Indulge Inspire Imbibe: Shrimp

Friday, October 20, 2023

Dinners in Old Town | Lagos

I posted a brief intro to Lagos and all the photos of Praia Dona Ana - but let's get into it, shall we? Our Airbnb was in a massive condo complex called IberLagos. As I mentioned, the proximity to the beach and the dueling pools were A+. There was plenty of parking and an elevator. It was a pleasant and quick walk to downtown restaurants. A bottle of white wine greeted us at check in. All great things!

The pictures on Airbnb are super polished and while we did love it, and it was reasonably priced, it's not high end. The beds were sparse and not the comfiest. No vacation shattering issues, I guess I'm just trying to say the interior pictures on Airbnb sort of exceeded the real life feel. We loved the patio. There was a container of beach toys and an umbrella. It did feel like and ideal place for a family with small kids!

Camden loves to unpack and organize. Ryder is Livin' the Dream for sure.

Grocery shopping at Lidl was our first real food shopping of the trip for breakfast and essentials. (Snacks. Super Bock). Groceries are inexpensive here. Generally Portugal is not an expensive place to travel, which is nice and a feels like a European travel secret that should be kept under the radar.

Our dinners in Lagos were great.

Our overall favorite experience was at: Arribale. off the main drag, somewhat hidden behind the old sea wall, seated in an azulejo tile both, VINHO VERDE always, the flaming sausage, the whole roasted fish, everything cooked on the chargrill, a true salt of the earth Lagosian waiter, and the bottle of Calem Tawny Port our he left on our table to drink to our hearts content during dessert.

Another fun meal was at Imperio Do Mar.

On a very happening, boisterous, main street in the old town, we feasted here on the delicacy known as Percebes. Which are Barnacles.

We are adventurous and discovering new foods. inquire within.

One day it was not beach weather so we walked the sprawling pier and brunched.

An Aperol Spritz and an omlette with french fries and salad hit the spot.

Nobody:

Me: obsessed with Aperol circa 2011 before the last Gen Zer was even born.

We ate at Sal and Companhia on our last night. I'm starting to feel like a Lagos regular and settle into a gorgeous family vacation routine, right in time to break it. Bob and I are drinking the house red and really appreciating this trip and our family. We're eating green been tempura and seafood risotto rich with prawns and coastal mussels. Briny seafood essence is at its finest here in Lagos.

Ryder decided to try a lemon. I love this little boy. He keeps us laughing!

Lagos is a true gem. I'm glad we followed our instincts to the Algarve and stayed in this most excellent beach town.

I loved our after dinner strolls home, especially when the kids would drift off to sleep.

Arribalé

R. da Barroca 40

8600-674 Lagos, Portugal

Imperio do Mar

R. Silva Lopes 25

8600-623 Lagos, Portugal

Sal & Companhia

R. 25 de Abril 67

600-525 Lagos, Portugal

Monday, June 27, 2022

Fajardo Dinnertime Eats

May I recommend the red snapper at Sal + Pimienta By The Sea. We ate here on our first night in Fajardo and were replete with delicious seafood meals after a fun but long road trip from the west coast.

Since we were staying at the well known El Conquistador Resort via airbnb we were not allowed to access their restaurants. It felt like a bummer but in the end it made us get out and explore!

Fajardo truly is a sleepy town at night. We felt a little off at times; there just isn't a ton going on! Everything closes pretty early and there is not a main section of town. Sal + Pimienta and La Estacion are on the main road but there's no foot traffic, no sidewalks, no street lights, nothing is a destination except the restaurants themselves I suppose.

La Estacion is apparently sort of famous! Housed in an abandoned Esso gas station serving Nuyorican BBQ; Fodor's and Conde Nast have it on best-of-lists for not only Puerto Rico but the Caribbean as a whole. Bob found it on a whim, it sits just down the road from La Conquistadors pearly, exclusive gates. I sipped a juicy Guanabana mojito, we shared tangy Caribbean chicken wings and a terrific BBQ tray.

They are open Friday through Sunday only.

Mon/Fri @ 4 pm and Sat/Sun @ 2 pm.

On our last night in town we decided to give Las Croabas neighborhood another go. This is what you might consider the "main area" in and around Seven Seas Beach.

We explored Las Croabas on a couple different occasions for lunch and it was very quiet; the only restaurant open was Costa Mia right at Seven Seas. (We ate lunch here - it was fine - I did not take photos!) A lot of restaurants have odd hours (La Estacion as noted above), close for 2 days in a row, or simply did not exist! We could not trust google for anything factual.

Is this Fajardo still emerging from a pandemic?

A quiet time of year?

Business as usual?

On our last night we discovered El Pescador, a charming seafood enclave on the small circular strip surrounding Parque Pasvio. Camden slept in the stroller. Ryder was well rested and could hang. They serve martinis in frosted sea blue glasses and bright, fresh fish dishes with rice + salads.

We were delighted.