Off the tourist track

Restaurante Veneza

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Algarvian restaurant south of Paderne"

Quote:

Restaurante Veneza is an old family favourite. You can find this informal, family run restaurant south of Paderne in the Algarve, Portugal where the two motorways meet at the junction. The building where meals are served looks very much like a dining hall in a college or university. It used to be an ordinary village house until the owners knocked a few rooms through making it into a popular restaurant and added a shop as well. Mem Moniz is inland so the menu is a little bit different and offers Algarvian dishes that you probably wouldn't come across on the coast. House specialities like charcuterie - home made sausages, hams, enchidos and Presunto are high on the menu and porco preto, a s...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 25, 2012

Restaurante Veneza
Mem Moniz
Paderne, Portugal

Cheer!
Flag

Sitio do Forno

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Always a queue"

Quote:

You will find restaurants around the village of Carrapateira and the beaches, Praia do Bordeira and Praia do Amado serve similar dishes. These restaurants are known for fresh fish and seafood; some have tremendous views. Sitio do Forno (site of the oven, in Portuguese) is one I recommend because of its location overlooking the ocean and beautiful beach of Praia do Amado. To reach the restaurant you have to walk on an unpaved road which eventually leads you to the other beach, Praia do Bordeira.This is a very popular restaurant especially at weekends. Diners like to come here because they can sit outside on the terrace on the top of the cliff and watch the small boats out at sea as well as...Read More

You will find restaurants around the village of Carrapateira and the beaches, Praia do Bordeira and Praia do Amado serve similar dishes. These restaurants are known for fresh fish and seafood; some have tremendous views. Sitio do Forno (site of the oven, in Portuguese) is one I recommend because of its location overlooking the ocean and beautiful beach of Praia do Amado. To reach the restaurant you have to walk on an unpaved road which eventually leads you to the other beach, Praia do Bordeira.

This is a very popular restaurant especially at weekends. Diners like to come here because they can sit outside on the terrace on the top of the cliff and watch the small boats out at sea as well as the views of the beach which is stunning. When the weather is good everyone wants to sit outside but there isn’t enough seating to accommodate so some diners rather than wait go inside to eat. I have eaten inside on several occasions but the experience isn’t the same as being out in the evening sun breathing in the salty air.

You can try to reserve a table but this doesn’t always work out. We have booked a table outside for special occasions, arrived at the restaurant in good time to find another family sat at our reserved table. When this happens you can only wait until another table on the terrace comes free or go inside. It is annoying but it isn’t the end of the world.

Sitio do Forno is a simple restaurant serving simple food. The décor inside is Portuguese in style and very minimalistic. Outside on the esplanade the tables and chairs are practical, made from aquamarine plastic, easy to clean and manoeuvre. There is always a hectic ambiance with waiters rushing around from table to table. I think the restaurant needs extra staff as there is always a long wait before being served. Last time we visited we had to wait forty minutes or so before we were given a menu, basket of bread and nibbles.

Still, when the food arrives it is of a high standard. You may have realised by now I am a fan of grilled fish; it is so delicious, creamy flakes that melt inside your mouth with just a sprinkling of rock salt and fresh salsa. I even like the crunchy texture of the skin which has been drizzled with olive before cooking and afterwards. I love the taste of cooked vegetables here at the Sitio do Forno; carrots are sweet, slightly crunchy from not being overcooked, potatoes are firm and taste creamy, green beans are succulent. Traditional Portuguese dishes like cataplana, seafood rice and fish stews are excellent and good value.

Generally waiting staff are polite and very courteous but sometimes when the restaurant is busy it all gets a bit much and your requests can be ignored.

I can’t grumble at prices, meals start from 20Euros and this includes nibbles, wine and a main meal.
Sitio do Forno is open daily from 12.00 hours until 22.00 hours.

You can find the restaurant at the end of a dirt road leading to Praia do Bordeira. Access to this dirt track is from the main road, Estrada Nacional 268.

Summary: Sitio do Forno is a popular restaurant situated in a fantastic spot overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and beach. Fish dishes are excellent value for money and cooked to perfection. Service can be a bit hit and miss.

Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 17, 2012

Sitio do Forno
Praia Do Amado
Carrapateira, Portugal
282 973 914

Cheer!
Flag

Burgau(general)

Best Of IgoUgo

Story/Tip

Quote:

Burgau is still popular with tourists probably because it still has some of its old world charm left. Extra building and development hasn’t spoilt it entirely, you can still find the original main cluster of cottages painted white and edged with powder blue. This row of cottages can be found near to the opening of the beach and hasn’t changed since I first started visiting over 20 years ago. The old covered bus stop with a bench inside is a meeting point for old men to sit in the shade and when you look down the main cobbled road you will think you are in a town in some old fashioned western. At midday there won’t be a soul on the road, they will be inside behind closed doors keeping out of the sun, d...Read More

Burgau is still popular with tourists probably because it still has some of its old world charm left. Extra building and development hasn’t spoilt it entirely, you can still find the original main cluster of cottages painted white and edged with powder blue. This row of cottages can be found near to the opening of the beach and hasn’t changed since I first started visiting over 20 years ago. The old covered bus stop with a bench inside is a meeting point for old men to sit in the shade and when you look down the main cobbled road you will think you are in a town in some old fashioned western. At midday there won’t be a soul on the road, they will be inside behind closed doors keeping out of the sun, down on the beach or sat outside on some terrace of a bar or restaurant.

There are several restaurants in Burgau. Ancora and Casa Padaria Pizzara are two that I recommend for good food, service and reasonable prices. For such a small town there seems to be quite a lot of bars. The Pig’s Head is very popular with expats and British tourists.

If you are renting a villa or an apartment of which there are many to choose from and need to buy shopping locally instead of travelling to Praia da Luz or Lagos then there is always Supermarket Dias&Fernandes . You can’t miss it as there are colourful baskets of fruit and vegetables placed outside on a bench in the street in front of the shop and a jolly striped awning covering. Inside the shop is quite dark and cluttered but if you look carefully you will find basics like bread, cakes, tea, coffee, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, deli counter, frozen food and even products from UK.

There is also a bakery, laundry, hairdresser, newsagents, gift shop selling pottery and a wine shop.
Burgau’s population does treble in size in July and August and the bars and restaurants will be bursting and very difficult to find a table if you don’t book. I prefer to stay away at this time of year. The beach is only small and soon fills up. It is a nicer experience in the quieter months to take a walk down to the slipway where the boats are and watch the fishermen bring in their catch of the day or watch them repair their nets. In the early morning it’s very relaxing to walk along the coast to Praia da Luz. There are some giant sized cacti along this part of the coastline and in early spring are often in flower and look very pretty standing back from the sun soaked rocks.

Don’t worry you don’t have to walk back to Burgau if you don’t want to. There is a bus on the hour until 8pm.
If you want a peaceful break away from the big resorts and are happy to go walking in the day and spend the evening wining and ding in a restaurant then Burgau is a good choice.
Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 17, 2012

Cheer!
Flag

O Sitio do Rio

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Great fish restaurant behind the beach"

Quote:

You can’t visit Praia do Bordiera without calling in at O Sitio do Rio restaurant; a restaurant we have visited many times. The location is behind the beach so you can visit before you take the walk up the hill to one of the Algarve’s finest golden beaches or pop in on your way back before you jump in your car. We usually visit before, around lunch time. The road leading to the restaurant is pretty wild with lots of stones, cacti and Aloe Vera plants. O Sitio do Rio is a very busy restaurant so it is advisable to book a table especially at weekends.There are two dining areas; one inside and the other in the courtyard at the back of the restaurant. Out of the two I prefer to sit in the cour...Read More

You can’t visit Praia do Bordiera without calling in at O Sitio do Rio restaurant; a restaurant we have visited many times. The location is behind the beach so you can visit before you take the walk up the hill to one of the Algarve’s finest golden beaches or pop in on your way back before you jump in your car. We usually visit before, around lunch time. The road leading to the restaurant is pretty wild with lots of stones, cacti and Aloe Vera plants. O Sitio do Rio is a very busy restaurant so it is advisable to book a table especially at weekends.

There are two dining areas; one inside and the other in the courtyard at the back of the restaurant. Out of the two I prefer to sit in the courtyard as it is much cooler here than inside. Tables are bench like and long so very good for big parties.

A word of warning, meal portions are large so it’s a good idea not to eat too many couverts although the warm bread and garlic butter which comes served in an earthenware pot is delicious as are the big fat juicy purple olives. Olive oil and garlic is predominant in all meals served in this restaurant. One dish to try is squid in olive oil and garlic. The smell of garlic in this dish is so overpowering it makes my eyes water.

