The restaurant is run by a lovely couple, Fatima and Vitor, who created a space where traditional Portuguese food, hospitality and personal touches come together naturally.

Before opening her own restaurant, Fatima worked for several years as a chef. But cooking is not her only passion. She also loves decor and floral arrangements, which you notice as soon as you walk in. Small decorative details and flowers give the restaurant a cosy atmosphere that feels more like somebody’s home than a busy station restaurant.

And Tunes station is definitely busy. As Fatima explained to us, it is one of the main railway connections in the Algarve, linking the region to Lisbon and northern Portugal. Trains start operating early in the morning, which means Fatima starts her day very early too, preparing everything fresh for the day ahead. Nothing is rushed, and everything is made on the spot.

The day we visited for lunch, there were three pratos do dia (menu of the day) available: Bacalhau à Brás, costeletas do cachaço and carapaus assados. The menu changes daily, always offering fresh fish and meat dishes based on the day’s ingredients.

We started with a selection of Algarvian olives, tuna pâté, and sausage-filled pastries. Every day brings different combinations of starters and dishes.

For us, Fatima prepared a generous sharing platter with all three dishes of the day, together with beef loin steak. I always think my husband and I make a good team when we try traditional Portuguese food. He is from the Algarve and grew up with these flavours, while for me, as a foreigner, it is still something quite special and different from what I normally eat at home. It gives us two completely different perspectives, one from someone who knows these dishes well, and another from someone discovering them almost for the first time. But despite our different backgrounds, we both genuinely enjoyed the food, especially because everything tasted homemade, fresh, and full of traditional flavours.

The meal was accompanied by Terra Magna red wine, an elegant, balanced wine produced from traditional grapes from the Dão region.

For dessert, we tried orange pie, mango mousse, arroz doce and a selection of traditional Portuguese biscuits, and we both agreed it was absolutely delicious.

Fatima told us she wants every customer to feel at home and that she cooks for guests the same way she cooks for her own family. Her daughter regularly visits the restaurant for lunch — something Fatima says is exactly like eating at home.

The restaurant also has a separate room with a large table for celebrations and private events, along with an exhibition of Portuguese wines where wine lovers can discover a variety of selections. Once a month, they also organise live music on Sundays.

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 7 am, with dinner available by reservation.

Instagram @cozinhadatiafatinha