Review by Piers from London
cost per head=£30 including tip
The Algarve Restaurant is a new addition to the Trinity Road locals and a worthy one. Nestled in a parade just off Wandsworth Common, The Algarve has only been open 4 weeks and is well worth a visit.
The restaurant is relatively long and narrow, but has been refurbished to a high standard and reminded me a little of Lamberts on Balham High Rd. Lovely tables and chairs with crisp white linen and the tables spaced not too close together. They could probably do with a large mirror or two on the walls to increase the feeling of spaciousness though.
When we visited on a Wednesday evening at 8pm the restaurant was quiet, but that is to be expected considering they have not been open that long. With the owner Vitor planning on introducing live music in the coming weeks, I expect that Algarve could be a very fun place to dine at the weekends.
The menu is huge and offers an excellent selection of fish and seafood. My wife had the Gambas a Casa (£8.50) to start with. They were huge prawns and cooked in a special house slightly spicy sauce. I had the boiled prawns (£6.50) to start with, which were equally huge. We shared a Arroz de Marisco for our main course (£24 for the dish) - a beautifully cooked Caldereta style rice dish, packed full of more prawns, clams and big thick mussels. This sort of dish is perfect to share and probably better suited to eating when the nights start drawing in. For those less gluttonous than ourselves, there are plenty of grilled fish dishes to choose from.
Desserts are a bit of a let down - the main options being off the standard Menorquina ice cream menu, but then again, this is a good example of the kind of establishment Algarve is. Think about all those times you went to Spain or Portugal and received excellent, friendly service in a family run restaurant and you will see the similarities here. The Menorquina touch is actually quite endearing!
I should also mention the wine list, which is rich in Portugese wine (a huge selection of green wines). We tried the house white which was deliciously refreshing and a bargain at only £11.
I hope that The Algarve Restaurant will do really well in Wandsworth and I shall certainly be back in the Autumn for more Arroz de Marisco!