O went down to the south of Portugal to show that the Algarve is always worth visiting. Although many taverns close in winter, there are those who keep their doors open in this “forgotten corner” of the country when it is not summer. The result is a guide with three locations in Quarteira, one in Albufeira and another in Portimão.
Tasca do Jorge (Quarteira)
The most unique tavern I’ve ever seen
It was the last day of the year 2025. I didn’t expect to find much open in Quarteira. But, on an unpretentious walk along the coast after lunch, I came across the most unique tavern I’ve ever seen. There is no possible comparison in form. It is a small house, almost a cabin, isolated in the center of a square. The terrace was empty, but the door was open. Inside, just four seats and a paraphernalia of boxes, some with drinks, others with… books. Behind the counter, João, with a glass of red wine, a sign of a not very busy afternoon.
“From year to year we feel the lack of people”, laments João, who inherited the tavern from his father Jorge. Quarteira is “a forgotten corner” of the country, especially when there is no summer to warm up the crowds. Still, it keeps some customers loyal. That night of December 31st, a group of 16 Irish people were waiting. And, as I saw in the other establishments I visited, everyone in the local restaurant scene knows the owner of Tasca do Jorge, which has been around for over 50 years.
I’m not going to lie: I don’t have much to say about the food. I stuck to the snacks. Full meals here only with reservation, so that João can go to the butcher or the fish market the day before. A kind of personalized menu, another particularity of this restaurant.
Although there are those who come on purpose, every year, to eat the clams, visiting Tasca do Jorge has little to do with food. It’s atmosphere, it’s conversation, it’s communion. It’s ending the day watching my friend Ana win an almanac from 1978. João sells books, but there are things that are priceless.
Address: Largo das Cortes Reais 8
Average price: 10-15€
Tasca Alberto (Quarteira)
Where even dogs are regular customers
New year, old tavern. “As a Brazilian customer says, this is the oldest bar in Quarteira”, says Mr. Luís, owner of Tasca Alberto, founded in 1957, named after his grandfather. The first day of 2025 led me to another unexpected discovery, in an alley located on the same riverside area of the city. There is no tourist trace in this tavern, just residents, Portuguese and foreigners, who are clearly not here for the first time. There is even a dog, which remains seated with remarkable discipline, also a regular presence. “He’s been coming here with the owner since he was a baby”, explains Luís. There are taverns personified by their owners, there are others inseparable from their customers. I seem to be faced with both things.
Many workers, especially fishermen, stop by Tasca Alberto before starting the work day. Others show up after hours, to relax at the counter or on the five barrels that serve as tables. And, with rare exceptions, they find the house open. On New Year’s Eve, Luís closed the doors at 5 am, went to take a nap at home and at 8 am it was already opening again. “Everything with zero drinks”, he guarantees, without any signs of fatigue.
But you can also eat here, although the window is absolutely empty on the afternoon of January 1st. Almost all products come from the sea, says Luís, who usually serves squid, plaice, swordfish, fried mackerel and cod patanisca. You pay little, whether to drink or eat, but it’s better to raise money beforehand.
Two days later, I return to the place, which has both a tavern and a bar (depending on the time of day). At least 50% of people are the same. This time, Manel is behind the counter, as Luís only comes in the late afternoon. Next to the counter, there is a fascinating discussion between a Portuguese and a Russian about Vladimir Putin’s responsibilities in the war in Ukraine. A Brazilian, who was watching the US attack on Venezuela on television, gets up, grabs a beer, smiles and says: “Wars will never end”. I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I know that, in some way, this defines Tasca Alberto well.
Address: R. Gago Coutinho 12
Average price: 5-10€
Half Orange (Quarteira)
Sympathy is called Eleutério
I have friends who say that the better a tavern is, the worse the service, a price you accept to pay for good food. I was always suspicious of the idea, but the Algarve completely overturned the concept. At Meia Laranja, which is on the same street as Tasca Alberto – and was a recommendation from Mr. himself. Luís -, Eleutério proves to be an excellent host. The friendliness is immediately noticeable over the phone, but in person it is even better. Always with a smile on his face, he explains each dish with the pride of someone born and raised in the Algarve.
“The recommendation is our fish. We are just a few meters from the sea. I suggest tuna steak, sea bass, sea bream or sardines”, says Eleutério. After delicious Algarvian carrots as a starter, we followed the advice and ordered all the fish for the table. For me, the tuna steak stands out. I call the owner to praise and receive the first lesson of the day: “There are 7 subspecies of tuna in our sea. The bluefin is one of the best, some people confuse it with a veal steak.” In the end, the desserts manage to surpass the main dishes. Five stars for the Algarve cake, made from almonds, figs and carob, “the three dried fruits produced in the region, without any added sugar”.
