Restaurante O Mexilhão

It’s quite small, with seating for roughly 30. At the back, behind the counter, you can see the chef at work (an open-kitchen is always a plus point). Another interesting aspect is that we were greeted warmly …

A large blackboard announces the dishes of the day: fried fish in breadcrumbs (€5.50), chicken “jardineira” stew (€5.50), lamb stew (€6.50) and finally mussels house-style (€4.50). This latter option looked interesting. From what we could gather, the secret is in the sauce (made up of leeks, celery, garlic and white wine). Normally – despite mussels being affordable and perfectly safe to eat – Portuguese restaurants steer clear of them.

We can’t actually fathom why, as they’re are extremely tasty – and as a dish, “different”. To accompany ours we chose rice and fried potatoes. We should add that the service was fast and friendly. I noticed some French people were also in the dining room. They had come specifically for the mussels, as “moules frites” are a typical dish in Northern France - though these were straight from the docks at Olhão, and every bit as good as their French cousins! On Sundays this restaurant offers a buffet at €9.50 per person where you can sample all the dishes on offer.

They also carry a special menu for students – for €4.50. And we should add that all the dishes of the day are available as take-aways. The owner, Dona Fátima Correia, also runs a real estate business, and as we’re weathering a crisis, ideas like her’s are definitely going in the right direction!

Specialities: dishes of the day, Portuguese cooking. Bill: €16.10 for 2 people.