Throughout the region there are numerous excellent restaurants supporting between them the full complement of international cuisine including French haute cuisine, Italian, Chinese, Thai and Indian.
Traditional Portuguese food is essentially simple and unfussy, is inexpensive, served in generous portions and usually extremely good.
The Algarve is especially renowned for its fresh fish dishes with "Cataplana", comprising a mixture of fish, shellfish and other fruits of the sea, steamed in a copper pot being one of the most well known. Fresh sardines ("sardinhas") are a Portuguese staple, prepared on open-air charcoal grills - a familiar site throughout the region, whilst, "Bacalhau" dried and salted codfish is another hugely popular and very tasty dish, often featured as "Dish of the Day" ("prato do dia") in local restaurants and of which it is said there are 365 different ways of cooking it.
Meat dishes include the ever-popular "frango com piri-piri" (BBQ chicken in chilli sauce), "Febras" (pork steaks), and Bife à Portuguesea (beef steak with an egg on top). Meat dishes are often served with a mixed salad, rice and French fries.
For pastries and cakes, try one of the many "pastelarias," (café/bakeries) in the towns where you will find exquisite little custard tarts ("pastel de nata") and marzipan dainties in the shape of animals or fruits ("maçapão") among many other temptations.
Most local wines are of a reasonable standard, though finer palates will appreciate the Alentejo reds. "Vinho Verde" (Green Wine) is a light young wine, unique to Portugal. Slightly sparkling, and with a relatively low alcohol content, it makes an excellent summer livener when served chilled and goes well with sea food. Meanwhile the traditional "Medronho," a potent locally distilled spirit, is something of an institution.
