Vila Nova de Milfontes, for the uninitiated, is an inviting seaside town on the coast of Alentejo. In fact, this coast stretches some uninterruped 70km from Troia down to the Algarve. Pure, unadulterated beaches. That means pure, unadulterated sea-food!
Enter Porto das Barcas restaurant.
The name says it all perhaps, translating roughly as the port of boats. The lovely owner Maria will tell you that her fish is caught from this port and bought on a daily-basis. Any doubts you may have will be dispelled when you look over the wall of the parking where you see the traditional fishermen boats bobbing on the water, resting ahead of the next day’s catch.
The view, if you’re lucky enough to sit outside, is stunning. You can see the sun set, or the fog creep in…..the sun and the sky intertwine in a romantic dance creating an endless blue. Do book in advance as the restaurant tends to get full quite quickly, what with its swinging atmosphere and unrivalled views.
Now onto the real deal – the food.
We didn’t try the bread and myriad dips as we knew what was in store for the main course. There is a fresh fish selection inside where you can choose what you want and exactly how much of it you want.
For a starter we had some delicious bruschetta or Torradas de sardinha com gaspachinho draped in fresh vegetables with slithers of sardines and drizzled in olive oil. Washed down with some local green wine, this was a simple and scrumptious initiation.
The main dish, the piece de resistance, was a local white fish, freshly grilled and sprinkled with salt, amongst a pile of vegetables and potatoes.
One thing we will say is that if you’re hungry, this is the place for you. The portion sizes are more than generous.
The fish was tender and, true to the promise, super fresh. We loved the slight sprinkle of salt that enhanced the flavour of the sea. A true indulgence! The vegetables, if you can manage to get to them after this fish, were tender and fresh and a nice side.
The desert is also divine. We were presented with a ‘small’ platter (that was actually huge!) of the different deserts on offer.
From the fluffy local Alentejano cake to the velvety chocolate mousse….all were tantalisingly delicious and had we not done justice to the fish, we would have scraped the plate clean.
To visit!
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