Arriving there is made easy, as it is not difficult to find the place, even with no prior knowledge of the area, with free parking right outside the premises and a charming front of house ready to greet you with a warm welcome.

The inside area of the restaurant is perfectly lit for a memorable dinner experience and the aquarium that is built into the wall gives the whole room a special feel and is very pleasant to look at.

Shortly after being seated at our table, we were served a modern basket containing three different kinds of homemade bread, one better than the other. With the bread came a herby butter, a black olive tapenade, a sardine paté and probably one of the most flavoursome olive oils I have ever tasted.

The first dish we received was a parmesan soup with a mushroom ravioli and truffle scent. The soup was tastefully presented with an almost frothy consistency and a smell of parmesan and truffle that would make anyone’s mouth water. Flavour wise it lived up to the smell and look and every spoonful was an absolute delight.

Up next was the starter, a colourful plate of octopus Carpaccio, served with a spicy mayonnaise, cucumber, rocket and cress. The dish impressed with its well balanced flavours and textures and was, simply put: delicious!

I went on to try two main courses, the Sautéed scallops served with linguine in saffron and salicornia sauce, sautéed spinach, cherry tomatoes, green asparagus and basil, and the ox cheeks with sautéed chard, wild Alentejo mushrooms, a rosemary polenta, roasted shallots and a port wine sauce. Both were as enjoyable to look at as they were enjoyable to eat.

Lastly I was served a chocolate and carob petit gateau with marinated algarvian figs, vanilla ice cream and a chocolate crumble. This dessert was the perfect way to finish a fine meal prepared by a very talented chef.

All in all Moon restaurant has hit the nail on the head with every single dish and impressed not only with great food, but also with service that made sure my water and wine glasses are always filled and that every dish came out on time.

I left the restaurant with a full belly, a big smile on my face and ready to let everyone know about my exceptional Moon experience!