A Lazy Lunch under an Orange Tree (Cervajaria Brico (Lagos, Portugal))

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Cervajaria Brico (Lagos, Portugal)
Date:	05/07/09 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great spot to people watch, delicious sbnacks and mouth watering ice creams.

Disadvantages: None

One of the many things I loved about living in Lagos in the Algarve was the variety of cafes in the town. No matter what time of day you found yourself in the town there would always be several cafes open. Some never close.

My favourite cafe/bar is the Cervajaria Brico which is sometimes called the orange tree cafe. The location of this very busy and friendly cafe is on Rua 25 Abril and the outside seating is in a courtyard filled with orange trees. It doesn't matter what time of day you drop by you are always shown to a table and welcomed by very friendly staff.

From 7am until 10am a visit to the cervajaria is particular pleasant as the town of Lagos is still sleeping apart from a very weary few. The bitter aroma of coffee beans roasting and freshly baked bread rising is a wonderful sensation to one's nostrils, indeed. A milky galao served in a glass is a nice way to start the day before the red hot sun rises. At this time of day you can smell the sweet perfume of the orange trees as the night's heavy dew slowly dries from the trees leaves. From 10am onwards people slowly awake and it is great fun to watch visitors and locals tumble slowly through the pretty rua.

Lunch times are a lot of fun here also as the cafe has a great selection of snacks and a thirst quenching selection of drinks from feshly squeezed orange juice, ice-cold Sagres or Super Bock beers, chilled honey coloured white wine or full bodied reds from the Alentejo.

Snacks vary from toasties of different varieties, bifanas (thinly sliced pork fried in olive oil and garlic), omelettes, fresh salads, steak sandwiches, prawns cooked in garlic butter and even pork alentejano which is a delicious dish made from cubed pork loin cooked in the oven with diced roasted potatoes, garlic, onions, white wine, fresh tomates, coriander and clams are added near to the end of cooking. The sauce is delicious, thick and tomatoey with just the right amount of garlic and coriander and the pork melts in your mouth as it slides off the fork on to your tongue.

Check out the tuna salad - boring it may sound but boring it is not. The reason I always order this for a lunch time meal is because I love the way it arrives on the table. The salad is artistically displayed on a plate with alternate leaves of lettuce, rings of sliced onions, tomatoes, egg, olives and then in the centre of the plate is a bed of flaked tuna. This is dressed with olive oil and rock salt and a little grated carrot to add an extra burst of colour. Extremely colourful and filling.

If you have room left then I suggest you take a look at the ice cream menu. There is a wide variety to choose from. Sometimes I visit the cafe just to have an ice cream instead of a meal. Gelado is the word for ice cream in Portuguese and there are many different varieties like, coffee, chocolate, strawberry, raspberry, pistachio, almond, walnut, vanilla. You can choose just one flavour or have a dollop of each served with fresh wafers in a long glass dish with a long handled spoon.

Special ice cream concoctions are usually on the lines of a Knickerbocker Glory and come served in a very tall ice cream glass. The one I always choose is named after the cafe - Brico and it is a mixture of fresh fruit (grapes, melon and strawberries) in the base covered with a few drops of brandy, 3 scoops of ice cream (vanilla, strawberry and raspberry), peach melba sauce, softly whipped fresh cream and flaked almonds on the top. A fan shaped wafer is placed strategically at the top of the dish to give the overall appearance an art deco look. Very pretty to look at and absolutely enjoyable to eat. The speed I eat ice cream is very slow so eating this creative dish would probably take me about 40 minutes which in that time the ice cream will have melted and all the flavours blended together making it absolutely delicious.

Depending on the time of year I recommend fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream. Portuguese strawberries are so different from Spanish strawberries. They are a lot smaller and really sweet tasting and very soft. In the Cervajaria Brico they are served in a long glass dish, with ice cream scooped on the top and fresh cream piped at the sides. Such a delicate taste of fruit mingled with the essence of vanilla. Another wonderful combination.

Well, I hope this has given you some ideas of what you can expect if you take time to visit the cafe under the orange trees when you are in Lagos town. Remember, to choose a table under the orange trees where you can relax in a friendly atmosphere and take in everyday scenes of people milling about.

Summary: The best Cervajaria in Lagos