You can read a lot of articles in International Living and even this blog about lunches for €10 or less in Portugal. This is NOT one of those posts.
Prelude
Before I tell you about our €100 lunch, I want to recall a story from some months ago. I think it was early February, and Denise and I had ventured over to Ayamonte with our bikes on the ferry. We enjoyed a ride along the Spanish beach and then a bit of tapas. Having eaten, we were unlocking our electric bikes when an American couple (Joan and Bob) and their British friend (Julie) struck up a conversation with us. The five of us talked for a bit, then they entered a restaurant and we went to the ferry. When we arrived at the dock, we found that the ferry took a long siesta in the mid-afternoon, and the next ferry would not leave for nearly two hours.
Rather than mope we returned to the restaurant we had seen them enter. They seemed like nice people … they said they all lived in VRSA … and the English woman had mentioned living in VRSA for some time. We invited ourselves to have a beer while they enjoyed their lunch. The conversation was easy and light … we all had dogs … the American couple liked to bike, etc. etc. It was this chance encountered that led to Joan taking up pickleball, Julie introducing me to my hairdresser, dog walks on the beach, and our €100 lunch.
Grand Beach Club
We wrote previously about our outstanding, fine-dining experience at the Grand House. Today we take you to the Grand Beach Club, a perk for hotel guests and open to the public for a fee1, for lunch, and for special events. Situated at the mouth of the Guadiana River, where the river meets the sea, is a small beach, a deck with shaded day beds, an infinity pool, and a restaurant.
We met there at about noon. Too early for lunch, but not too early for some fancy pants drinks. Denise and I ordered glasses of Sparkling Rosé, Julie white wine, while the rest of the crew ordered Pina Coladas. I will admit to having tasted Joan’s and being very tempted. But I am still working hard at getting rid of the 10 pounds I gained following surgery … and thus limited myself to a glass of wine.
As discussed previously, no one will ever rush you away from the table at the end of a Portuguese dining experience. The same held true for our pre-dining experience. Confident that our table would be held until we were ready, we relaxed by the pool for nearly an hour. The simple act of standing, caused a member of the wait staff to take note. We were led to a shaded table, on the balcony.
Let’s Eat
Our party shared two appetizers. The Grand Couvert included bread, marinated fish, olives, Castro Marim salt, and olive oil from Moncarapacho. We also shared the ceviche you see above. The description of the ceviche (tiger's milk, spirulina, algae, and avocado) does not do it justice. It was among the best ceviche I have tasted, and the presentation was stunning!
Our luncheon mains included:
Tuna Burger on carob bun, with herb butter, arugula, tomato, teriyaki sauce, and mango chutney (Julie)
Iberian Black Pork Ribs with BBQ sauce (Denise)
Tuna Pizza with olives, bell peppers, tomato, and Salicornia (a type of succulent grown near the salt marshes was ordered by Bob)
Fig Pizza with red onion confit, goat’s cheese, and rucula (Joan and me)
I am not 100% certain, but I believe in all three bottles of the house white were also consumed during lunch … not allowing a lot of room for dessert.
Final Verdict
As expected the service was attentive yet not overbearing. The pace of the meal was leisurely allowing plenty of time for a spirited conversation and quite a few laughs. When the bill came we added a tip and split it five ways…€50 a person.
While the Grand Beach Club is not the kind of place we will visit on a weekly basis it is nice to have this available. If you stick to water you can probably have a lovely lunch for about €30 per person. Consider it for a special occasion, to treat yourself or your out-of-town guests. And as you gaze at the water, the beautiful sailboats that pass by, embrace the warm sunshine, and the cooling breezes you are bound to think that life is grand.
Please Note: We never let a restaurant or hotel know that we are visiting and never seek compensation for our reviews.
At the current time, the surcharge for non-hotel guests is €40 for a daybed and €25 for a chair…both come with a glass of champagne.
I can't wait to join you and Denise at the Grand Beach Club. It sounded delightful.
Lovely story……….that look on Denise’s face (picture at the bottom) is precious. Was this after you shelled out a hundred EUROS for lunch?