But, the capital of Portugal’s Algarve region has a heck of a lot more going for it than just regular flights from Cardiff or Bristol.
Whilst it isn’t the most knock-out beautiful place we’ve ever visited, it has a scruffy charm and feels like a proper city rather than just a tourist resort. And there are so many buildings with beautiful facades to stumble across.
Located on the edge of the tidal lagoon of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, we took an afternoon boat trip to the idyllic Ilha Deserta with its sweeping sandy beaches.
Faro is also home to the macabre Capela dos Ossos, a small chapel built from the bones of more than 1000 Carmelite monks.
Estoi’s 19th century striking pink Rococo palace and the 5km long Faro beach are also just a ten minute Uber-ride away.
Most importantly, we ate and drank a bucketload of fresh fish, chargrilled meats, great value wine and cool beer.
Here’s a run down of some of our highlights:
A Venda
R. do Compromisso 60, 8000-252 Faro, Portugal
A Venda, is an enjoyably homespun restaurant which serves petiscos (Portuguese tapas) from its open kitchen.
A stew of slow-cooked pork (€6) was punctuated by pickled cucumber and cauliflower whilst crispy spiced slices of blood sausage (€5) were joined by cleansing orange segments and soft sweet onions.
As fresh as you like gazpacho (€2) was heady with pepper and garlic and a fricassee of wild mushrooms Bulhao Pato style (€5) was bursting with garlic, lemon and coriander.
Portas de Sao Pedro
R. de Sao Pedro 61, 8000-286 Faro, Portugal
Another small plates restaurant, Portas de Sao Pedro serves dishes from the Alentejo region of Portugal.
Light and creamy fresh goat cheese (€4,50) was drizzled with olive oil and fresh oregano and a mound of king prawns were fiery with piri piri (€7,50) that was tempered by a big hit of lime.
Crisp octopus was pleasingly tender and fried with a good whack of garlic and coriander (€6,50) whilst sweet peas and salty chorizo bathed in a porky broth (€5) had a distinctly autumnal feel to it.
Maktostas
R. do Alportel 29, 8000-129 Faro, Portugal
This buzzing neighbourhood bar serves tostas (toasted sandwiches) as big as the chopping boards they’re served on. At €7,50, a tuna tosta made for a delicious and great value lunch for two. The buttery sandwich was loaded with uber-mayonnaisey tuna flecked with tomato and onion.
Chefe Branco
R. de Loule 9, 8000-155 Faro, Portugal
I had a kick-ass espedata (skewer) of smoke-licked sweet giant prawns and meaty yet tender monkfish tails at this old-skool restaurant. Served with guilty-pleasure marie rose sauce and crisp fries, this dish was a steal at €13.
Mister Frango
R. Cruz das Mestras 51/55, 8000-261, 8000-151 Faro
When we visited Mister Frango, locals were queueing out the door for takeaway (always a good sign). Mister Frango’s ridiculously good spatchcocked chargrill rotisserie chicken was arguably the best thing I ate all holiday.
Half a chicken with fries and buttery rice was a poultry (sorry) €6,50. The crisp-skinned, juicy fleshed meat was served with a gravy boat of ferociously spiced peri-peri chilli oil.
O Murto
R. Infante Dom Henrique 136, 8000-256 Faro, Portugal
Does O Murto serve Faro’s best cataplana? I’m not sure, but it was bloody delicious. After a reassuring 45 minute wait for one of Portugal’s national dishes to be cooked from scratch, we were served a hulking copper kettle (€35) loaded with plump prawns, briny clams, meaty swordfish and tender bass bathed in a light broth littered with tomato, onion, potato and coriander.
Grains 864
Tv. dos Arcos 8, 8000-078 Faro, Portugal
Whilst I couldn’t get enough of the ubiquitous ice-cold bottles of Super Bock and Sagres beer, the craft Portuguese beers on offer at Grains 864 provided some welcome variety to my diet of booze.
With most beers costing around €3 - €4, highlights included Dois Corvos’s Matine session IPA and Oitava Colina’s Urraca Vendaval IPA.
Se7e Pedras
Tv. dos Arcos nº7, 8000-470 Faro, Portugal
This wine bar and restaurant is located just over the road from Grains 864. With its exposed brickwork and mishmash of retro furniture, it was a great spot for a glass of wine or a white port and tonic (especially during happy hour when any glass was €1,50) .
Praça Dom Francisco Gomes, 8000-168 Faro, Portugal
Bar Columbus is a great place to sit and people watch whilst enjoying an award-winning cocktail.
A Marajoka (€7,50) was a moreish tropical combination of passion fruit, lime buds, basil, vodka and bitters whilst a Scarlett (€9,50) was a dangerously drinkable mix of gooseberry, St Germain, hibiscus and gin.
Luxury Guesthouse Opus One
R. Serpa Pinto 37, 8000-431 Faro, Portugal
We stayed at the quirky Opus One guesthouse. With its charming front of house team, dinky swimming pool and activities including port tastings and fado nights, it was a great base for exploring Faro.
Their breakfast was also one of the best I’ve ever had at a hotel. Warm custard tarts, coconut brioche, fresh bread, squidgy chocolate cake, charcuterie, cheese, smoked salmon and freshly squeezed orange juice were just some of the epic selection we ate each morning.
We had lush stay in Faro - if you're looking for a weekend break of tasty food, great booze and lots of sunshine then I'd highly recommend it.
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