The Garden Bar and Grill, the hidden garden of Lagos where you come first for the shade

What are you doing in the middle of August in Lagos, when the sun is beating down on the cobblestones and there are four of you who are hungry?

We pushed open a large gate randomly in an alley of the old town, and we stumbled upon an entire garden. For months, we had passed by this thing thinking it never opened, that it was surely closed for good, one of those places that keeps its sign long after pulling down the curtain. And actually, no. In fact, it was us who were coming at the wrong season, because we don’t linger much in the Algarve in the middle of summer, and The Garden Bar and Grill, of course, is best enjoyed in summer.

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The gate says nothing, and that’s kind of the whole point

From Rua Lançarote de Freitas, you can hardly see anything. It’s a large gate, period. No terrace spilling onto the street, no waiter waving a menu in your face, no laminated photos of burgers at eye level. In an old town as dense as Lagos, where restaurants touch and compete for every inch of sidewalk, this silence is almost suspicious. You pass by, you don’t know, you keep going. We’ve done that a good number of times.

And then one day it’s open, you step through the gate, and the space unfolds all at once. The name makes perfect sense in three seconds: it’s really a garden, not a courtyard, not a patio, not a back room with two green plants to look nice. A garden, with trees, real shade, and wooden tables scattered everywhere. If you’re planning your visit to Lagos, also take a look at our complete guide to Lagos by camper van, the city is very walkable once you’ve parked.

A cool oasis (and the barbecue to the left upon arrival)

The first sensation upon entering is the temperature. It was quite hot outside, and suddenly, you drop a few degrees. The trees do the job, the vegetation too, and you immediately understand why people settle here rather than on a sun-drenched terrace three streets away. It’s the kind of place where you sit down and don’t really want to get up again.

To the left upon arrival, there’s a nice covered barbecue, with the kitchen right next to it, set up in what looks like an open garage integrated into the whole. It doesn’t look like a shiny professional kitchen; it feels more like a big house grill corner, and honestly, it fits the overall vibe well. You see the smoke, you smell the meat, you know what you came for.

The rest reads quite quickly too: the codes are very British, the prices too, and the clientele around us mostly spoke English, with a clear British dominance. It’s neither good nor bad, it’s just useful information: here, you’re not in the Portuguese tasca where the owner gently scolds you for ordering a starter for two.

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Our spot under the tree, and the three-walled room next door

We settled under a tree, which remains, when it’s 30-something degrees, the best decision of the day. And right next to us, there was this weird and successful area, neither completely indoors nor completely outdoors: three walls, a thatched roof, and voilà, a room formed all by itself in the middle of the garden.

This is where the decor becomes really nice. Rugs hanging on the walls, an old wooden ladder leaning against the stone, a vintage sign, a window frame repurposed as decor, and crates serving as shelves. We’re in the deliberate DIY rather than agency decor, and that’s exactly what gives the place its exotic feel. You’re in Lagos, but you could be elsewhere, and that’s probably the desired effect.

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The pasteis de bacalhau, the first signal

Well, we had to order at some point. I went for pasteis de bacalhau, a safe bet, the thing I get pretty much everywhere in Portugal and that serves as a bit of a thermometer. And there, the first signal: they were very small, really very small, served with their white sauce, and they didn’t really taste homemade. Not bad, though, but we’re talking about a format and texture that we know well, if you see what I mean.

With a cold Super Bock and shade above my head, it still goes down well, and at this stage of the meal, I was just thinking it was the starter, that the real test was yet to come. I did note in the back of my mind that the place seemed designed for the decor more than for the plate. Spoiler alert, the rest didn’t contradict me.

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The mixed meat, and here it’s clear

The main dish was a mixed meat platter, and it doesn’t hide its game: a half-rib slathered in barbecue sauce, a sausage, a piece of grilled bacon, a lot of sauce, a small salad, and potatoes. In the photo taken from above, you see exactly what you’re going to eat, there is no staging or mystery.

So let’s be honest, it’s not bad. It’s just not very refined. It’s basic, very basic even, quite far from what you usually find in Portugal where a grill often focuses on the quality of the cut and the charcoal rather than the amount of sauce. Here, the sauce does a lot of the work, and the rest follows quietly. We’re back to the formula that summarizes the place quite well: you come here to eat something, not really to eat well.

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What Caroline had (and what she left)

On her side, Caroline went for falafels, served with pita bread, raw vegetables, and a white sauce. Verdict: quite nice, which in our internal scale means she finished the plate without any particular comment. However, she left her salad without hesitation, which, for her, is a judgment in itself.

There were also grilled chicken skewers on the table, with their sauce, and overall this is where the menu is most comfortable: simple, grilled things, easy to eat, almost finger food. It aligns with what the place really offers, namely a shaded spot to nibble without overthinking it.

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The menu: grill, South Africa, and a nod to England

The menu is written in Portuguese, but its content tells another story. You find Boerewors, Bunny Chows, satay, and there you understand that the main inspiration is not really local: it’s a grill with a South African accent, in an English-speaking city, run like a summer garden. The rest of the menu casts a wide net, from grilled items, burgers, salads, fish, pasta, vegetarian and vegan options, children’s menu, and desserts.

In terms of prices, we’re looking at a clearly tourist mid-range: the cover is €3.95 for two, snacks range from €4.25 to €6.50, salads from €5.95 to €13.50, meats and fish mostly from €13.95 to €16.50, children’s menu from €6.50 to €8.50, and desserts from €4.25 to €6.95. These figures will change, of course, but the structure of the menu remains, and that’s mainly what you need to look at.

For whom, and when to go

For four people, the bill came to €66, or about €16.50 per person, which is very reasonable for a lunch in Lagos in the middle of August. If you’re looking for the table that will mark your year, move along without regret. If you’re looking for shade, an exotic decor, and something to satisfy four people without breaking the bank, it’s a really good find.

We would gladly return, but with our eyes wide open: for the garden, for the coolness, to drink something in the thatched-roof room, and incidentally to eat. And if you continue your day, the Ponta da Piedade is a fifteen-minute walk away, which makes for quite an unbeatable program: the cliffs in the morning, the shade of the garden at noon, and nothing at all in the afternoon.

Destination

Ponta da Piedade

Ponta da Piedade Ponta da Piedade is the postcard of the Algarve. The spot that everyone comes to see. The one we have seen, reviewed, photographed, filmed. And indeed, when...

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Practical information

PS: if you pass by and manage to finally decide between 27 and 48, send us a photo of the number on the facade. We searched, we couldn’t decide, and it’s bothering us more than it should.