Florian - Loulé

When we arrived to park the car opposite the restaurant we noticed that the members of staff were eager to take sight of us. We were a little early and noticed... read more When we arrived to park the car opposite the restaurant we noticed that the members of staff were eager to take sight of us. We were a little early and noticed that the two staff members kept coming out of the doorway to check we were still in the car. Sat in the car we felt very famous indeed as both staff members kept popping out to check we were still there. Maybe some people park opposite to fool them into thinking they have customers , then cruelly drive off leaving them customless ! We did eventually exit the car and make our way to the entrance. Unsurprisingly the door was being held open for us so we couldn’t escape. Upon entering the restaurant we saw that it was empty and that we were the only guests. It was a Monday night so perhaps not to uncommon. After being given the wine lists I was asked if I would like some help. I stated that on our last visit we had drank a nice Ribero from Spain. The sommelier replied that he didn’t know about South African wines. Not really much help. We declined the bread as we did not want the couvert and I am a celiac (so can’t eat gluten). We were presented with spoons containing large portions of smoked salmon and pate we assumed these were complimentary as we had declined the couvert. Food was good and service attentive. When we were presented with the bill we noticed that we had been charged the couvert. Although we had declined this we were told that we had to pay for it. Turns out you are charged for the spoons of smoked salmon and pate whether you like it or not. Terrible to be charged for food you have not ordered and is placed in front of you.

Florian was one of the restaurants in our hotel's recommended list. On top of that it has excellent TripAdvisor reviews. It did not disappoint. The owner, Karen... read more Florian was one of the restaurants in our hotel's recommended list. On top of that it has excellent TripAdvisor reviews. It did not disappoint. The owner, Karen, said she has owned it 22 years and she still oversees all operational aspects. We had shrp risotto, pork, salad, duck terrine etc. Everything was very nice, particularly the sauces. A real highlight of our trip.

Best to book in advance to this restaurant as its always busy and very popular I booked through there website by email. The owners are Dutch and very friendly w... read more Best to book in advance to this restaurant as its always busy and very popular I booked through there website by email. The owners are Dutch and very friendly welcoming along with the attentative staff and a Somalia who knows all about the wines they offer he selected a wine for us which we had not tried before and was perfect for the food we had ordered. There is a lovely menu accompanied by a specials menu which had an amazing burger main which we ordered. I would recommend this restaurant to all from family meals to a lovely romantic meal for two.

We were a party of four adults and three older children. We were booked for 8.30pm and it soon became clear that far too many bookings had been taken for a simi... read more We were a party of four adults and three older children. We were booked for 8.30pm and it soon became clear that far too many bookings had been taken for a similar time. We waited a long time to order 3 starters. Five of our our seven mains were fillet steak and at 10.20pm had still not arrived. We enquired several times about our food and the waiter said that the kitchen was very busy. It 's a shame that the chef owner did not help out if they were busy he sat at a table by the bar for at least half hour as the food was being cooked in the kitchen. Finally our food arrived. When we asked why some of the steaks had been butterflied, we were told that it was so they could cook them quicker. One of the steaks was sent back as it was undercooked. No staff asked us how our meals were. When the bill was presented by the owner Karin she also neglected to ask us how our evening was. We expressed our disappointment and she blamed the delay on the main course service on the fact that we had not had starters. I pointed out that we had in fact had 3 starters. We then commented on the steak being butterflied and she actually called out chef . He never came. We pointed out that no one had asked us how our food was, or apologised for the poor service and food. Karin made an apology pretty obviously not meant and walked off. Her husband came over as we left and when we explained our pretty disastrous night he did eventually apologise and appeared to meant it. I have heard about the extremely rude attitude of Karin (it is mentioned enough in previous reviews and is mentioned around Quinta to which we are very regular visitors) but had not experienced it myself before this evening. We will not be returning there are too many alternatives were custom is appreciated.

This was a very disappointing night . My wife over the years I have always enjoyed our meals in Florian. The food tonight was not up to past experiences and lac... read more This was a very disappointing night . My wife over the years I have always enjoyed our meals in Florian. The food tonight was not up to past experiences and lacked any flair but my guests chateau steak for two was tough and very fatty. When asked about the meal, we complained and were asked by the owner what she could could to make it right and she suggested a cocktail at the end of the evening. The steak was untouched. When the bill arrived. We were offered a free coffee. We asked for the steak to be discounted from the bill. We witnessed another side to the owner. ‘We don’t give discounts ! What we wanted was an acknowledgment the steak was inedible. We shall not return. Luckily in the area there are lots of excellent restaurants . As a side issue my waiter spilled gravy over my trousers. Not a night to remember !