Having informed ourselves about Michelin stared dining in the Algarve, Portugal my fiancé and I booked a table for two at Willie’s Restaurant in Vilamoura in October 2016.
The restaurant was interesting and convenient located – just ca. 10 minutes’ walk from the Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa, where we stayed for 5 nights. [Please see also review].
The restaurant is housed in a beautiful villa. There is also a small garden with blooming and fragrant flowers. It’s romantic and we loved the setting.
Wilhelm “Willie” Wuerger is a German chef, who holds 1 Michelin star since 2007 for the restaurant.
The interior of the villa felt like a living room with gold colors, green accents and dark wood. There were photographs of a younger Willie Wuerger with famous patrons.
Overall the relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant including the music and the cuisine felt like you were back in the 80s, which we very much enjoyed.
Our fellow diners were couples and small groups. There was also a single client, who was a regular.
The restaurant sees also a lot of celebrations incl. anniversaries and birthdays.
The Maître d’ welcomed us warmly and treated us like we were family members. He was entertaining and very knowledgeable, especially about wines.
We were seated at our table with white table cloth and offered the menu.
While we chose, the amuse-bouche was served. They were a pretzel mix, cream cheese on a wafer, which was salty and sweet, a fish canapé and pate with chutney and cracker. They reminded me of my childhood in Germany.
Our drinks to start with were a bottle of still Estrela water, one orange and one apple juice.
Unfortunately Willie’s doesn’t offer mocktails.
Our starters were chicken in sesame crust with pomegranate and crunchy salad leaves and Carpaccio of beef fillet with mixed salad leaves, aged Parmesan, quail’s egg and cherry tomato. Both dishes were delicious and the Carpaccio one of the best I’ve ever had.
The main courses were John Dory with grilled vegetables and potato mash with truffles and medium well tornedos of beef with Madeira sauce, roesti and grilled vegetables.
The tornedos were melt in the mouth and he still drools, when thinking about them. The roesti was the best ever.
The John Dory was luxurious.
With the desserts (Crepe with strawberries Romanoff and cinnamon ice cream and stewed peach, pistachio, green biscuit and Amaretto mousse) came my fiancé’s Quinta de Camarates D.O.P. dessert wine.
The desserts were divine. The dessert wine was a good match.
To round it up we had two cappuccinos.
We received petit fours with them. They included raspberry macaroons, Madeleines, chocolate truffles and a Mirabelle.
The bill was 167.10 Euro (ca. 200.50 USD).
When the maître d’ noticed my fiancé was interested in a white wine, he let him try it for free, which was generous and memorable.
Another great opportunity was to meet Chef Willie personally, organized by the maître d’. We were very grateful we had the chance and sometimes still reminisce about it. We were surprised we were allowed into the kitchen, because a couple before us had wanted to meet Chef Willie too, but they had been refused as the chef himself was very busy. More beautiful memories made at Willie’s.
We would return, because we have been treated exceptionally well, the whole evening felt somehow like a “blast from the past” and the excellent cuisine and service rounded up a beautiful evening in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal in October 2016 for us.
©2017
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