L'olive - Loulé

The restaurant is located at the Vila Sol golf complex. The venue is wonderful. We had a vegetarian in our party and although there was nothing suitable on the menu, the chef came out and discussed options. The quality of the ingredients was exceptional and very well prepared. The chef made a point of coming to our table and asking about our experience. He was keen to point out that many of the ingredients were collected from the surrounding countryside. This is a bit pricier than other restaurants and off the beaten track, but well worth every euro.

I almost don 't want to tell anyone how amazing this restaurant is in case I find myself back there and unable to get a reservation. Rather than go into town and have to deal with taxis (especially with a 1 year old baby in tow), we decided to visit L 'Olive, the restaurant in the clubhouse of Hotel Vila Sol. From beginning to end it was a tremendous experience. Walking in you 're struck by the most beautiful lighting, ambience and wall murals. You 're then in the safe hands of the staff who delicately bring you through each of the most wonderful dishes. The food rivaled any of the Michelin star restaurants I 've been too and was a complete surprise. The delightful breads and olive oils from throughout Portugal, a fish soup they lovingly call fish capuccino , and the pineapple carpaccio with chilli infused ice cream were particularly memorable but it was all superb. We loved it so much the first time we went straight back again the next night and despite choosing different things second time round, it lived up to very high expectations. Well done to all at L 'Olive. I hope you get the acclaim you deserve in the weeks and months to come.