O Murta

Chanced upon this restaurant while they were opening for lunch in Faro. Restaurant is cosy with indoor and outdoor dining. Seems to be quite a popular local spot but we did not have to reserve or wait for a table. We ordered the white sangria which was really good - fruits were fresh n sweet too. We also ordered the fried squid (not exactly fried though) for starters but it was tasty and fresh. For mains we ordered the prawn and bamboo clam rice, Iberian grilled pork chops, tuna steak and a grilled fish. All of which were delicious and freshly cooked! The pork has a really nice grilled meat flavour but personally would have enjoyed if there was an accompanying sauce to make the dish have a stronger flavour. The seafood rice had a really rich seafood broth which we enjoyed. Grilled fish and tuna were all fresh and really good. The viscosity of the chocolate mousse is quite good and the chocolate is rich and not too sweet. Personally I thought the orange cake was orange fruit flavoured (like the fruit) but it doesn’t have the fruity taste and is quite dense and sweet. Staffs are really nice and patient. We are English speaking so there is a language barrier but the lady used translation to explain the dishes and our order to us! Great restaurant in Faro.

Friday 3/10 We 3 on our last evening in Portugal wanted a Portuguese meal to remember. There were no up to date prices online for O Murta Restaurant so after sunset at the Quayside we set off to expect a busy restaurant. It was surprisingly empty inside (a couple ate outside) but a very friendly young woman saw us in only speaking Portugese and gave us menus (with English pages), she confirmed they had cataplana at €42 for 2. Another young and friendly English speaking waitress arrived and presented us with a tray of the cover options: bread, anchovies, carrots, cheese and olives, telling us the rough price (as were in the menu anyway). We chose the first three which were new to us. The only house wine was bottled but at €9.50 we were happy so ordered a branca along with a litre of sparkling water (€2.80). My friend and I ordered the Cataplana, and our friend chose a tuna belly steak at €13. We ate the tasty anchovies and carrots, just right, reserving the bread for scarpetta later. The cataplana side dishes of boiled peeled waxy potatoes and a curious dish of raw chopped tomato, onions and cucumber with a ratatouille stew and a sprinkling of herbs (fennel seeds?) arrived. The tuna steak came with its own boiled potatoes and a big wedge of lemon. He tried it and liked it although it was a different taste and texture than usual. We looked it up and it turned out to be the best, tenderest and fattiest cut of tuna you can get (a delicacy in some countries apparently) at such a good price too! He was happy, we all sampled some and agreed. Then came the Cataplana, a large copper flying saucer/clam of a cooking container was was opened to unveil a feast of shellfish - 2 langoustines, 6 unshelled king prawns, 2 New Zealand mussels, numerous clams and more underneath. The shellfish were well marinated in this quite saffrony spiced dish, so were very tasty. The further we got towards the base the better the flavour got though… then the chunks of fish were revealed, four in all, well stewed and tender with the vegetables and saffron being very tasty indeed. During our meal a lone (local?) diner took a corner table below the TV screen showing the news (on mute). No-one appeared at the reserved table so we thought it was potentially a ‘no-show’? We shared some of our delights with our tuna friend and used the potatoes and bread to mop up the tasty liquor. As it was a special meal we treated ourselves to dessert by ordering a couple of almond puddings with gila (€3.50) and a carob pie (€3.50) which arrived quickly, a good size and nicely presented. We treated ourselves further with 2 Aguardentes (€3/3.50) and a Ginja (Cherry) Liqueur (2) which were delicious. We ordered the bill and it came to a very a reasonable €81.10 we paid by card and left a well deserved €8 cash tip. It was a Friday evening and should have been much busier, given the good reviews although maybe the distance (from the main drag, only five minutes) and tatty approach did not bode well? Maybe it was too off season (being the start of October). This restaurant deserves more custom and is worth the extra trek. The two hours we spent there would have been more convivial with company.

Staff was so friendly even they don’t speak English but was trying hard to explain and help. Seafood rice was pretty tasty. 😋

The fish soup was tasty! It comes on a medium size bowl. It looks like it’s good for two or maybe sharing. The man who served us was so nice, welcoming and checked us everytime to make sure everything is okay. Will definitely come back to try more on their menu!

I came here doing my travels through Portugal and Spain. I experienced some fine cuisines from Michelin guided restaurants to local places such as this one. I came across this lovely space O Murray, by reading the reviews online and oh boy did they live up to their expectations. Located in a beautiful neighbourhood beside this magnificent view and ancient archeological castle, this restaurant served the freshest fish I had. It was better than the Michelin food we ate. I had a white fish. I forgot the name grilled, with this lovely stew of beans and veggies and more seafood, along with some rice and wine. I highly recommend you coming here and having seafood and the stews and wine and beer. The place is definitely more low-key and gives you a homie vibe.

Very disappointed by the experience here. We came in genuinely wanting to eat and enjoy, but the staff was careless and unprofessional from the start, even though the restaurant was empty. The waitress, clearly not Portuguese, was especially arrogant, far too arrogant for someone in hospitality. There was no basic courtesy, no effort to welcome or serve us properly. It felt like she didn’t even want us there just because my wife is headscarf wearing and modestly dressed. I don’t know what the goal is, if you want to own a restaurant and be rich, good for you, work for it. But when you’re a waitress, you should at least respect customers. It’s not about pride, it’s about doing your job right. Honestly, we’ve never faced this kind of attitude from native Portuguese staff. Sadly, it always seems to come from Portuguese speaking immigrants who act like they’re doing us a favor just by showing up. Maybe I’m wrong, they tend to show excessive respect toward Europeans, often seeking approval or status, while treating others with less courtesy. Just cold, uninterested service. Won’t be coming back.

Non pretentious, good quality local restaurant. Good service, clean, tasty food, deserves to do well. Will come back.Away from the touristic rubbish and good value for the quality.

We stumbled upon this place and were delighted by our experience. The food was delicious, simple grilled sea bass, dourada, and swordfish. All freshly caught today. With vegetables (yeah!) Puddings to due for, almond tart, orange cake and creme caramel. The service was so good too. I highly recommend this place, away from the hoards of tourists too!

This locals restaurant was recommended by Lonely Planet Portugal Guide. My own take is that it was not bad. Menu does have an English version but it is shorter than the Portuguese version. Not sure what they left out. Had a clam dish cooked in a buttery garlic sauce. Was excellent and stock made for good bread dipping. Main course was the salted cod with piri piri spices. It was tasty but not too spicy. Comes with potato, carrots, and green beans. There was a desert list but we opted to go to an outdoor cafe to enjoy some people watching. Oh, note, there was no wifi here.