Introduction
So, where are the best places to eat in Tavira?
Tavira is full of restaurants, cafés and bars. Everywhere you turn, there’s somewhere to eat or drink.
But I haven’t eaten in all of them. In fact, I haven’t eaten in many of them at all!
Honesty is the game here.
If I’ve eaten somewhere myself, I’ll tell you. If someone has told me about a restaurant, I’ll tell you. As and when I eat in a restaurant in Tavira and think it’s worth mentioning, I’ll tell you.
So now we’ve got that sorted…
Maybe you’re looking for an authentic Portuguese restaurant? You’ll certainly find some of those in Tavira. Or maybe international cuisine? There’s plenty of that too! Indian, Japanese, Italian… there are several options. Or maybe you’re just after some fast food?
Whatever you want, I think you’ll be covered.
My Favourite Seafood Restaurant
There are plenty of seafood restaurants in Tavira.
My problem is that I haven’t eaten at any of them apart from Tres Palmeiras (see below).
So I can’t really judge.
But I’ve walked past them, I’ve seen them, I’ve smelled them, and friends have told me that the following are worth trying:
Copos & Petiscos (Rua Poeta Emiliano da Costa 6) is situated a couple of streets back from the left bank of the Gilao.
Restaurante Mares (Rua Jose Pires Padinha 134) overlooks the river on the right bank.
Restaurante Ze Maria e Lita (Rua Maria Campina 14) sits between Tavira train station and the road that leads down to Santa Luzia.
I can’t guarantee how good they are, but I’m hoping to try them sometime soon.
When I do, I’ll let you know what I think!
Blinking Flamingos’ Favourite Seafood Restaurant:
Undecided
My Favourite ‘Eat what you’re given!’ Restaurant
I’ve mentioned this type of restaurant before – a restaurant that offers food but no choice.
I love the concept. Turn up and pay and eat as much as you like of whatever is on offer.
In the case of Tres Palmeiras, that’s fish and potatoes and salad, with fruit for dessert.
I found the place when I walked to the Gran-Plaza from Tavira. It’s on the right-hand side of the road, just past the Estadio Municipal da Tavira – the main stadium in Tavira.
And why did I notice it?
Well, from the outside, it’s nothing special. Even on the inside it’s fairly basic. But when you see a place full of locals, you take note. And Tres Palmeiras was full of locals.
So I gave it a go – and loved it!
If you enjoy grilled fish, rustic eating, and a place with a local buzz, then give this place a go.
The only thing I would say is that nobody seems to know when it’s open. I went at lunchtime, and believe that it is a restaurant that only opens at lunchtime. But I’ve seen reviews from people who say they ate there in the evening. So who knows?
But this is Portugal, and if everything was clear, concise and understood, it wouldn’t be Portugal.
I like it just the way it is!
At €10 per head plus drinks, it’s fantastic value.
Give it a go!
Blinking Flamingos’ Favourite ‘Eat what you’re given!’ Restaurant:
Tres Palmeiras
Opening Hours: (according to Google) Mon-Sat 12–4pm, 5–11pm
Address: Rua Vale de Caranguejo, 8800-318 Tavira, Portugal
Phone: +351 281 325 840
My Favourite Foreign Food Restaurant
Apparently, there are some great foreign food restaurants in Tavira, but I haven’t had the pleasure of most of them. I’ve only tried one, unfortunately.
But I got lucky!
Having read various reviews, I decided that I’d give Little India a go.
I like a restaurant that’s slightly off the beaten track and a bit quirky, as you may have gathered, so it seemed perfect to me.
The night I went, it wasn’t too busy. It was small and unassuming. It almost didn’t look like a restaurant, more of a takeaway with a couple of tables outside.
But I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The food is excellent, as is the service. It’s clean and it’s not badly priced.
If you don’t like curry, then there’s always a kebab.
And if you want to take the kids, they do pizza too!
All in all, a really interesting little restaurant!
