Situated in the lush green farmlands between Ferragudo and Carvoeiro, Quinta dos Santos offers a haven of tranquillity, a place to sit and enjoy the vineyards while savouring a glass of wine or to sample delicious food while sipping on their very own Dos Santos craft beer.


Quinta dos Santos is a family run business with every member pitching in with their own talents and specialities to create a very real feeling of a home from home, thanks to the warm welcome and relaxed atmosphere. Although the stylish decor and precise attention to detail makes it really more of a place that you wish was like your own home, rather than the reality for most of us!


Ann and Eugene had been regular visitors to the Algarve for 10 years before they finally decided to realise their dream of living on a wine farm, and in 2016, together with their sons Kyle and Greg, and their daughter-in-law Elayna, they began to successfully transform the overgrown land into a living and working farm.


The farm itself covers eight hectares in total and the family have worked on growing not only vines for the wine they hope to make in the very near future, but also on growing olives, almonds and carob trees with plans in the future for a herb and vegetable garden and also oranges.


The farm links directly with the other areas of Quinta dos Santos, with this being most evident in A Esquina, the area that was initially designed to be a tasting room for the craft beers brewed on site by son Greg, who at 25 is the youngest professional brewer in the country, but has now grown to being an independent restaurant experience of its own. Here Chef Miguel Lima produces seasonally changing dishes that can be enjoyed in a tapas style or in a more traditional restaurant experience for those who prefer.


The sharing Tabua Artesanal features a selection of cured meats and cheeses, Algarvian olives, marmalade, garlic infused oil and crusty bread, with as many of the elements being sourced locally. The local feel of the restaurant is complimented by serving whatever is possible from their own farm, with plans in the future to increase this to even include orange juice made from their own fruit grown on the property.


Many of the other items on the menu have been inspired by traditional Portuguese dishes, all of which have been given the Quinta dos Santos treatment to elevate often simple meals and tapas by using the very best local ingredients.


Guests can choose from a mixture of dishes, with a choice of vegetarian options, including oven melted half cured round of blended sheep and cow’s cheese dressed with a floral honey and sprinkled with toasted almonds and wild flowers, or an acorda traditional dish of shrimps, garlic and coriander and garnished with onion and coriander sprouts. And for meat lovers there is a choice of duck breast, lamb loin, premium cut Black Angus sirloin or even pork shank confit in thyme infused aromatic olive oil.


All of the food is served either inside the beautifully presented main room, where traditional Moorish architectural features have been maintained while complimented by modern accents, alternatively there is the vineyard veranda overlooking the rolling vines of the farm or the courtyard area which is dominated by the central olive tree and views into the working brewery. All dining areas have their own special ambience but still fully epitomise the ethos of the family - to present guests with a relaxing atmosphere where they can indulge their senses through food, wine, beer and the natural beauty of the area.


Quinta dos Santos is far more than the hugely successfully brewery, more than the winery which will move into action in the coming months and more than the restaurant, vines, farm and even the family behind it. Quinta dos Santos is instead the clear culmination of a vision that now everyone in the Algarve is invited to enjoy and to observe as it moves forward towards the future while continuing to give a firm nod to the traditions and culture of the past.


Quinta dos Santos is open from Tuesday to Sunday between 2pm and 10pm, reservations are recommended.


For further information about Quinta do Santos, please visit www.quintadossantos.com or call 282 343 264 for reservations.


Author

Originally from the UK, Daisy has been living and working in Portugal for more than 20 years. She has worked in PR, marketing and journalism, and has been the editor of The Portugal News since 2019. Jornalista 7920

Daisy Sampson