Enjoy the Decadence of Gusto Restaurant at the Five Star Conrad Algarve
The Conrad - Algarve
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If you want the very best in comfort then you may very well already be staying at the Conrad Algarve which is a 5 Star luxury Algarve hotel set to the backdrop of the sound of the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel itself is modern, stylish and provides all the high level of comfort that you would expect from a Five Star hotel and particularly one that was only opened very recently on the 26th September 2012.
At the heart of a five star experience is always going to be the need for five star dining, and the Conrad Algarve is no exception with two great restaurants, the Louro Restaurant which is designed to be a showcase for the very finest homegrown cuisine that Portugal has to offer. And Gusto by Heinz Beck who is the consultant chef and creator of this unsurpassed dining experience.
Heinz Beck carries with him a reputation for excellence that has been built up from winning numerous Michelin Stars in such restaurants as La Pergola, the Waldorf Astoria Rome Cavalieri, Café les Paillotes and Apsleys of London.
It is the clean, modern flavours that Heinz Beck has consistently been able to deliver that has made him one of the world's most in-demand chefs. The experience at Gusto is designed to match the ambition that you would expect from the Algarve's newest five star hotel with a range of ingredients that encompass both local favourites and classic delicacies with a twist that only a 3 starred Michelin chef is able to deliver.
When you visit you will notice that there has been extreme attention to detail to ensure that the dining experience matches the quality of the food. There are such touches as bread and dips served at every table for example, and a clean design to the room that is designed to feel like a breath of warm Mediterranean air.
The wine list that is available at Gusto is wide to suit a surprising number of budgets, and so whether you want the very finest and rarest wines on the planet, or an agreeable Portuguese wine to cleanse the palate and prepare you for a fine evening ahead, Gusto has something to offer you.
Given the high quality of the food that is on offer and the attention to detail of the resident chef, it is actually a little surprising as to how affordable the food at Gusto actually is. There is a seven course tasting menu for example that is available for just €42 a person. This gives you a really nice feel for the range and scope of culinary talents that are on offer and provides an insight into the range of cooking skills that are needed at this very highest level.
The food at Gusto tends to be mainly inspired by Mediterranean cuisine, as perhaps you might expect given the location of the restaurant in the Algarve. There are many pasta dishes including a delicious plate of tortellini's that quite made the mouth water (and tasted just as good), as well as a rather elegant dish that consisted of aubergine crafted with an emulsion of tomato, and some light fish dishes as befits the restaurants geographical location on the edge of the sea.
The cod dish was buttery and smooth and it is always the attention to detail that really shows itself first and last when you eat food at really top restaurants. Everything at Gusto has a polished elegance that belies the price of the food, because whilst it is certainly possible to eat more cheaply in the Algarve, it would be difficult to eat better.
If you don't want to eat stuffed aubergine though, never fear! There are plenty of simple dishes on the menu such as steak and a whole range of seafood's, and again the prices won't take your breath away despite this being food of the highest quality.
There is also a great cocktail bar that backs onto the restaurant and so at no time do you have to forget that you are on holiday and that a few margaritas are needed!
Opening hours are from 7pm (evenings only) and Gusto is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
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Published in: Guide to Portugal / Portuguese Life / Travel