LAGOS, PORTUGAL Casinha Do Pestisco

 We arrived in Lagos around 1pm, and before settling on lunch, we walked to find Casinha do Pestisco, a highly reviewed restaurant for their cataplana. There was not a way to call to make reservations, so we decided to walk there and check things out. The restaurant was not open but the staff was there working, so we asked for a reservation for dinner. They were able to squeeze us in for 6PM, and we gratefully accepted.

When we returned at 6pm, the entrance to the restaurant was locked but we could obviously see people seated and eating. After a few minutes, one of the staff opened the door for us and another couple. They turned away the other couple without a reservation, and allowed us to come in. It felt like joining a secret cult. As we sat and ordered, we watched different groups show up, look surprised at the locked door, waited and got turned away. We were very happy we scored a reservation.

We ordered the cataplana homestyle, with pork, prawns and clams. The broth was a bit like curry sauce, and it was delicious. The portion was really big and we really stuffed ourselves.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Highly recommended. We read that this restaurant had the best cataplana, and it did not disappoint. The reservation process was a bit rough, so try your luck for the best cataplana we had during our trip to Portugal.