Fernando’s Stone Steak

Unfortunately it was no barrel of laughs for us.
At first sight the deal looks good and and it is pleasant restaurant but there is a sting in the tail. Unlike the other nearby Stone Steak, the 12.50 Euro price does NOT INCLUDE VEG and a side order for a very small portion of local produce is a hefty 5 euro’s ahead. Add this to things like the coffee at 2.50 euros ahead instead of the average of around 1.80 and the overall bill for 2 is at least 15 Euro’s more than you pay elsewhere.
The other unfortunate thing is no fault of the restaurant but is is very close the Cocktail Garden. You are either subjected to Football blaring out at full volume accompanied by the cheers of a few ardent supporters or pop music which is out of character with the overall ambiance of the site. I have no objection to either in the right place but here it is totally inappropriate.
The quality of all the restaurants in the area is generally very good. If you want a nice meal and pleasant background music without being fleeced go elsewhere.

I have seldom had more fun eating than at Fernandos Stone Steak house, in Carvoeiro, Portugal. Maybe it was the fact I was on holiday — maybe it was the company — maybe it was the freely flowing Portugese beer — but I didn’t think that going to a restaurant and then essentially preparing and cooking your own dinner was going to be a barrel of laughs.
But it was.
It works like this: you are presented with a very hot stone slab, and some raw meat of your choice. The meat can also be prepared with various marinations and methods, but the underlying theme is that it’s ready to be cooked. Add a dash of the sauce of your choice, a small amount of garlic butter to the slab (and watch in horror as the table is surrounded by acrid smoke) slice off a little meat, and get cooking.
I chose the medley selection, consisting of chicken, pork and steak. All of the meat was fantastic — not an ounce of fat or gristle to be seen. The steak was wonderful — the very fact you could control each tender mouthful — one rare, the next well done, and then apply the sauce of your choice.
There were 10 of us at the restaurant — and the waiters were open and friendly. For a while we tried to work out if the owner was German, but then, distracted by some fantastic garlic prawns, the topic was dropped.
If you are holidaying in the area — it’s worth making a trip to Carvoiero and Fernandos. The atmosphere was lovely, and you’ll find your meat cooked to perfection.