Beach Bar Restaurant Jony – Armação de Pêra, Algarve

The unusual bad weather in the Algarve this weekend prompted me to write about a great little restaurant I recently discovered in Armação de Pêra this summer (when it was still hot and sunny). Beach Bar Restaurant Jony was an unexpected treasure. If you go down some almost-hidden steps from the fortaleza, you’ll find some outdoor seating and be greeted with a friendly smile. The view is idyllic: at dinner, you’ll watch the sun set and the stars come out as you feast on typical Algarve cuisine.

This brings me on to the delicious food…For starters, we shared some presunto (Portuguese cured ham that is similar to Parma ham) with pineapple. Our main courses were a typical grilled squid with boiled vegetables, potatoes and salad, and a massive skewer of jumbo shrimp served with french fries and salad. Is your mouth watering yet? If not, the picture below gives you an idea of how excited I was when the food arrived.

To make the evening even more special, the owner was on the grill that night and cooked our food. He was so friendly and has been all over the world so chances are he’ll speak your language when you meet him. He was also nice enough to cook extra shrimp (as if we needed more!) for us at no additional cost, simply because he wanted us to try another way he cooks it. Alas, we were too full for dessert but we won’t be making the same mistake next time! You’re probably thinking this meal cost us a pretty penny, but you’d be wrong – it was actually good value for money.

Verdict: The restaurant offers great food with friendly staff and gorgeous views. A perfect (and delicious) summer night!