A Caracolinha Tavira – Take Away Review
This little traditional Portuguese takeaway is close to our hearts as it provided our very first lunch when we moved to Portugal.
After that we forgot about it for a while, as another takeaway, O Tacho, was nearer to where we lived. Forgetting it was a bad move, as since we have rediscovered it, we have found it to be a far superior choice.
A Caracolinha is located in the centre of Tavira on the north side of the river, just behind what is locally known as the temporary, or army bridge.
A Caracolinha Tavira – Our First Lunch
Caracolinha has a small menu which changes daily. Staples like piri-piri or garlic coated chicken are available all the time, alongside a rotating choice of daily specials.
Recent delights have included a Novilho Estufadu, a seemingly slow-cooked beef stew with meltingly tender meat, and a lamb stew with Brussels sprouts, which was delicious despite filling our apartment with a sulphurus school-dinners aroma!
We usually end up eating from Caracolinha at the end of stressful working days, more because we want something quick and effortless than because we are hunting down excellent food, but we realized last week that we haven’t had a single meal from the place that has been anything but very enjoyable.
The grilled chicken is great, and doesn’t come with the usual puddle of oil that takeaway piri-piri often arrives in, the chips are hot and plentiful and the specials never seem to disappoint. For a takeaway with friendly service and rock-bottom prices, what more could we ask for!
