3 Best Restaurants in Tavira, The Algarve

From the outside, the owner's eponymous restaurant looks like just another unassuming local place, but inside, the flavors sing and the senses are delighted. After all, this is no ordinary restaurant—it's a Michelin Guide–listed one helmed by Noélia, a supremely popular Portuguese chef. Seafood is of course the fixture, but not like you'll have seen it so far. Noélia's inventions are beautiful, outstandingly delicious, and satisfying all at once. Make reservations, or be prepared to wait.

You'll need a little Portuguese here, but you will not regret the effort. This is a shining example of traditional tasca (tavern) hospitality—a home-style restaurant without any solid menu to speak of, but where the dishes of the day are enormous, gloriously tasty, and cheap all at once. Simple traditional dishes like meat stewed in beans and broth are the typical meals, but there are fresh, zesty sides, too.

Crossing the Roman bridge, you'll pass by a lot of tempting spots before you reach this typical Portuguese eatery—trust us, it's worth the trip. Here the focus is on fresh fish, including the traditional bacalhau a bras, but there's a range of beef steak on the menu too. There is a smattering of outside tables with views to the adjacent square.