The Don Sebastião restaurant is one of the oldest names in continuous activity in the historic center of Lagos and has maintained, since 1979, a proposal based on traditional Portuguese cuisine, with a strong presence of fresh fish and seafood. The longevity of the space intersects with the city’s tourist dynamics, where historical heritage, beaches and restaurants coexist side by side.
Located in an area marked by centuries of history, the restaurant benefits from an urban context that continues to attract national and foreign visitors throughout the year. Lagos is today one of the most sought-after cities in the Algarve, both due to its past linked to the Discoveries and its proximity to the sea.
Lagos as a historical and tourist stage
According to the tourist portal Lagos Portugal Tourism, the city played a central role in the 15th century, when Infante D. Henrique took up residence there and boosted the great Portuguese navigations. The city was the starting point for several maritime expeditions and still retains traces of that period in its urban layout.
According to the same source, despite the destruction caused by the 1755 earthquake, Lagos preserves sections of the old walls and several buildings rebuilt in the 18th century, integrated into a historic center today dominated by pedestrian streets, shops and terraces.
As for the Don Sebastião restaurant, the space opened its doors in May 1979 and has maintained the same management since then, as well as a regular customer base. Continuity is presented as one of the pillars of the space’s identity, in a sector marked by strong turnover.
Don Sebastião explains that the decoration follows a rustic style and that the restaurant has two interior rooms, a terrace and a basement, considered one of the most distinctive elements of the space.
Fish and seafood in the center of the menu
The menu is inspired by traditional Portuguese cuisine, with emphasis on fresh fish and live seafood, kept in aquariums installed in the room. You can opt, for example, for the clam and shrimp cataplana (€31), or even the Don Sebastião mussels (€15.50), or even the stuffed crab (€51/kg). As for fish, fresh salmon on spinach toast (€22), as well as the fish cataplana (€23.50), are among the options to choose from.
The menu also includes meat options, such as curry chicken (€17.50), pork chops with figs (€18) and Portuguese steak (€27), in addition to having vegetarian options and a wide range of desserts, where Algarve sweets are regularly present, with references such as Dom Rodrigo, Morgado da Serra or carob tart.
A cellar dedicated to wines
The restaurant’s basement houses a significant collection of Port and Madeira wines, as well as table wines, sparkling wines and champagnes. The menu has more than 240 references and part of the stock is stored in this space.
If you want, you can always visit the cellar, however, you will have to make a request, as it is used for wine tastings organized for groups, reinforcing the restaurant’s connection to wine tourism.
Capacity and urban framework
The interior rooms have capacity for around 100 people, spread over two floors, while the terrace can accommodate several dozen customers, especially in the months with the highest tourist influx.
It should be noted that the Don Sebastião restaurant is close to several points of interest, such as the Ponta da Bandeira Fort and the beaches that make the Lagos seafront one of the most visited in the country, contributing to the continued vitality of the historic center.
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