Best Albufeira Restaurants: Cheap Eats, Fine Dining, Tapas & Wine

About the Restaurants on this List

The more we travel, the more we love to eat. Tim and I spend a lot of time researching where to eat and once in town, our favorite question to ask locals is “what are your favorite restaurants?”

Many of the restaurants in this guide came highly recommended to us by locals and fellow travelers. Our favorite dining experiences are at small, locally run restaurants that serve traditional food. You’ll find several of these below, plus a wide mix of cuisines, including Indian, Japanese, and vegan restaurants.

All of these restaurants are located in the Municipality of Albufeira, which covers a relatively large area (about 141 square kilometers). The town of Albufeira is the main town in this area, and the most popular resort town in the Algarve. Most of the restaurants on our list are in the town of Albufeira, but several sit just outside of it, in the nearby villages. For clarification, we list the location of each restaurant and have it marked on our map at the end of this guide.

Some restaurants are open for lunch and dinner, with a pause between 2:30 and 7:00 pm. Some restaurants are not open every day of the week. I recommend checking the hours on the restaurant’s website before your visit (we provide the links for you) and make a reservation in advance for those restaurants that accept reservations.

Twelve restaurants are a lot to choose from, so later in this guide, we list our favorite dining experiences, to help narrow down your choices.

Best Albufeira Restaurants

In no particular order, here is our list of the best restaurants in Albufeira (plus one really cool cocktail bar).

1. Platinum – Wine & Tapas

Price: $$
Location: Rua Alexandre Herculano, near The Strip in Albufeira
Website: Facebook
Reservations: Highly recommended (either through Facebook or by phone: +351 919 605 707)

Grilled chorizo | Best Albufeira Restaurants

This small, family run restaurant is one of the best places to go in Albufeira for tapas.

We arrived here at 6:00 pm, which is early for dinner in Portugal, but we didn’t have a reservation and wanted to beat the crowds.

We were warmly greeted by the chef and her son, who waited on us. The chef warned us that they are a tapas restaurant, but the portions are big. Her son gave us menu recommendations as well as recommendations for things to do in the area.

Tim and I dined codfish cakes (the best we had in our five-week tour of Portugal), clams with garlic, coriander, and lemon, anchovy fillets with olive oil and garlic, and grilled chorizo with bread and olives. Everything was fantastic.

It’s best to make a reservation, since this is a very popular restaurant in Albufeira, especially with the locals. Reservations are accepted via phone or Facebook messenger. Don’t rely on email. Cash only.

2. Copos & Petiscos

Price: $$
Location: Rua Alexandre Herculano, near The Strip in Albufeira
Website: Facebook
Reservations: Recommended for dinner

Copos & Petiscos | Best Albufeira Restaurants

This small restaurant is another Portuguese tapas restaurant in Albufeira. It also sits on the same street as Platinum Wine & Tapas, just a few doors down.

Tim and I had lunch here, dining on octopus salad, Grandma’s codfish (codfish cakes), black pork cheeks, wild rice, skin and chips (a cross between potato chips and French fries), and the clams and prawns in garlic sauce. Everything we ate was phenomenal.

The setting is very casual and the service is fast and friendly. This is my favorite tapas restaurant in Albufeira, but you also can’t go wrong at Platinum Wine & Tapas (Tim’s favorite tapas restaurant in Albufeira).

If you try both, let us know your favorite in the comment section below!

3. Clay Oven

Price: $$ – $$$
Location: Avenue dos Descobrimentos, Albufeira
Website: Facebook
Reservations: Not accepted

Chana masala, saag paneer, tandoori chicken, and naan

Clay Oven | Best Albufeira Restaurants

If you have been doing your research for the best restaurants in Albufeira, you may have noticed the long list of Indian restaurants that get fantastic reviews.

We originally picked out a different Indian restaurant to try (Indian Ocean, but Jaipur and Chutneys also get very good reviews) but Clay Oven came recommended to us by several locals in Albufeira. So, we gave it a try.

Tim and I love Indian food and Clay Oven did not disappoint.

This restaurant gets its name because it is equipped with a clay oven, which is used to bake their naan and cook the tandoori chicken. We highly recommend ordering the tandoori chicken, as it was the best we have had (including tandoori chicken in India). The garlic naan is also amazing.

