In Olhos d'Água, Albufeira, discreetly set back on the Urbanizacao do Mercado N° 34, Gary and his team welcomes you, to a friendly atmosphere at Versatile Restaurante, a Portuguese bistro surrounded by shelves filled with wine, comfortable chairs and olive tree decorations.
The restaurant has a creative menu with gastronomic Mediterranean parings served at their best. A modern, of course instagrammable space, a delight and also, quite perfect… for romance, intimacy or the ritual that brings together family and friends, the mark of Portuguese hospitality.
The atmosphere is more light-hearted than formal fine dining, there’s a sense of warmth, playfulness, care and staff who genuinely really want to make you happy.
We almost didn’t want to tell you about our now, numerous experiences, for fear of never getting a table again, but that would be utterly selfish of us, to not enable you to try a place that is up there with the best of the best dining experiences.
A mini Portuguese food history lesson..
Portugal has an unimaginable amount of food lore and a history around food that is rich and varied. Arabs who occupied southern regions of Portugal in the eighth century are said to have made contributions that last today, as did Portuguese sailors, who brought spices and herbs such as coriander, saffron and ginger.
By land or sea, Portuguese food is backed by a long list of classic dishes with Mediterranean foundations and peppered with portions of African, Brazilian, and Spice Route pizzazz. These spices remain highly important in contemporary Portuguese dishes and can all be found in the menu on offer at Versatile Restaurante.
Companionship around the table
On the table, the menu presents a mix between Atlantic and Mediterranean cuisine that includes seafood, meats from the paddock, bread, cheeses, and olive oils, all with excellent quality. Not to mention the wines and desserts to eat with your prayers!
Bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal has, in the opinion of many international chefs, “the best fish in the world,” always very fresh, as well as its seafood.
Since we are talking about fish and following ‘a little something’ on the menu try the smoked oyster ceviche or the sauteed garlic prawns with chilli jam or salmon gravlax cured in beetroot.
The service
On our second visit, we delighted in taking good friends and their daughter to our new discovery.
From the moment we entered, we were greeted by a handsome, charming gentleman who expertly settled us all to the table and set about our splendid dinner in every way.
The welcome from our host and waiting team was second to none, highly observant, warm, friendly, attentive, and informative, of course at the beginning of each course, explaining all the details of the dishes and answering all of the questions we had.
We occupied an elegant table in the centre of the restaurant with its charming interior and attractive terrace, this is where we waited in anticipation for the contemporary cuisine to be served.
The menus
Allow yourself to be surprised, you wont be disappointed.
From the cocktails to start and a recommended wine paring for your meal - to a gentle nudge to try something different the staff and service are a delight and they know their food; the origin, the quality, the flavors.
From the Atlantic we recommend:
- The yellow prawn curry
- Grilled Tiger prawns
From the paddock we recommend:
- The grilled lamb cutlets
- The sirloin
- The Chateaubriand
And after all that, the evening must come to an end, the service is always excellent thank you to Fabio and Mario and the whole brigade team. Front and back of house – we feel the love.
Of course fabulous company helps make for a wonderful evening of conversation and laughter.
From the cocktails to the starters, mains and desserts and the service. All Excellent. 10/10
Read the wonderful reviews of a Versatille Restaurante at Olhos d'Água on Instagram @restauranteversatile
Directions
5 minutes drive from Villa Cascata - Urbanizacao do Mercado N° 34 Loja 14 Olhos d'Agua, 8200-609 Albufeira, Portugal
Bookings
Phone number: 00 351 913 330 700
Opening hours
Open from Wednesday to Monday for Dinner.
Dinner: 18:30pm - 22:00pm
