A Familia affair

Located on Lemon Square in the resort, it is also the location of MIMO, home to an Espresso Bar during the day serving traditional Portuguese cakes and coffee, and also a Gourmet shop selling uniquely Portuguese products, mostly from the Algarve such as olive oil, honey, jams and other specialties of the region.

MIMO also offers cooking classes as well as hosting Pine Cliff´s Chef´s Tables events, which we have covered in these previous articles, “A Seat at the Chef´s Table” from our visit in August last year and “A Seat at the Chef´s Table” in June of this year as well.

Patio and Lemon Grove

Lemon Square was the perfect venue, the lemon trees and live cooking at the outdoor wood-fired pizza oven evoked the feeling of dining al fresco in the streets and squares of Portofino Italy.

We arrived for an early seating and after placing our orders the restaurant began to fill up with guests from the resort and beyond. The welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, along with a menu with a focus on pizza, makes it the perfect venue for families and soon we were joined by holidaymakers with children of all ages out to enjoy a meal.

To start off the meal with had a bread basket accompanied by olive oil and balsamic to dip the bread into and some of the most delicious olives, this coming from a not-so-big fan of olives, but these with succulent and delicious coating with an amazing olive oil. The bread was a light and airy focaccia style and also a Pane carasau toasted flatbread. Our wonderful server explained that the bread is Sardinian in origin and twice baked to make it so wonderfully crispy.

We decided to start with some classics for our first course, Carpaccio di Manzo and Burrata Salad.

The Carpaccio was the most luxurious paper-thin slices of grass-fed beef tenderloin with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, the house pesto, and pickled mushrooms that added a nice tartness and slight hint of umami flavour to the fantastic starter, which I thoroughly enjoyed and can say it is probably the best Carpaccio I have had in Portugal.

My dining partner for the evening was eschewing the meat this evening and so started with the Burrata salad. The fresh Burrata cheese with the outer shell of solid mozzarella and the out-of-this-world soft interior of mozzarella and cream made me really second guess my choice of appetiser after tasting just a fork full. It was accompanied by an arugula, local tomatoes, and pistachio pesto which my partner enjoyed very much with the top-notch fresh cheese.

The main event

Although all around us fresh pizzas right from the patio side oven were whizzing about going to the tables of families around us we had decided to go for two very different dishes, whose only thing in common was risotto.

We had asked the server upon arriving to make a couple of suggestions for our main courses, the dishes he liked the most on the menu, and went with it. I ordered the Ossobucco alla Milane, and my partner ordered the Risotto Tartfuo e Funghi.

The Truffle risotto was done with Carnaroli rice, known as the king or caviar of risotto rice said to produce the creamiest of risottos when compared to the wider and longer Arborio rice which is not quite as starchy but is the variety that is more widely available and you would find at most grocery stores in Portugal.

The risotto was truly king with the other ingredients living up to the rice with porcini mushrooms, summer black truffles, and taleggio cheese completing the beigest of dishes to eye, but the most colourful and live dish on the taste buds.

I went with a meaty option for my main course and was not disappointed in my selection of the Osso Bucco. The slow-cooked veal shank slid away from the bone and was braised perfectly and sat atop a pillowy bed of rich saffron risotto.

I can only guess that they used the same Cararoli rice to make this risotto as well because it is the richest and most velvety one I have ever had. The sweet, floral and complex flavour of the saffron was a good accompaniment to the rich meat and was made even better with the traditional gremolata, a lively accompaniment of parsley, lemon zest and garlic that cut through the richness of the creamy risotto and fattiness of the meat.

Sweet treats

We were both quite full after the meal but decided on such a special night we might find it in ourselves to find some room for dessert. And we did manage a Panna Cotta de Baunilha and a couple of scoops of the Gelados

The ice cream, which is served from a cart at the side of the terrace was great.

The rich and decadent had me regretting, for just one moment, trying to fit in a dessert at all. The salted caramel on the second ball of ice cream quickly had me forgetting my momentary misgivings.

My partner opted for the vanilla panna cotta served with a berry coulis and a fresh and wonderful strawberry sorbet. The presentation was wonderful.

Among the other guests on the patio, we saw servers dishing out the restaurant's Tiramisu from large pans with a big spoon family style to guests that selected that option, but alas we were quite satisfied and full after our desserts and chose to end the meal with a grappa and a limoncello instead of another pudding.

Portofino is most definitely worth a visit this summer with a menu that would satisfy any member of your family and also makes a great date night as well.

Our server mentioned that they also have several more carnival nights this August at the restaurant that feature fire performers, performers on stilts and other fun animations. He said you can contact the restaurant to find out more and make a reservation.

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