Golden hour at Austa
In Southern Portugal’s small town of Almancil, Austa – pronounced ‘oss-tá – sits tucked away in a setting perfectly designed for golden hour. Both inside the restaurant and across its vast terrace, the space is a haven of muted colours and pared-back design very much in keeping with its ethos of simplicity and provenance. Opened back in August 2023 by founders, Emma and David, through Austa their mission is to celebrate smaller, independent projects and producers, creating a community in doing so.
Crafted by head chef, David Barata, the menu changes each season to reflect the best ingredients from land – they have their own on-site vegetable garden – and sea . From bite-sized snacks to larger mains, everything is designed for sharing, which is just as well because we wanted to try everything listed. Soon after we’d made our decision, delicious cocktails arrived alongside springy sourdough and cultured butter. Things were off to a flying start, especially once we started tucking into some puntilithas with garden herb and a moreish lemon mayo. Next up came perfectly crisp deep fried aubergine bites, each sitting on top of a dollop of creamy homemade smoked labneh followed by some fabulous looking and even better tasting Ria Formosa oysters with fennel and chilli.
Onto our mains, the line caught croaker with courgette and basil was wonderfully delicate in texture but rich in flavour. One of the evening’s standout dishes for me was the Maldonado belotta pork presa with sprouting broccoli, while the season’s first tomatoes and some roast spiced potatoes were perfect accompaniments. To finish, a dessert simply named ‘bread’ had my name written all over it. Despite being an ice cream based dessert, it was toasty and warming. The perfect juxtaposition.
A wonderful place that brings a breath of fresh air to the Algarve’s restaurant scene, Austa is somewhere I’m torn between shouting about and wanting to keep all to myself. Open from breakfast through to dinner, whenever you choose to go, prepare to sit back and savour a marriage of food and design at its very best.
