O Arco em Loulé

We were recommended this restaurant by some friends who had visited a few weeks ago and we decided to reserve a table whilst on a trip to Vilamoura in mid-Sept. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by the owner Joao or John to his English customers, as we can never pronounce his real name properly 😀. All 4 of us loved the food from the starters (delicious garlic prawns & a prawn salad with avocado mousse) to the main courses which were a combination of the very highly praised turbot, monkfish medallions and fillet steak. Finally we went for John’s famous homemade ice cream, which was very moreish. There is a reason why this restaurant has been running since John opened it in 1983 and we will definitely be back next time we visit this area.

Interesting twists on traditional Portuguese cuisine and local flavors. We had avocado mousse and prawns and black pudding and jam for starters. Followed by turbot with almonds, stuffed sole fish, and John Dory with bananas. For dessert a Morgado and a “Different” dessert. Unexpected fine dining in Quarteira at a reasonable price.