The entire space inspires serenity with a modern decor in burgundy, white and grey tones. From the first moment you arrive, you feel like you are entering paradise with the very sophisticated atmosphere, including green spaces with palm trees and a reflection pool named after the restaurant 'Xarme'.

This restaurant is situated in Quatro Estradas, between Alvor and Portimão, and is perfect for couples looking for a romantic experience for two, but also for families and groups of friends or fancy business dinners. One way or another, you will be able to collect new memories and have a pleasant cuisine experience.

Warm welcome

Arriving, we were welcomed by Sorina Iavorschi, manager of Xarme, and her kind team. Throughout dinner, the attentive service from the staff was exceptional.

Indeed, in this restaurant, the well-known chef Armando Silva Paulino really knows how to impress - all flavours combine perfectly, even those that we apparently shouldn't expect to work together. Plus, all dishes are plated to shine.

To begin with, we tried a very traditional Portuguese couvert. This starter has three distinct cheeses to suit all tastes, pumpkin jam, cod salad, octopus salad, chorizo sausage and seasoned olives.

After this great traditional experience, we looked at the menu and saw a starter called Prawns in mango confit, which we had never tried before. We love prawns and mango, so while we never imagined this combination possible, we won't miss the chance to try it - and the result was more than amazing! The tropical sweetness of the mango and the seafood flavour of the prawn end up in an explosion of flavours inside the mouth. This starter also had notes of orange, olive oil and coriander.

Next we had our main courses in which we found a curious diversity between the traditional Portuguese cuisine and the most sophisticated and creative ways of cooking - nothing short of five stars. We ordered a dish of meat and a dish of fish in order to get a more complete experience of the menu during our dinner.

To drink, the wine list is huge and has a luxury wine selection with several renowned wines. In our case we accompanied the main dishes and starters, drinking a local red wine from Alvor with cherry notes that went really well with the meal. This Villa Alvor red wine included a variety of grapes, such as Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Aragonez and Trincadeira.

As for the fish dish, we enjoyed a salmon dish with its double texture of sesame over vegetable stew and crispy polenta that we loved for the combination of vegetable stew and salmon, which were gently perfect.

In addition to the salmon, we tried a sirloin steak with black pepper sauce, which was completely divine. For beef lovers, this was without a doubt one of the best steaks we've ever eaten, of excellent quality and cooked to perfection. Certainly a dining experience that we will be repeating soon.

However, they have many more specialties that are worth trying out. Unfortunately, we couldn't taste everything in one dinner, but we're looking forward to trying out Chef Armando Silva Paulino's vast menu that left us with our mouths watering.

To finish our exquisite dinner with a sweet taste, we ended the night with a flan pudding with a minced assortment fruits, which was completely delicious.

A concept of excellence

This high quality restaurant has been open since 8 August 2021 and is probably one of the best restaurants in Portimão - and despite having a high level of excellence, the prices are very affordable.

The owners are a Moldovan family who gave this place a very attractive concept - different, glamorous and calm - designed by the architect Paulo Jorge Rodrigues. In addition to all the modern decoration, the name 'Xarme', in which the letters 'Ch' were replaced by the letter 'X', clearly catches the attention of the most curious.

It is in the wines that the Moldovan identity is noticed. Among the great list of wines, you can take the opportunity to try wonderful Moldovan wines. This has to be one of the few restaurants where you can have a wine from this country.

The Xarme restaurant is open for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday from 7:00 pm to midnight. However, you can always take advantage of the lovely terrace they have and enjoy a drink as you watch the sunset, as the terrace and bar open earlier from 5:00 pm.

For further information or to make a reservation at Xarme restaurant, please call +351 282 010 594.

Author

Paula Martins is a fully qualified journalist, who finds writing a means of self-expression. She studied Journalism and Communication at University of Coimbra and recently Law in the Algarve. Press card: 8252

Paula Martins