Upon entering O Labrador we were immediately enthralled with the purposeful rural / agriculture decor . Having said that the white linen tablecloths and the generous spacing of tables give it a quiet, not stuffy elegance . The huge hearth with its glowing embers adds tremendously to the ambiance.
On our first visit Sam, co-chef and co owner, welcomed us warmly and spent time filling us in on the history of the building before our sumptuous meal.
My wife had the perfectly cooked belly of pork and I enjoyed the Irish angus roast beef. Both came with a delicious, baked to perfection Yorkshire pudding. We were also treated to beautifully hot, al dente, green beans, carrots, cabbage and roasted potatoes; which in one review were described as “under cooked”. (Perhaps the menu at the “Golden Arches” might better suit that reviewer 😏)
This IS a real gem. We’ve eaten there twice and are looking forward to our next visit .
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
€30–35
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Vorspeise Machen Mit Oliven Und Frischen Brot
Visited last night and definitely the best dinner of our trip. Carrot and Coriander soup and duck to start. Fabulous! My wife is allergic to garlic, no issues at all for the chef. Main course of monkfish … best I’ve ever had with chilli and cauliflower risotto. Pumpkin suet pudding was fine … and then onto desert of apple crumble pans cotta and raspberry ripple crème brûlée… Lovely evening and great food. Thanks to the team, will be back on the next visit!!!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
€40–45
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes
Vorspeise Machen Mit Oliven Und Frischen Brot
We had the best diner here while we were in the region.
British owners, very friendly and good service. Despite having a very large table to attend to they made the time to listen to our needs and serve our table like any other.
The food was more international, but it was very well made. I had the crispy pork and my wife had the cajun chicken. The deserts were also to die for.
If you are not a local and looking for a good evening with fine dining food at affordable prices, put this location on your to do list!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
€30–35
What a lovely little hidden gem! We visited with our friends who have a holiday home in Portugal, and who have visited O Lavrador many times. We had such a wonderful meal! The crispy duck and prawn cocktail starters were absolutely delicious! Really beautifully presented and the main, pork belly, which all 5 of us ordered, was so soft you didn't need a knife!
Sam was lovely, really attentive and chatty and made us all feel welcome. And later, once finished cooking, Nick came out and chatted to us. We had such a lovely last meal in Portugal here and would recommend to anyone visiting nearby. Really lovely food for very reasonable prices. And the setting and service is 5*
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
€35–40
It's always lovely and it's recommended that you book in advance. We went on Sunday afternoon straight from the airport and we were very lucky to get a table. Food excellent.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
€25–30
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
What a wonderful find .a beautiful restaurant tastefully decorated and the most amazing Sunday lunch .. mouth watering beef served to your liking ...we chose medium which was cooked to perfection . We adored every minute of this dining experience ..wish we had room for the deserts ... licorice pannacotta sounded sublime ..thank you all so very much ..it was worth the journey from. Spain 😁
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Fantastic Sunday roast in the Algarve can’t get any better. If the female host was a little more welcoming and not as cold this would be one of my favourite locations. We worked on her and did get a smile but felt she finds dealing with people front of house, a challenge.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
€30–35
As the outside seating was full upon our arrival we had a table inside. What a treat that was! The ambience inside is wonderful and highly recommended. To feel the history of the building really is something special. The meals were absolutely stunning! All four in our party agreed that our dishes were among the best that we had ever enjoyed, they really were that good. Sam and her colleague were running between tables all night but never flustered, always a smile and never rushing us along. Checking that all was OK, keeping us fully informed all evening and a pleasant chat at the end of the evening. A really wonderful experience and I would encourage others to dine here without hesitation
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Second visit and it certainly was not at the same standard as before, service very slow, no personality and the main hostess not very friendly. As for the food the cauliflower cheese and roast potatos were hard, the Yorkshire puddings overcooked and the beef was very fatty not much meat. Its a shame as it could be a nice place but really only caters for English and very overated. Would I recommend no and will not return.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
€30–35
Food: 2
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 1
Great restaurant, AMAZING food. We were with 7 people, and all loved the food!
We had an amazing dinner, it was even better than the lunch! This are the dishes we had, and they were all great!!
STARTERS
Roast Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut, Lime Leaf and Chilli (vg/gf)4.5
Charred Baby Gem Lettuce with Vegan Feta Cheese and Tomato Gazpacho (vg/gf)9
Algarvian Yellow Avocado, Beetroot and Walnut Salad (vg/gf)8
Creamy Garlic Mussels on Toast with Prosecco, Leeks and Dill 10
Bruleed Goats Cheese, Roast Beetroot and Candied Honey Walnuts 9
King Prawn and Smoked Salmon Cocktail with Ouzo pickled Cucumber, Grapes and Almond, ‘Taramasalata’ Marie Rose 10
Twice Baked Souffle of Homegrown Peppers and ‘Queijo Ilha’, Chilli Jam 9.5
MAINS
Sauteed Wild Mushrooms with Potato Gnocchi and Vegan Feta Cheese, Rocket Salad (vg/gf)14
Sweet Potato and Beluga Lentil Pithivier, Sprouting Broccoli, Mushroom and Madeira Sauce (vg)15
Caramelised Cauliflower Risotto with Hazelnut, Pickled Grapes and Nutritional Yeast (vg/gf) 14
Braised Beef, Horseradish Creamed Potatoes, Carrots cooked in Tarragon Butter, Red Wine Liquor 19
Cajun Spiced Chicken Salad with Granny Smith Apple, Mango and Cashew Nuts, Sweet Potato Fries 17
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
