A Ria em Lagoa

So, just to be clear, I'll state this up front; hands down, the best fish I have ever eaten in an Algarvian restaurant. Ever. So much so, I went back the following night and did it all again. The restaurant is owned by the Portuguese chef and his English wife. This is a chef who really knows what he's doing and buys fresh from the fish market in nearby Portimão daily. Fish is sold by the kilo and each plate is accompanied by vegetables or salad. However, it does mean that one fish is often too much for one person so if you want to experience the best fish, it might be wise to agree on which fish you'd agree to share as he'll only cook a whole fish, not half of one as that could compromise the natural flavours. I was solo, so the only complete fish I could have was Linguado (lemon sole) but I am glad I did because I'd never tasted fish so good. An indication of price by the kilo is Sea Bass and Sea Bream around €55 per kilo and Lemon Sole at €65 per kilo. My fish weighed in at €35 and that was more than enough for one person. I also had home-made vegetable soup to start and an Algarvian delicacy, Carob, Almond and Fig tart to finish, along with a medronho and a expresso coffee. To accompany the fish I had a couple of glasses of the restaurant's own-label house white wine. The bill came to €71 which, considering the outstanding fare, I thought was reasonable. Service is polite and friendly but not in-your-face, which is thoughtful. One thing I noticed was how quickly the restaurant filled up after evening opening - and stayed full almost the whole night. The head waiter was turning away people without a booking and from what I saw over two consecutive nights, booking in advance is essential. It's not a big place; it'll seat around 30 people max. I've raved on about fish here, but meat and vegetarian dishes are also available and they also have a lunch menu. The only problem you could possibly have with this restaurant is being able to get an evening reservation for exactly when you want it.

Very good experience and meal at A Ria. The service was brilliant. We had coverts, followed by fresh lemon sole for 2 persons, chips and salad. For dessert we had the Creme Brulee. Everything was tasty and cooked well! Will return, thank you.