Clay Oven has become so popular that they have added a second restaurant next to their first location. They do not take reservations and this is one of the busiest restaurants we saw in Albufeira (each night in October there was a line out the door). We had lunch here on a Saturday and almost had the restaurant to ourselves.

4. Jardim Rustico

Price: $$ – $$$
Location: Avenida Sa Carneiro, Albufeira
Website: Facebook
Reservations: Recommended during peak season

The outdoor terrace of Jardim Rustico | Best Albufeira Restaurants

Seafood stew

Dine on seafood in a quiet, gardenlike setting at this highly rated, award-winning restaurant.

Jardim Rustico came up in my research on TripAdvisor. They frequently win the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards and in 2023 Jardim Rustico was listed as one of the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.

Jardim Rustico has indoor and outdoor seating. If the weather is nice, request a table outside, where you can dine under the trellis filled with blooming flowers.

This seafood restaurant offers a variety of fish and seafood stews and freshly grilled fish fresh from the sea. Tim and I shared the Chef’s Choice Seafood Stew, which is one of the priciest items on the menu (about €60), but it comes with a lobster, prawns, mussels, and clams and is meant to be shared by two people.

5. Versatile

Price: $$ – $$$
Location: Olhos de Agua
Website: Facebook 
Reservations: Highly recommended

For the best all-around dining experience in Albufeira, Versatile is our top pick.

Versatile restaurant ticks all the boxes: high quality food, a beautiful setting, and excellent service. From start to finish, we had an amazing experience here.

Octopus Carpaccio | Best Albufeira Restaurants

Yellow prawn curry and razor clam risotto

With a classy indoor dining area and the outdoor terrace with tables that sit in the shade of trees, your dining experience at Versatile already starts off with two excellent choices.

We dined on the octopus carpaccio (wow!!), yellow prawn curry, and the best dish of the night, the razor clam risotto. Tim and I drank wine by the glass (the wine menu is quite extensive here) and finished the experience with a port wine tasting.

The combination of near Michelin-star quality food with affordable prices, the setting, and the service, makes Versatile our favorite dining experience in Albufeira.

6. The Windmill

Price: $$$$
Location: Old town, Albufeira
Website: windmillrestaurant.pt
Reservations: Highly recommended

Fine dining inside of a windmill with one of the best views of Albufeira…need I say more?

Located on top of the highest point in Albufeira sits a windmill with a spectacular view over the sea and the city. This windmill has been converted into one of Albufeira’s best fine dining restaurants.

Windmill Restaurant | Best Albufeira Restaurants

View from the windmill | Best Albufeira Restaurants

Tables are located inside of the windmill and on the terrace just outside. Inside, on the upper level of the windmill are four tables, two that sit next to a window and seat two persons, and two tables in the center of the room that seat up to four people. Outside on the terrace are a few more dining tables.

The tables inside the windmill are assigned based on who makes their reservation first. If you are the first to make a reservation, then you get the best window table and it is definitely a view to behold as you can look out across the city and the coastline. If you are second to make a reservation, then you get the other window table. This view is mostly overlooking the roof of the building where they cook the food. The third reservation gets the table in the center of the room and the fourth reservation gets the table up against the wall (no window). Despite limited views from several of these tables, it is still a unique experience to dine inside the windmill.

To have a shot of getting any of the coveted tables inside the windmill, especially the ones by the windows, you need to book as soon as the reservations open, which is 2 months in advance.

Seating inside of the windmill

The view from the second window of The Windmill

To help keep the ambiance romantic The Windmill is adults only. The menu is a set price per person, a 3-course menu with the option to add on a wine pairing.

The terrace view is also very nice and I would say it’s the second best view (after the two tables next to the windows). However, there is something special about sitting in the windmill, even if you don’t get the best table with a view.

The setting is unbeatable and the quality of the food is top notch. This was one of our best meals in Albufeira, blowing away our experience at Staar earlier in the week.

Scallops with spicy wakamé

Rissotto Bulhão Pato | Best Albufeira Restaurants

7. Sugar Rabbit Kaffe

Price: $
Location: Old Town of Albufeira
Website: sugarrabbitkaffe.com
Reservations: Not accepted

Sugar Rabbit Kaffee | Best Albufeira Restaurants

Açaí power bowl and avocado toast | Best Albufeira Restaurants

We had one of our best meals in Albufeira at this vegan superfood café.

