The Lumo, the big pizza grill a bit off the beaten path that we love near Tavira

So, let’s talk about a place we keep a bit to ourselves that makes us smile even before we get there… the Lumo, a large grill-pizza sitting a bit alone near Tavira (the kind of address we almost hesitate to share, but hey, it’s a gift).

To get there, you have to step out of the city a little, and that’s where the fun begins. The restaurant is quite large, except that it finds itself planted in the middle of a residential area, surrounded by small houses, small buildings, sometimes very nice buildings with gardens and bougainvilleas. It’s there, all alone in the bungalows, like a UFO… and honestly, it’s this contrast between the size of the place and the residential setting that already gives it all its personality.

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A large restaurant sitting alone in the bungalows

When you enter, you first come across a large covered terrace, almost a room in its own right. The detail that stands out immediately is a tree trunk right in the middle, with the impression that the entire terrace was built around it (yes, around the tree, they didn’t cut it down, respect). Add large bay windows that play between inside and outside, and this amusing thing: the space is divided into two styles of furniture… on one side red and yellow iron chairs (our corner, we sit comfortably), on the other side wicker chairs, completely different.

There is also a second room inside, large as well, and it’s the one we retreat to the most in winter because it’s warmer. The terrace is still bearable in the cool season, with heated umbrellas, those kinds of iron umbrellas with a gas bottle at the bottom. You can tell that the place is designed for large tables; we’ve come many times with, next to us, tables of at least 8 people (the two of us don’t make much noise in comparison).

The detail that convinces us that the place targets families is the playroom for kids… inflatable structure, small ball pool, foam floor, tables and a board for drawing with chalk. Parents on one side, kids on the other, clever. Add large televisions that, of course in Portugal, are showing football (especially during the World Cup while I’m writing this), and you have the complete picture: a place calibrated for volume, groups, the real life of tables. We go there as a couple, and well, it works very well too, the plates are generous.

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What we order: the pizzas (always the pizzas)

Let’s say it before I forget: at Lumo, we generally… order pizzas. This meal is no exception, one each. Caroline went for a mortadella, stracciatella, pesto, and pistachio, and I went for my safe bet, the one I get every time, a presunto e rúcula, with presunto, parmesan shavings, cherry tomatoes, and salad (originality will be my downfall).

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What surprises you the first time is the service: the pizzas are quite large and come with big pairs of scissors to cut them (the first time, you look for a knife like an idiot, and then you understand). The dough, I find it soft and crispy, and when I say a bit grainy, the crust a bit sandy, it’s not derogatory at all, it’s the flour, those little grains around the crust. In terms of toppings, it’s serious: Caroline couldn’t finish hers, she had about 20% left.

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And then there’s this image that I find quite striking… an Italian base, made by Indians, in the south of Portugal. Quite a summary of globalization on a plate, personally it makes me laugh every time. On the price, we’re in a rather high range for pizza in the area: Caroline’s is around €17, mine around €15. But the difference is justified, they are good, even very good, and Lumo also offers sharing boards. As a reference, for two, for an aperitif, a glass of wine, a pizza, and a dessert, we spent about €66.50.

Desserts: the crazy camelo baba, the weird bolo de bolacha

Caroline didn’t have the strength to finish her pizza, but she still had room for a dessert (this logic still escapes me today, but hey, I won’t say anything). She ordered a bolo de bolacha, superimposed biscuits with cream. For me, it’s THE weird dessert of the bunch, I find it very dry, almost suffocating despite the little cream, and I don’t quite understand how you can stack so many biscuits. To each their own, right.

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I went for a camelo baba, a cream made from sweetened condensed milk, and there, the verdict is clear… I literally demolished it, finished in no time, almost without anyone seeing me coming. There you go, that gives you an idea of the level of appreciation.

On the drinks side: Portuguese measure and red served cold

We started with a rosé Martini as an aperitif, then two glasses of wine, a Monte Velho. And now, a little liquid geography lesson: here, it’s a Portuguese measure, not a French measure… in other words, there’s clearly more wine in the glass than we’re used to (I didn’t cry, don’t worry). We were even asked if we wanted the red at room temperature or cold, because in the Algarve, where it’s hot, they willingly serve red cold, something that doesn’t happen much in France.

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The menu, and the little local signal

To be honest, we’ve never had the chance to try anything other than the pizzas, and it’s not for lack of being open: every time, they look so tempting that we crack again. There are also the famous sharing boards that we keep on the list (for a while now, the list). And my little personal indicator to judge a restaurant is the percentage of Portuguese you hear around… here, you can still mostly hear Portuguese being spoken, in a region where it’s far from guaranteed. For me, good sign, a restaurant where locals really come, surely because you have to be a bit from the area to find it.

Last point, more human: the team is mostly young Indians, in the kitchen as well as in the dining area, and we often see them in the gym in the morning, first to arrive at 7 am, and still in the kitchen in the evening. Long days, young immigrants like us (except that we are French, and we don’t get up at 7 am, let’s be honest). Naturally, it creates a little sympathy.

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Practical information

PS: one day, I promise, we’ll try something other than pizzas. Well… we say that every time, and every time we leave with a presunto e rúcula and a camelo baba. Anyway, why change a winning team, right.