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ALAMEDA WH EN YO U R FO O D I E FR I EN DS AR E TALK I N G ABO UT O N E PARTI C U L AR R E S TAU R ANT, IT IS TI M E YO U WENT TO E XPER I EN C E IT YO U RS ELF
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OU MIGHT think that Alameda in Faro is a special-occasion restaurant. Well let me tell you, you’d be wrong. There are countless regulars who return frequently to experience more and more again of Rui Sequeira’s artistic approach to cooking. And it is artistic in every respect. The blend of flavours and textures and colours create a painting on the plate that tease and tempt at the same time. This is not for those who want a juicy steak or spicy chicken or bowl of pasta; there are plenty of other excellent places that will satisfy those wants. Alameda is different, as
are many of the ingredients Rui and his team choose. Their main goal is to work with local produce, through small suppliers, respecting the best that the season offers. The building itself is special, too. Tall and elegant, more than 100 years old and with a classical tiled frontage, it was a famous bakery, but laid empty for a lengthy period, until Rui and his design team from Black is Black, rescued it, rebuilt it, and dressed it in style. There are four menus, all designed to make fine dining fun. Origami is a tasting menu – customers have access to the list of ingredients used, but the final dishes are always
FOOD A completely unexpected joining of unusual fine ingredients
DECOR Glass-encased patio, reminiscent of Parisienne bistros
€ PRICE Four menus, from €39.90. Wine pairing from €30
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l ALGARVE P L U S
a surprise. Alameda includes snacks, a starter, a main course and a dessert. Umami is composed of eight ‘moments’, and explores the distinction of salty, sweet, bitter and sour. Finally, there’s Vegetal, which features dishes such as seaweed carbonara with cured egg yolk. Origami, with wine pairing, is the first choice, taking ingredients to a new dimension of both taste and presentation. The 10-course menu starts with an oyster from Ria Formosa, its shell set in small bowl of black pebbles. The single mouthful ‘cataplana’ is served in a miniature version of thetradition dish; there’s octopus, and eel, shellfish and veal, and a broth of Monchique’s smoked ham and wasabi. Every dish, just a mouthful or so in size, is a veritable explosion of tastes. The staff at Alameda spend time with clients explaining the composition of each dish and the special nature of the ingredients, and that adds to the total experience. The restaurant seats 30, half on the glassed-in patio, half inside around the cooking station. It is open Thursday to Monday for dinner, 19:00 to 22:30, and on Sunday for lunch. Rui is also the man behind Monky, which we reviewed previously. With two successes on his hands, he’s surely forward planning now.
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‘There are four menus, each designed to make fine dining fun’