At the tables that make up the space, which seats around 40 people, several families make more or less the same orders. I congratulate Eleutério for continuing to have a full house in winter. “Not that crowded,” replies the owner of Meia Laranja, who feels, like everyone else, the seasonality of the region. “The Algarve is like that, but, fortunately, we’re coping.” The conversation about the Algarve gives way to a discussion about the future of traditional Portuguese food. For Eleutério, “young people still like our food”, but they are presented with something else: “What appears when someone opens Uber Eats?”
Address: R Gago Coutinho 29
Number: 289 380 731
Average price: 15-20€
The Stadium (Albufeira)
One eye on the fish, one on the ball
I arrived late (and hungry) in Albufeira, on the edge of finding open restaurants. Leaving the bus station, I prioritized the closest place on the list: the O Estádio restaurant, located under the central stand of the Albufeira Municipal Stadium. I wait for a table next to the kitchen and the glass counter with the fish, in a corridor that must be passed through to get to the main room. Many customers greet Mr. Paulo, the friendly man at the grill, who I, full of hunger, don’t know whether to love or hate.
The appetite is so great that it takes me a while to realize that I’m in a kind of museum of the Imortal Desportivo Clube, a century-old emblem founded in 1920. Among pictures, shirts and newspaper reports, I see two fans, dressed up in the club’s shirt and beer in hand, heading towards the exit. I dare to ask if there is a game and I receive two surprises: they are both foreigners (there are still those who say they don’t want to integrate) and, yes, there is a game, starting in half an hour. I know that, for many readers, watching a match from the 1st district football division in the Algarve will not be the most exciting plan for a Saturday afternoon, but I guarantee that it is one of the most beautiful coincidences that destiny has ever planned for me.
Meanwhile, the fish arrives. An appetizing sea bream, the best I’ve ever eaten in my life, accompanied by boiled potatoes and Algarve gazpacho. I feel like, rushed by the ball, I’m not even enjoying the meal as calmly as it deserves. Still, I order dessert and coffee to have more time to talk with the owner Ana, who runs this restaurant founded 18 years ago, a boy near the club.
At Municipal de Albufeira, alongside several people who were also at the restaurant, I saw Imortal, leader of the Algarve district, lose to second place, Quarteirense, which revived the fight in the championship. I admit that, given the first days of the year in Quarteira, I was hoping for a draw. In the pavilion next door, Imortal was also defeated in the national basketball league. You can’t be lucky in everything. MVP (best player) of the day: Paulo’s gold.
Address: Albufeira Municipal Stadium, R. do Estádio
Number: 962 450 876
Average price: 10-15€
Dona Barca (Portimão)
“If you don’t like it, don’t pay and… beat the employee”
I had never seen the word “closed” so many times, marked on Google or on the door of the establishment, as on this trip to the Algarve. Many plans had to remain on paper. But, in Portimão, I found a kind of oasis in Largo da Barca, where, for centuries, boat connections were made between the banks of the Arade River. A fertile place for restaurants, most of which are highly recommended. I decide to join Dona Barca for one undoubted criterion: having a friend from Ponte da Barca.
It’s after 2pm and the place is practically full – I can’t even imagine the hustle and bustle in the summer – but the staff there find a little corner for me. Dona Barca calls itself “the worst place in Portimão”. I doubt it, but whoever wrote the menu at the entrance certainly doesn’t have the best handwriting – which isn’t a bad thing, it’s actually part of the charm. The decoration is a tribute to Portimão and the Algarve. “It’s our culture”, summarizes Jorge, the restaurant’s owner, born in the 1980s. “Almost all the paintings are by local artists”, explains the owner, who, like the cousin with whom he opened the business, comes from a fish-buying family.
In fact, the fish here is treated properly, in a collective grill that serves three restaurants in Largo da Barca. That’s where a goldfish comes from for Dave and Jennifer, a friendly English couple sitting next to me. “We really liked your traditional food. We don’t live in Portugal, but we’ve been to this place several times”, Dave tells me, who, unable to hide his laughter, says that I should also try the food from his homeland. It is at this moment that I am grateful for living in Portugal, forgetting about low wages, the housing crisis and all other problems. Is there anything that Portuguese people are more proud of than their gastronomy?
If the reader visits Dona Barca one day, I strongly ask that you pay and, preferably, not beat up the employee (see second photo). It’s unlikely you won’t like it, but you never know.
Residence: Largo da Barca
Number: 282 484 189
Average price: 10-15€
O “Tasking Around” was born with the aim of getting to know Portugal through the culture that lives at each table. It’s not just about evaluating a bitoque or a patanisca. The atmosphere counts, because a tavern is made of memories, traditions and, above all, people, those who serve and those who eat. Until the next trip.
