Marisqueira O Fialho
Eating out with our guests on the Ria Formosa
Friday, 15 July 2016 | Gastronomy
We know and love this traditional fish and seafood restaurant since over 25 years. It is located in the hamlet Pinheiro on the Ria Formosa between Fuseta and Luz de Tavira and can be accessed from the EN125 by a small road.
When we had lunch there for the first time it was a well kept secret, only populated by locals. Nowadays it is mentioned in tourist guides and reservation is recommended during the summer. Different from most uniform beach restaurants on the Algarve coast, the owners of O Fialho, already the second generation, have maintained its original character – only the outside charcoal grill has been modernized with a ventilation system.
All our guests enjoy the authetic ambience on the shore of the lagoon, the value for money is second to none and there is no place in the entire Algarve to taste fresh clams and oysters. This time we had octopus (polvo) salad and rock oysters as starter. Octopus is caught along the Ria Formosa in fishing weirs with alive baits, and the oysters are cultivated on the shore of the Ilha da Armona in front of Fuseta. As a main course we had the traditional Cataplana, prepared with pork and clams (ameijôas boas) and covered with prawns (camarões) together with a large jug of fresh white wine. And the dessert, home-made doce da casa, was accompanied by a glass of the famous medronho.