Sugar Rabbit Kaffe is open for breakfast and lunch most days of the week. On the menu are smoothies packed with superfoods, fresh juices, açaí bowls, pancakes, open toasts, salads, and wraps. If you are vegan or vegetarian, or just want a good, healthy meal, this is our top recommendation in Albufeira.

Tim and I ate here after hiking the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail. Everything we ate (which was quite a lot, since Tim was ravenous after the hike) was delicious: the açaí power bowl, the avocado toast, and the super green spirulina smoothie.

Our favorite thing on the menu: the chocopeanut drizzel smoothie.

If you are strolling through the old town of Albufeira, come in for a juice or smoothie if you are between meals, or sit down to lunch or dinner.

8. Al Quimia

Price: $$$$
Location: EPIC SANA Hotel
Website: alquimiafinedining.com
Reservations: Highly recommended

For the ultimate fine dining experience in Albufeira, make a reservation at this elegant, Michelin-starred restaurant.

This restaurant is located inside of the EPIC SANA Hotel, a luxury 5-star resort near Falésia Beach in Albufeira.

Take your pick from three different tasting menus, one of which is vegetarian. We chose the Sueste menu, a 7-course menu which focuses on local flavors from the Algarve region. Each dish was a work of art, meticulously crafted and meant to be savored with each bite.

The food was excellent and we enjoyed meeting the head chef when he came out to present one of the courses. But what really stood out to us was the sommelier’s wine pairing selections. Each one was perfect and we left talking more about the wine than the food.

This was our most expensive and longest dining experience in Albufeira (dinner lasted about 3 hours). However, it was also one of our best meals in Portugal and the level of service is impeccable. If you are a foodie or want a memorable fine dining experience, put Al Quimia at the top of your list.

9. Tiger Street Sushi

Price: $$ – $$$
Location: Old town of Albufeira
Website: tigerstreetsushi.pt
Reservations: Recommended during peak season

This underrated gem is located on Rua Candido dos Reis, a bustling street that runs through the heart of the Old Town of Albufeira. This area is packed with touristy restaurants, but Tiger Street Sushi is a clean, quiet sanctuary amidst the sports bars and souvenir shops.

If you want high quality sushi in Albufeira, this is the place to go. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable, the service is fast, and the sushi is fantastic. Take your pick from prawn tempura, dumplings, a wide range of sushi rolls, and Asian noodles.

If you want to try a little bit of everything, order a sushi platter. We ordered the Tiger “Special” XL platter, which will easily feed two hungry adults.

On our visit in October, we were able to get a seat at 7 pm without a reservation, but during the busier season from July through September, I recommend making a reservation in advance.

10. Staar

Price: $$$ – $$$$
Location: Old town of Albufeira
Website: staar.pt
Reservations: Highly recommended

Staar is known for being the fine dining restaurant in the old town of Albufeira.

It is a beautifully decorated restaurant, tucked away in a side street in the old town. The presentation of the food is also exquisite, like something you see in Michelin-starred restaurants.

However, Tim and I thought that Staar is overrated. The service is slow and the staff was at times a bit rude. This was also one of the most expensive meals we had in Albufeira and for the price, the food is good but it’s not exceptional. Maybe we were just here on an off night (we dined here on a Saturday night and only 25% of the tables were filled) but throughout dinner, Tim and I wished we had revisited Platinum Wine & Tapas or Versatile rather than dining here.

11. Taberna Vincenta

Price: $$
Location: Old town of Albufeira
Website: Facebook
Reservations: Highly recommended during peak season

Tapas at Taberna Vicentina | Best Albufeira Restaurants

This small Portuguese tapas restaurant is located in the old town of Albufeira. It has three areas of seating: outside in front of the building, inside the restaurant, and on the back terrace.

Tim and I dined on the back terrace, ordering four different tapas since there was so much on the menu that we wanted to try. We had two of the daily specials (duck rice with chorizo and sardine bruschetta), as well as codfish with chickpeas and Algarve style squid.

The service here, like many restaurants we visited, was very personable and friendly.