Blinking Flamingos’ Favourite Foreign Food Restaurant:
Little India
Opening Hours: 11:30 – 15:00, 18:00 – 01:00
Address: Rua Poeta Emiliano da Costa 10, Tavira 8800-357 Portugal
My Favourite Vegetarian Restaurant
I’ve said it before: I don’t know a huge amount about Vegetarian restaurants, so I rely on the opinions of others.
When I was looking for information on Vegetarian restaurants in Tavira, there seemed to be a fair number of restaurants that offered vegetarian options, but not many that were purely vegetarian.
Then I stumbled across a couple of reviews for Bio.Tequim Vegetariano Restaurante. It offers both Vegetarian and Vegan options, food and juices using organic local produce where possible.
It sits just off Av Dr Mateus Teixeira Azevedo, the road that leads down from Tavira station to Rua da Liberdade and onto the Praca da Republica.
Note that you need to make a reservation, and the prices are slightly more expensive (at least it seems to me) than I’d expect, but reviews suggest that it’s worth it.
If you want to try somewhere that offers an alternative to meat and fish, this might be a great option.
Blinking Flamingos’ Favourite Vegetarian Restaurant
Bio.Tequim Vegetariano Restaurante
Opening Hours: Tue-Sat 12:00-15:00 – closed Sunday
Address: Av Dr Mateus Teixeira Azevedo, No 86 , Tavira, Portugal
My Favourite Takeaway
So one day, I was wandering around the backstreets of Tavira, when I stumbled across the Ermida de São Lázaro ou de Nossa Senhora do Livramento, a sweet little church dating back to the 17th Century, with a façade covered in typical Portuguese blue and white tiles.
As I was standing in front of it, a man then approached me. He looked a little rough, but nothing to worry about.
He stuck out a hand, which I shook, and proceeded to tell me about the church. And then he proceeded to tell me about himself, and his 21 years in London working in Charing Cross as a Kitchen Porter. He then proceeded to tell me about the Portuguese welfare system, and how he hadn’t received any money for three years….
I began to realise that this was a sales pitch. Or rather, he was asking for money, begging. It was a highly convoluted pitch that went on for some time, and so I felt honour bound to give him what little change I had.
He thanked me and then turned and pointed at some sort of shop behind him.
I think he felt that I deserved something in return.
“Very good chicken! Best in Tavira!”
I raised my eyebrows.
The best in Tavira?
On the awning over the window, it was called Churrasqueira a Carvao. On Google it’s called Churrasqueira El Tango Argentino – The Argentinian Tango Grill.
I have no idea which is right, but what I did notice was that it was packed inside, and indeed, people were queuing out of the door!
Is it the best in Tavira? Who knows? But certainly the locals like it, so I thought I’d give it a go.
And do you know what? It was excellent! It took a bit of time, but I really enjoyed the piri piri chicken I had from there.
If you like takeaway, you can do a lot worse than this place!
Blinking Flamingos’ Favourite Takeaway
Churrasqueria El Tango Argentino
Opening Hours: closed on Sundays
Address: Rua Almirante Candido dos Reis 227, Tavira 8800-318, Portugal
My Favourite Pastelaria
When talking about food in Portugal, you should always consider the cakes and pastries.
I love them.
I like to go for long walks in the Eastern Algarve, and if my walk takes me past a pastelaria, I might well pop in for a juice and a Pastel de Nata – a custard tart – just for a bit of energy obviously!
One I like in particular is Pastelaria and Padaria Venezuela, just down from Porta Nova train station.
I’ve never seen it empty, whatever time I’ve been walking past. There are always ladies chatting, people sitting outside with coffee in front of them, locals queuing at the counter to buy their pastries.
I simply like the atmosphere.
If you fancy a lazy hour or so in Tavira, why not try the Venezuela?
Blinking Flamingos’ Favourite Pastelaria:
Pastelaria and Padaria Venezuela
Address: R. Álvaro de Campos 11, 8800-363 Tavira, Portugal