Meat dishes take second place on the menu because most visitors come to O Sitio do Rio to taste the freshly caught fish of the day and seafood on offer. Gilt head bream is a superior fish, sometimes called Dourado in Portuguese because of the gold colour of its skin. The chef cooks the fish on a wood fuelled barbecue slowly grilling away; the aromas are scintillating. When the bream is cooked the chef then drizzles olive oil over the skin of the fish, adds a sprinkling of rock salt and chopped salsa. That’s all there is to it. The fish is then served on a very large plate with a side salad and a few boiled potatoes. You can order chips if you like but personally I think this fish goes better with potatoes or even a portion of wild rice mixed with cooked carrots and zucchini. I like the salads at this restaurant too; always colourful with slices of white and purple onion, sliced beetroot, tomato and green pepper.
Fish stews and monkfish cataplanas are delicious, very good value as the portions are enormous. These are served with rice or warm bread.

For meat lovers there is a good selection of grilled meat. Lamb is very popular with local people as is Cabrito (Kid).
There are some interesting vegetarian options on the menu which isn’t always the case in Portuguese restaurants. You will find that the ingredients used in all vegetarian dishes are organically grown.

The wine list isn’t so extensive but you can pick up a bottle of white from the Alentejo for under £5, shared between two, I don’t think this is a bad price. Alentejo white goes nicely with grilled fish; it is less tannic than wines from the Algarve.

Meal prices including wine start from 20 Euros. There are plenty of car parking spaces across from the restaurant although the ground is rough. I don’t think there will be an issue inside the restaurant regarding wheelchair users as there is enough room to move around from table to table but I am not sure about the road from the car park to the restaurant. This is wild and untamed with large stones all over the place.

O Sitio do Rio closes on Tuesdays.

I recommend this restaurant especially if you are out for a drive along the west coast. The food is excellent as is the atmosphere and location.

Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 16, 2012

O Sitio do Rio
Praia Do Bordeira
Carrapateira, Portugal

Cheer!
Flag

Praia Boco do Rio

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Mouth of the River"

Lonesome calf Photo - Praia Boco do Rio, Algarve, Portugal

Quote:

Boco do Rio in Portuguese means mouth of the river. I like the name of this beach as it reminds me of cowboys and whenever I hear the name I imagine a lonesome cowboy riding his horse through a dry canyon looking for water in the scorching heat. I don’t think I have actually seen a lonesome cowboy in this part of the Algarve although I have seen a lonesome calf wandering close to the water’s edge. Where was the calf’s, Mama? I remember asking myself. I think she must have followed the rest of the herd further up the valley. Just like in the cowboy films the herds come down from the pastures in the hills to drink in the stream formed by the overflow of water from the mouth of the river. T...Read More

Boco do Rio in Portuguese means mouth of the river. I like the name of this beach as it reminds me of cowboys and whenever I hear the name I imagine a lonesome cowboy riding his horse through a dry canyon looking for water in the scorching heat. I don’t think I have actually seen a lonesome cowboy in this part of the Algarve although I have seen a lonesome calf wandering close to the water’s edge. Where was the calf’s, Mama? I remember asking myself. I think she must have followed the rest of the herd further up the valley. Just like in the cowboy films the herds come down from the pastures in the hills to drink in the stream formed by the overflow of water from the mouth of the river.

This wild, untamed part of the Algarve is frequented by tourists who like to be off the beaten track. It’s also a haven for campers and their vans in the winter. I think they think they can park up in this isolated spot from the eyes of the local GNR police. It depends who is on patrol on any certain day and what kind of mood the officer is in. If he is feeling that way inclined he will tell all camper van owners to move on and find a real campsite. Personally, I don’t like camper vans taking over these wild areas of Portugal. I like to go to the beach to sit on it and to walk around the surrounding area in peace without listening to radios and TVs blaring out loud.

When I lived in the Algarve this was one area I liked to walk my dogs. You could let them off the lead to roam around. The tracks are long, dusty and hilly. From the eastern side where the old fort is you can take in some super views of the mouth of the river and if you walk around to the opposite side you will come to a sheltered pool suitable for paddling in. This is very popular with small children.

There isn’t a lot to do really except walk on the cliff tops or swim in the sea. The beach here is very rocky and not one of the most comfortable to sit or sunbathe on. The beach is very popular with German tourists and you can often see groups of them playing volleyball and beach football.

There are no facilities in this untamed part of the Algarve so remember to take everything you will need for your excursion.

If you are in the vicinity of Burgau and Salema then I recommend a stroll on the back road to Boca do Rio. The views of the countryside are excellent. The light quality is exceptional and the air is pure. You can really feel your lungs expanding as they fill up with good, clean air.
Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 5, 2012

Praia Boco do Rio
Between Burgau and Salema
West Algarve, Portugal

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Algarve Journals

Upload Photos