The Farmshop

Last November, she decided to open her own place (from scratch) in the western Algarve, so we thought we’d better check it out.

Everyday, the fresh bread here is home-baked in the oven. There are two varieties: rustic and wholemeal, served with green olives, seasoned to order with olive oil, lemon, garlic and spices.

The place also doubles up as a gourmet shop, with all manner of Italian specialities and pastas, regional wines and local crafts. When dining, there’s the choice of sitting on the welcoming terrace, or in the equally comfortable dining room which also serves as an art gallery.

We should stress that all the vegetables and legumes used here are grown biologically in an organic farm nearby in Alcalar. In other words, this is one of the few places where you can be sure of where your food has come from. Alister, from Kenya, is the master of the grill – in true African style!

He rustled us up some barbequed ribs (€9) and South African boerwurst sausage (€9), which comes with cheese. And as well as the fantastic mixed salad that each one of us was offered, we got a baked jacket potato with Flower of Salt. The food even came with a choice of dressings: homemade garlic butter or sour cream.

Specialities of the house include succulent sirloin steak, chicken piri-piri (€8) and tiger-prawns (€12). From 1st June, the Portuguese chef will be preparing cataplanas, kebabs and other more Portuguese dishes. And finally, for those that can’t stay away from the net, this place offers free wi-fi access. It’s certainly one of the corners of the EN125 just waiting to be discovered!

Specialities: charcoal grills, international specials; Hours: Daily from 10am to midnight. Closed Mondays; Bill: €25 for 3 people; Management: Dawson Lda; NIF 509 529 283.