tables (there are more on the covered terrace outside) all line the open kitchen, allowing us to watch head chef, Rui Sequeira, and his team at work. The terrace is great but I would strongly recommend eating indoors for this reason. The tasting menus are insired by local folk tales, often involving the clashes (and romantic clutches) between the European and Moorish cultures that formed the Algarve. Each dish is preceded by a card outlining the relevant story and an evocative illustration by a friend of Senhor Sequeira. As vegetarians, we took the vegetarian tasting menu (appreciably cheaper than the regular tasting menu but both are extremely reasonable and a fraction of the cost of comparable experiences in larger cities). The nine 'moments ' were all tremendous, both in presentation and combinations of flavour and served confidently and often amusingly by the extremely personable wait staff. Nobody tried to press the wine pairing on us (though, again, this was very reasonably priced), but we each received excellent and personally tailored recommendations from the charming sommelier. We were able to discuss the menu in detail with the wait staff (despite us having no Portuguese, I 'm ashamed to say) and when my partner leapt to her feet to lean over the counter and personally congratulate Senhor Sequeira, he seemed delighted rather than alarmed! In fact, I 'm not sure we 've ever seen a happier, calmer kitchen. From start to finish, dinner at Alamada was a fabulously intimate and wonderful experience and I can wholeheartedly recommend any visitor to Faro (or local) to book immediately!

Él había estado esperando por mucho tiempo para poder probar y después de tener las expectativas muy altas; él “difícilmente” no me decepcionó. Una maravilla.

A truly gastronomic experience we had the 10 moment menu. We are French and love good Michelin restaurants and this one was among the best of recent years. Wine was very good to, full of novelty for a palate used to Bordeaux and Burgundy wines.

Super professional team, amazing food!

Fabulous as always