We enjoyed the overall experience, as do others who visit Taberna Vicentina (it gets rave reviews online), but Tim and I liked Platinum Wine and Tapas and Copos and Petiscos just a little bit more.

12. Portas Da Vila Antiquity Bar

Price: $
Location: Old Town of Albufeira
Website: Facebook
Reservations: Not necessary

Tucked away in the side streets of the Old Town of Albufeira is one of the coolest cocktail bars in the Algarve. If you are looking for a place to get a pre or post dinner drink in the Old Town, put the Portas Da Vila Bar at the top of your list.

This family run bar is decorated with seashells found on the nearby beaches. Each winter, the owner adds more of his seashell collection to the walls of the bar.

Tim and I loved this spot and visited it several times on our visit. As a warning…the drinks here are strong! We ordered the Negroni’s, which had an unusual presentation of being served up in a margarita glass, but they were still delicious.

If we ever return to Albufeira (and I hope we do!), you’ll see us here again.

BONUS! One More Restaurant Recommendation

Mato á Vista

Price: $$ – $$$
Location: Cabanita, Paderne
Website: matoavista.com
Reservations: Highly recommended

This restaurant technically sits just outside of Albufeira but we had such a nice experience here that I could not leave it off of the list.

Mato á Vista came highly recommended to us by the concierge at our hotel as a restaurant with a great setting and great food. It’s a favorite with the locals.

Monkfish cataplana

Mato á Vista is located in Paderne, about a 20-minute drive from the old town of Albufeira.

This restaurant serves traditional Portuguese food on a beautiful treelined terrace, but you can also dine in their cozy interior rooms. The wine list is extensive and they also have a gourmet food shop.

We chose the monkfish cataplana, but you can also take your pick from the day’s fresh fish, several different kinds of stew, fresh seafood, rack of lamb, grilled black pork, and so much more.

If you want to try Portuguese food and wine in a gardenlike setting, it’s worth the drive north to Mato á Vista. There is also another nearby restaurant, Veneza, that offers a similar experience.

Best Albufeira Restaurants: Our Recommendations

For the best all-around experience (great food, great service, and a beautiful setting), Versatile was our favorite.

If you want Portuguese tapas, take your pick between Platinum Tapas & Wine and Copos & Petiscos (or try them both!).

If you want a fine dining experience, Al Quimia is excellent (but it can be a long night with an extensive tasting menu) or The Windmill (the most unique dining experience in Albufeira).

For healthy food and vegan and vegetarian options, visit Sugar Rabbit Kaffe.

And finally, if you are walking through the old town and want an aperitif or cocktail, don’t miss Portas Da Vila Antiquity Bar.

Anchovies with olive oil at Platinum Wine & Tapas | Best Albufeira Restaurants

Best Albufeira Restaurants: On a Map

If you have any questions about the best Albufeira restaurants, or if you want to share your favorites, let us know in the comment section below.

More Information for Your Trip to Portugal

ALGARVE: Get started with our Algarve Bucket List, which lists the best things to do in the Algarve and get suggestions on how to plan your time with our Algarve Itinerary Planner. Learn how to hike the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, one of the most beautiful walks in Europe. Don’t miss our guides to Ponta da Piedade and Benagil Cave, and find out where to stay in our Algarve Hotel Guide.

PORTUGAL ITINERARIES: If you are just beginning to plan your Portugal itinerary, take a look at our 10 Day Portugal Itinerary for five different ways to spend 10 days in Portugal. We also have a detailed 10 day itinerary that includes Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve.

LISBON: In our Lisbon Bucket List, we list 40 highlights and hidden gems to visit in Lisbon. Plan your time with our one day in Lisbon itinerary. Here are 14 amazing day trips to take from Lisbon. Find the perfect place to stay in our Lisbon Hotel Guide.

DOURO VALLEY: Get started with our Douro Valley Travel Guide, which covers the essential things to know when planning a trip to this wine region. We also have a guide to 8 Wineries to Visit in the Douro Valley.

PORTO: Get started with our Porto Travel Guide, which lists where to eat, where to stay, and has lots of helpful tips for visiting Porto. We cover the best things to do in Porto in our Porto Bucket List. In our Guide to the Wine Cellars in Gaia, get recommendations on which wine cellars to visit and how to plan your time. See the best of Porto in our 2 Days in Porto Itinerary.