Introduction
Are you looking for the best places to drink in Fuseta? Then read on!
Finding somewhere to drink in Fuseta is easy, but it’s very different to many of the towns on the Western Algarve.
Fuseta is laid back.
Its bars accommodate local people as well as tourists. If you want a drink, you either have it with a meal or in one of the local bars.
A wine bar? You’ll be lucky.
A Cocktail bar? You will find a cocktail somewhere (A Concha, Borda d’Agua), but there are no cocktail bars as such.
An Irish bar? No chance.
A Microbrewery offering craft beer? Well actually, yes!
My Favourite Local Bar
My favourite local bar in Fuseta… mmmm… that’s a tough one.
I really like ‘Snack-bar beira mar 18’ on the quayside, but that tops a category below, so I’ll discount that for now.
I really like Nanobrew, but that also tops a category below, so again, I’ll discount it.
I like the Jockey: the owners are really nice people, the bar is full of locals; I’m never sure when it’s open, but I like it.
I like Nino’s situated at the end of the parade of restaurants on the front.
But that aside, the place that’s my favourite local bar is probably O Pescador (the fisherman).
It’s situated on the corner of the main square and Rua da Liberdade.
Inside you’ll find locals sitting around a cramped bar. Outside, you’ll find a mix of locals and tourists sitting at tables protected from the sun by umbrellas.
You can buy your drinks at the bar or wait for table service.
They serve basic (but very tasty!) food if you want it, but most come here simply to enjoy a drink on the Square.
I’ll admit the place is a little rough and ready (the urinal in the gents is an interesting piece of engineering!), but it’s comfortable. And I like it.
Blinking Flamingos Favourite Local Bar:
O Pescador
Hours: 9:30am-00:00 in summer, 9:30am-22:30pm in winter – closed Thursdays all year round
Address: 34 Rua da Liberdade 8700-019 Fuseta, Portugal
Phone: 289 792 005
My Favourite Classier Establishment
As I’ve said: Fuseta is a local village, with bars and restaurants catering for the local market as well as tourists.
Many of the local establishments offer pretty much the same thing, but there is the odd exception.
A Concha sits on the Rua da Liberdade.
It’s a French bar/restaurant run by Laurent Gugli. The food is excellent and it certainly offers something different in terms of drinks – cocktails, excellent wines and staff who are happy to advise on what to have.
The premises themselves are worth the visit. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much, but once inside, you’ll find a classy bar, a nice seating area, and best of all, a lovely garden at the back – an oasis of tranquility in the hubbub of Fuseta.
It’s a little bit more expensive than is the norm in Fuseta, but you get what you pay for.
Definitely worth a visit.
Blinking Flamingos Favourite Classier Establishment:
A Concha
Hours: 17:00-01:00 daily (restaurant opens at 18:30); closed Monday
Address: Rua da Liberdade 97, Fuseta, Portugal
Phone: +351 961 336 278
Email: guglibox@gmail.com
Website: A Concha
My Favourite Craft Beer Bar
Well, this was an exciting find when I stumbled across it!
I quite enjoy a beer, and to be honest, get a little bored of Sagres, Sagres and more Sagres…
So finding that Fuseta has its own microbrewery was a shot in the arm to me.
You can find ‘Nanobrew’ up towards the station (Fuseta-A) – it’s on Rua Dr Virgilio Ingles.
It’s not obvious and a little understated – just like its owners, Kjetil and Tone, a lovely Norwegian couple. Kjetil is the brewmaster and Tone is ‘front of house’.
They’ve converted the downstairs of their house into the bar area, with a brewing area at the back. It’s been done really nicely. It’s not big, but it’s big enough.
Kjetil has up to 15 different beers (as well as Mead and the odd cider!) on the go at any one time (click here for an example beer menu). I have no idea how he does it! My personal favourite at the moment is Pale ‘n’ Easy, an APA at 5.6 ABV.
Beer prices are more expensive than you’d pay for local beers, but not outrageous – and worth every penny as far as I’m concerned.
They also serve tapas-style food, and offer wine and gin.
Kjetil is quiet, but happy to chat – and if you get him started on brewing, you can see the passion!
If you get a chance, visit Nanobrew. I’d recommend the taster option: four small glasses allowing you to try four different types of beer. Find your favourite and you’re set!
It’s quite possibly the best beer on the Algarve!
Blinking Flamingos Favourite Craft Beer Bar:
Nanobrew
Hours: Opens at 17:00 Friday, 14:00 Sunday (closed Mon/Tues/Wed/Thur)
Address: Rua dr. Virgillio Ingles 114, 8700-032 Fuseta, Faro, Portugal
Phone: +351 936 136 889
Website: Nanobrew
My Favourite €1 a Beer Bar
Wherever I go to Portugal, I like to see if I can still get a beer for €1. And I’m glad to say, that’s still the case here in Fuseta!
