Tom’s Tastebuds – O Moinho

Once more, Tom Henshaw is out and about in Lagos, sacrificing his waistline for the greater good and revealing new eateries for Tomorrow readers to enjoy!

A historic windmill in Lagos has been restored as a bar and grill, with sunny outdoor seating and pleasant gardens. Here you can enjoy wholesome, grilled meat and fish, all cooked over charcoal – at old-fashioned prices. What more could you ask? 

The Windmill is set behind a small, municipal, green space planted with bougainvillea and honeysuckle, surrounded by apartments and local shops on Rua Hospital São João de Deus. 

Bought as a ruin and restored in 1989 as a snack bar, it has grown in popularity over the years as a friendly ‘watering hole’ for locals and estrangeiros who live nearby, as Julie and I do. 

It is now under the new management of a charming Bulgarian couple, Sveta and Lou. “It’s an experiment,” says Sveta. From a charcoal grill, discreetly sited behind a climbing jasmine, they now serve a delicious new menu. Conjured up by master churasqueirista Rui, who they found after a long search, the chalked menu is shown in our photograph. What isn’t shown are the remarkably good value prices. 

Julie and I visited at lunchtime with a Portuguese friend of ours and her mum, who had a feast of sardines when they were just coming to their plump best: seven sardines per person, boiled potatoes, and a delicious Algarvian salad with onions and red peppers among other goodies. All ingredients were fresh from the Santo Amaro market, barely 300 metres away. The feasts cost 7€ per person, plus a half-litre jarro of red wine for 4€. You can’t beat that for value! 

We chose a hamburger made by Svet, with beef from the renowned Talho André and her own mix of herbs and garlic. Succulent, moist and delicious, it came with tomato, lettuce, onion, red pepper, melted cheese, and a mountain of chips. Again, it presented exceptional value.

Let’s hope more people sample O Moinho Grill over the next few months and that Svet decides to make it available to evening customers soon.       

Opening times: 9 am – 2 pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. 

O Moinho, Rua Hospital São João de Deus 

+351 932 973 876

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