Casa-Mae Lagos Portugal

Restored townhouse luxury boutique hotel

Located in the heart of the rustic seaside town of Lagos, southern Portugal, Casa Mae is a newly  developed boutique hotel. The traditional building has been restored and transformed into a minimalist, chic, yet still very much Portuguese haven nestled amongst the historic surrounds.The interiors have been sourced to perfection; using local fabrics and furnishings, not to mention the stunning yet discreet swimming pool outside the main building. There are three buildings which make up the premises: the main old house, the cabanas and the newly opened modern apartments. 

Saute'ed Prawns

As for the dining experience, the bar was set high for us as we’ve been coming to this part of Portugal for the best part of 10 years and having previously owned a house in the area, we’ve learnt what little gems lie in the town serving up great quality and incredibly inexpensive seafood. To our delight, the unfussy menu did not disappoint here at Casa-Mae. Breakfasts consisted of modern, creative dishes like avocado served with fresh lime, dried orange and chia seeds, perfectly paired with rustic bread and poached eggs upon request. The lunch and dinner menus did not leave us short of choice, every dish looked amazing. Personal favourites were the sautéed prawns of all different sizes (a nice visual touch) and the open air ‘Churrasqueria’ which served up a delicious plate of charcoal grilled Corvina (croaker fish) with a side of kale and roasted vegetables.

Julio the farmer

Poached Monkfish & Broccoli

What is really amazing about the food at Casa Mae is its local sourcing with most of the fruit and vegetables being grown at their nearby farm. The farmer, the nature-loving Julio Machado, grows Kale, Strawberries, Cabbage, Beetroot to name just a few and hand rears chickens for delicious eggs too. The chickens here were some of the best kept we’ve seen! Not only do they roam the grounds freely but they also have a luxury hen house, complete with antique-style chairs and a chandelier fit for any French interior design show! Julio’s hard work and genuine care for his farm comes out in the incredible flavours of everything he produces, a lovely man with a simple yet incredibly idyllic lifestyle…we’re jealous!

Overall, our stay at Casa-mae has been an absolutely incredible experience. Not only is it in our favourite part of Portugal, styled to feel just like the town we know and love, but it is a friendly, calming oasis to kick back and relax in the dry heat of the sunny Algarve. We’re already counting down the days until we can come back !

Portofino - A New Restaurant in Lagos, Portugal

Portofino is a stylish restaurant which opened in November 2013 at the upper level of the Marina de Lagos and is attracting a lot of positive attention. Established and operated by Paul and Gorrete it is easy to see why. They are experienced restaurateurs who have run several successful eateries in the UK and they have applied their skills here too. The decor and lighting is stylish and relaxing with a pleasant view of the marina from this elevated location. 

Portofino was recommended by my good friend Carlos Ramos who is the proprietor of O Cantinho Algarvio, a favourite restaurant of mine. Carlos really knows about food so I guessed we were in for a treat on his recommendation. I was right. We were warmly welcomed and shown to our table next to the window. Mood lighting and contemporary furniture gave the space an almost London feel which is quite rare in Lagos.

I opted for the Fennel Crusted Calamari on a bed of Rocket to start. Tender squid rings with a nice dry batter and a beautiful aniseed finish from the Fennel. Main course was pan-fried Monkfish with Onions, Bacon, White Wine and Lemon Cream Sauce on Mashed Potato. Beautifully  presented, this dish had great flavour and texture. 




I should say at this point that Portofino is not a seafood restaurant.  It is essentially Italian  cuisine expertly crafted from high quality ingredients. We tried the meatballs with spaghetti which was probably the best I have ever tasted outside Italy. There is also a good selection of Italian classic wines and some good Portuguese ones too. We opted for the 1/2 litre carafes each of house red and white both of which were outstanding and great value at €8:95 each.

Three of us ate starters and mains with two half litre carafes for a total of €70, which in my opinion was a bargain. Go there ! 

Roast Monkfish & Prawns with Spelt, Quinoa and Rice

Simple to prepare, tasty and healthy this is a great dish to prepare for supper with friends.  Use skinned tail fillets of Monkfish, season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and leave in a cool place for about 1/2 hour.  Drizzle the fillets with Olive Oil and bake in a closed casserole in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. I used a ready mix pack of Spelt, Quinoa, Red Rice and Wild Rice from the LOVElife range at Waitrose which only requires microwaving for 1 minute.  Serve the fish on top of the Spelt, with a few steamed Prawns, drizzle with a little Olive Oil and serve with Curly Kale on the side.  Delicious.

Hawksmoor Air Street London

The Hawksmoor Air Street only opened in November but is already attracting good reviews. Unlike the other Hawksmoor restaurants this one doesn't only do great steaks. They have included a nice selection of seafood but not in a 'tacked on' way; they have teamed up with Mitch Tonks from Dartmouth to develop a seafood menu of high quality. The result in my opinion is great meat and equally great seafood with no compromises.
We had the seared scallops which were cooked with white wine , herb butter and sea salt. They were delicious and cooked to perfection. Main course was the monkfish which was well seasoned and grilled over charcoal. The result was succulent and very tasty with sides of fries and spinach with lemon and garlic. Service was friendly and helpful thanks to our waitress Aleksandra who was very knowledgeable about the food. We will go again.

Seafood Kebabs

Simple to prepare yet good to look at and great to eat are these seafood kebabs.
Marinade whole tiger prawns, monkfish pieces and squid strips in olive oil, crushed garlic, black pepper and lemon juice for about one hour. Arrange the seafood on skewers with pieces of red pepper and red onion. Finish off with a lemon wedge. Grill or barbecue for about 10 mins each side and serve with potatoes and salad. Easy.

Monkfish Medallions with Bacon on Pak Choi

White Monkfish ( Lophius piscatorius), also known as Angler Fish, is an ugly beast which used to be discarded by commercial fisherman as worthless.  Nowadays however its white tail fillets which are quite meaty in texture command a high price on the fishmongers stall.  In the UK it is usually displayed and sold as pre-skinned white fillets with the large head discarded.  However in European countries such as Spain and Portugal you will be offered the whole fish so you can use the head for fish stock or in soups.  


According to the Marine Conservation Society most sources of Monkfish are not sustainable with the best stock management taking place in Icelandic waters.  They recommend that Monkfish should be eaten only occasionally which is good advice considering also the price tag. More sustainable alternatives include Mullet, Gurnard and Tilapia.


Being a 'meaty' fish it combines well with the bacon in this recipe.  Cut your skinned fillet into medallions about 2cm thick.  They will vary in diameter according to where you cut the fillet but that doesn't matter.  Wrap a piece of smoked bacon around each fillet and season with salt and pepper.  Bake in a closed dish (foil will do) in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.  Serve on a bed of finely chopped  Pak Choi tossed in butter. In this meal I added fresh pasta ravioli with butternut squash and beetroot on the side.