It would be considered sacrilegious to talk about the gastronomy of Portimão without mentioning the fat and tasty sardine first, charcoal-grilled, seasoned with coarse sea-salt, eaten from a slice of bread and washed down with a measure of red wine. Its shrine and gurus are to be found in the restaurants underneath the iron bridge across the Arade River. It is not only the grilled sardine that rules cookery in Portimão, but as a rule, one looks firstly what the sea has to offer.

A typical menu of traditional Portimão cuisine could look something like this:

Soups:
Sopa de Beldroegas (soup of purslane)
Sopa de Feijão Branco com Batata Doce (white bean soup with sweet potatoes)
Sopa de Pão com Tomate (bread soup with tomatoes, a fisherman’s favourite)
Arjamolho (cold soup, ideal for hot summer days)

Main Courses:
Amêijoas na Cataplana (clams, sausage, tomatoes, onions, etc. cooked in a sealed, clam shaped, copper pan. Very popular.)                         Amêijoas da Ria de Alvor à Bulhão Pato (clam stew made with clams from the river Alvor)
Caldeirada de Peixe (fish-stew)
Amêijoas à Portimonense (clam stew)
Feijoada de Búzios (bean stew with big whelks, red bean and green pimento, parsley and carrot)
Arroz de Lingueirão ( razor clams with rice)
Carapaus Alimados (boiled mackerel)
Choquinhos Fritos (small fried cuttlefish)
Favas com Peixe Frito (broad beans with fried fish)
Ervilhas a Portimonense (peas and eggs)
Papas de Milho acompanhadas com Marisco à Portimonense (polenta like dish with shell-fish)

It is not always easy to find the traditional Portimão kitchen, so take advantage when you spot a regional dish on the menu. There are many excellent restaurants in Portimão and usually (once or twice a week) they serve a typical portuguese dish.