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Faro food is a combination of regional Algarve dishes and national Portuguese cuisine. If you want to try both, Faro is the place. 

Since Faro is very well connected to the rest of Algarve, that kind of combination isn’t surprising to see. 

Check these dishes you should try when you visit Faro, Portugal. If you need help getting there, you can try StressFreeCarRental.com.

Cataplana, which is named after the frying pan where it is prepared, is a group of Portuguese dishes prepared with ingredients like meat, seafood, rice, and pasta. 

Cataplanas are like stews and often fish- or seafood-made. Common examples of cataplanas are: 

● Cataplana de Peixe

● Cataplana de Peixe e Marisco 

● Cataplana de Carne de Porco com Amêijoas 

Medronho is a fruit brandy distilled from fermented medronho berries, which grow wild throughout the region. 

The drink is clear and strong, mainly enjoyed neat. Previously, you could only find it in the local taverns in Algarve. However, producers and the government turned it into an excellent Portuguese product. 

Faro and Algarve are famous for the piri-piri chicken, whose origins remain a puzzle. This dish is inexpensive and one of the best dishes you can eat in Faro.

The chicken is marinated in a sauce of garlic, olive oil, salt, lemon juice, and piri-piri chilis. It’s often served with a simple salad with rice or chips or both. 

People associate piri-piri with the town of Guia, where the annual piri-piri chicken festival takes place in August. Still, you will find great piri-piri chicken elsewhere in Faro and Algarve.

Portugal is, without a doubt, in love with seafood, and a lot of that comes from Algarve. A short drive from Faro, much of the seafood comes from Ria Formosa.

To fully enjoy Portuguese seafood, visit a marisqueira, which is a restaurant specializing in seafood. 

Now, if you’re not a seafood lover, you can try dishes from inland Algarve. They’re more meat-oriented. 

And javali, or wild boar, is a great example. You can find it throughout many restaurants in Faro and Algarve. 

Different recipes also abound. Enjoy it grilled or stewed. Whichever way you want to try it, it’s a treat for the taste buds. 

They say you can’t leave Portugal without trying out their pastel de nata. And you can find these in almost any cafe in Faro. It’s delicious and easy to consume, so you’ll probably be eating a lot of it when in Faro. 

Bacalhau is a salt-dried cod and also happens to be the country’s national dish. Portuguese people have more than 365 ways to cook this, which means you can try a different version every day of the year if you want. 

Some exciting Bacalhau recipes you might want to try are: 

● Bacalhau com Broa

● Bacalhau a Lagareiro

● Bacalhau com Natas

Overall, Faro is a perfect venue for food adventures when you visit Portugal. It holds its own when compared with other popular foodie destinations, plus it represents much of Portugal’s cuisine and food culture.