In Fuseta I’ve found 2 or 3 bars that still sell a bottle of Sagres for €1, but my favourite is ‘Snack-bar beira mar 18’ – “The Sea Shore Snack Bar 18”.
It’s a bit of a mouthful, so personally, I just call it The Shack, or Shack No 1.
On the way to the beach along the quayside, you’ll find three bars standing across the road, each one a wooden structure, each one with its own style and atmosphere.
Shack No 2 is great in winter (it has a log burner!), and a great place to sit and watch your kids play in the adjacent playground the rest of the year.
Shack No 3 (Bar O Farol) is great for music (see below), and probably gets the best of the sun as it sets in the West on the other side of the town.
But my favourite is Shack No 1. It’s run by Francisco and his wife, with occasional help from his family, and it sells bottles of Sagres for €1.
There is no inside seating area, but there are covers for when the wind gets up over the winter months.
A lot of locals come here, and a few tourists.
I find it’s a great place to stop off after I’ve been down to the beach for a swim.
Quite often in the afternoon, Francisco will bring the TV out for his mates to watch a John Wayne or a James Bond movie. It sounds wrong, but I think he simply treats it like his home, with his mates coming round to visit.
There is a road (one-way) between the bar and the Quayside, but even so, it’s a lovely setting.
I quite often buy a beer and wander across the road to sit on the bench overlooking the fishing boats bobbing up and down on the water.
Most nights, as the sun goes down behind the bar, the sky turns a gorgeous purply-orange.
Francisco doesn’t always smile, he has no ice, the drinks aren’t always as cold as I would like… this sounds awful as I write it! And yet… it’s still my favourite €1 Beer Bar in Fuseta, and probably my favourite bar full stop!
Why? I can’t tell you. I just like it.
Maybe it’s because when a child asks for an ice cream, Francisco goes to get it, and then hands it over with a big smile and a sort of reverence that suggests this is his most important sale of the day.
Maybe it’s because when we’ve gone there with Beth (our daughter with Special Needs), there has been nothing but a smile, even when she smashed a bottle (as is her wont) and we weren’t quick enough to stop her.
Maybe because, like O Pescador, it’s rough and ready (you should see the toilet here too!) but comfortable. Locals sit and chat, tourists wander in and sit down. It’s always busy.
There’s no table service, and unlike many places in Portugal, you pay up front for your drinks at the bar.
But I love it.
Blinking Flamingos Favourite €1 a Beer Bar:
Snack-bar Beira Mar
Hours: not known
Address: Quayside Fuseta
My Favourite Beach Bar
Discounting the bars that run along the Quayside, there is only one Beach bar in Fuseta – Borda d’Agua.
If you take the ferry to the Ilha da Fuseta, there are a couple of beach bars there, but they’re only open in high season, and not easily accessible.
Borda d’Agua is open all year round and right on the beach, close to where the boats pass out from the harbour into the Ria Formosa, 4 or 5 minutes walk from the Square.
You can eat here, but I haven’t done so.
As drinks go, you can buy cocktails, wine, beer, spirits, smoothies, a range of chocolate drinks, coffees…
It’s not cheap compared to other bars in Fuseta, but the setting is stunning.
As I said, it’s right on the beach, with a boardwalk running between the café and a series of tables, shaded by thatched umbrellas.
There is plenty of outside seating, and some inside, and it’s generally busy, especially in high season.
The waiting staff are friendly, and it offers the only toilet (and I believe a shower) in the beach area.
The best thing about it? It’s a glorious place to sit and watch the sunset…
Blinking Flamingos Favourite Beach Bar:
Borda d’Agua
Hours: 9:00am–12:00am every day
Address: Fuseta, Portugal
Phone: +351 289 798 565
Website: Borda d’Agua
My Favourite Live Music Bar
The Bar O Farol is the place to be on a Wednesday night, but don’t go too early. The Live music doesn’t start until 10pm.
But it’s worth the wait.
Domingos e Amigos are fantastic!
Domingos Caetano was born in Fuseta and went on to become one of the biggest names in Portuguese Rock, with his band IRIS. He then returned to Fuseta to set up a music school, and give back to the local community.
So Domingos a Amigos is simply Domingos having fun with some of his music students – and they are great.
They play anything and everything, from Quo to Stones, to Dire Straits to The Animals.
The line up isn’t always the same, but it’s always good. The band seem to enjoy themselves as much as the crowd, if not more! When Luis is on lead, he really lets his hair down, both literally and figuratively!
The bar itself has a nice atmosphere, and plenty of outside seating. When the band is playing, outside is probably the place to be – the music is loud!
Bar O Farol has a lovely position on the quayside, and although the prices here are a little more expensive than Shack No 1, I’d recommend a visit. The music is a huge bonus.
Blinking Flamingos Favourite Live Music Bar:
Bar O Farol
Hours: 10am-4am Mon-Sat, 10am-midnight Sunday (although I’ve certainly seen it closed much earlier than these times!)
Address: Fuseta, Portugal
Phone: +351 289 793 252
Website: Bar O Farol
