I stopped by in Faro while on my way to Spain. It is little town that has is compared to Lagos way more quiet and less touristic. It has not too much to offer when it comes to sightseeing but it’s perfect to calm down, spend a day at the beach (you would have to go there by boat) - but don’t forget to take loads of sunscreen and an umbrella to protect yourself from the sun - and enjoy the little markets and events happening during the night.
True Food
This place is one of the rar hidden gems and best restaurants you can find in Portugal or even the whole world. Places like this always remind me of why it is so important to move away from the fast living lifestyle we adapted and to take things more slowly, value our body and the environment we’re living in.
Marla, the owner of the restaurant realized her dream. She is passionate about good high-quality food, cooks only with bio/organic products bought on a farm (never in the super market), washed carefully and cooked fresh.
Nothing on the menu contains gluten or lactose. Some options are vegan and everything is super fresh. And when I say fresh, I mean fresh. There is no dish from the day before. When you chose pizza or pasta she would take the dough, roll and cut it into shapes right after you ordered and put in the fillings prepared in the morning.
Even the vegan cheese she is using is self made. Barely anybody else knows the recipes (she keeps them as her secret) and the whole restaurant is run only by her family.
She always tries to improve, is constantly learning by reading, watching documentaries and testing. Also she would always ask you if you liked the food and what you think might improve the taste.
I tried the vegan ravioli, mushroom balls with zucchini spaghetti and tomato sauce and her special pizza with vegan cheese on top. What should I say? It was amazing! If I lived in Faro I would probably go there every day.
Thank you so much Marla and Kamilla for giving me an insight to your wonderful restaurant and life. I really appreciated talking to you, making my time in Faro even more special.
Jardim Manuel Bivar
Besides from that I tried a very sweet cake made from almonds, dried fruits and carob on the little market in the Jardim Manuel Bivar. It’s one of the specialties in Portugal and tastes like pure sugar - probably because it is.
And Ginjinha, the cherry liquor, of course. I couldn’t leave Portugal without trying this famous shot. Though Lisbon would be the best place to try it, I really enjoyed having it in Faro as well. It’s sweet and reminded me of mon chéri, especially because I had it in a chocolate cup.