Algarve | Valentine's Day at Touriga Wine & Dine in Carvoeiro
Romantic and thoughtful gestures are extremely valued and welcomed anytime of the year but there is just something about February 14. Valentine's Day is just around the corner and what a better way to celebrate love and togetherness than with a delightful meal in the heart of Algarve?
As most Algarvian restaurants and bars open their doors after a well-deserved January break, it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in culinary sins before the bustling shoulder and high seasons ahead. And the coolest thing is that you don't have to be scared of restaurants full to the brim and fully booked at is it still winter and still very calm around Algarve.
We love eating out and there are very nice options around town on this day. We took the opportunity to reminisce about one of our latest celebrations at Touriga Wine & Dine, with a beautiful wine pairing experience. If you have not been there yet, Touriga has what they call a “Biblioteca”, reminiscent of book shelves but with an extensive wine selection. Touriga allows for the discovery of a treasure trove of wines as it is the perfect place to try something new by the glass.
Our culinary adventure began with a very nice couvert with fresh bread, salt and olive oil. It is delicious and can be superior to the classic bread and butter experience. Nothing against butter, we love it as Jess is practically French, don’t come at us! But it is nice to switch up things especially whilst travelling to an olive-oil country.
Next we savoured corn bread with arugula, beetroot, fresh cheese and olive paste, paired with the sparkling Alxam wine. It was a nice tantalizing prelude to the courses to come.
Then we were served monkfish, mussel and shrimp fumée, a harmonious blend of flavours from the sea. For this dish, Jess had the Quinta Seara d’Ordens’ Mater Rosé wine and Bruno opted for the Crasto Superior white wine. Both are from the Douro region.
For the main entrée, we had a succulent duck breast with chestnut purée and plum reduction. Fun fact: we have duck every Valentines Day when we get to spend it together, it is a tradition we only realised whilst checking all the February pictures throughout the years. Thank you Touriga for not letting us down on getting our tradition to go according to plan without even planning it!
Whilst Jess continued with the rosé wine – she is a slow drinker – Bruno likes challenges and boldly paired this dish with a Puro Touriga-Chã by J. Rosas red wine, also from the Douro region.
To finish it off, we had the stunning – and very aesthetic! – Chocolate trilogy paired with a (unfortunately unpictured) Noval LBV. We felt this meal was really an ode to Portuguese wines which are a delight and this special spot just celebrates them so well.
We love going to Touriga Wine and Dine in Carvoeiro. The food is clever, the wines are always a discovery and the service is top notch. A special shoutout to Francisco for making our Touriga experiences unforgettable.
Location, location, location (just 10 minutes away from our rental properties in Algarve):
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