If you want some great fine dining in Faro, this is where you have to go! Service is amazing and food is delicious. Thank you for a wonderful dinner!

The experience was amazing. The flavours, ambience and the staff made our evening absolutely unforgettable. Can not wait to be back! 🙏🏼

The best food we had in Portugal so far! The work put into these dishes is very high and the chef is very dedicated. It’s a bit on the pricier side (but only for Faro, not compared to Lisbon) but 100% worth it. We’ve been to Italy many times and the food can easily go toe to toe with the best restaurants there. The service is also excellent! 10/10

Delicate well balanced tasty food. Don’t expect your plate to be piled up with pasta. The aromas coming from the kitchen are wonderful.Nice friendly service. Reasonably priced- see copy of bill for a shared starter and 2 mains with gin tonic and a glass of very nice house red from Douro.They also have a 4 course taster menu which was €29 on our evening.

This excellent Italian restaurant is in a quiet side street beyond the row of restaurants and bars near the main bus station. The food approaches gourmet quality. The place is small with 6 tables [we tried to get a table without a reservation on a Friday, made a reservation for Saturday :-) ], the menu has a small number of possibilities for each course, and the portions and pours are small. What is short on quantity is more than made up for on the creative flavors of the dishes. Their bruschetta was not the traditional take. A pumpkin appetizer was excellent, as was the sea bass catch of the day with chick peas. Service was welcoming and helpful. Well worth the visit.

My wife and I chose this restaurant because of its high Trip Advisor reviews. Unfortunately, we left disappointed because of the selection of foods we were served for our tasting menu. We told our waiter not to bring us any pork products. We were served a stuffed pasta with mortadella which we had to send back. It was followed with a tasty yet spaghetti with red sauce and a cheese risotto with a demi-glace. Our final course was a tasty duck breast with a grilled carrot. We were led to believe that we would have some seafood selection. There also was an inordinate amount of waiting time between courses. Because of the chef's choices, we could not give such a high rating.

My favorite food spot in Faro. Can‘t come to this city without going to Mavala. The cuisine is excellent - prepared carefully by the chef. The atmosphere is relaxed and the host, Carlos, makes you feel comfortable from the first second on. The team does a fabulous job. My advice — Ask for the spaghetti with the pistachio and shrimps. :)))

Taste 5/5 The two or three course lunch menu were great! You can feel the chef is using his heart on the authentic Italian food. I like the mushroom appetizer a lot:) Service 5/5. Carlos was very friendly and helpful! Thanks for the great service. Waiting time 5/5. Didn’t have to wait too long and the environment is quiet and relaxing. Portion: 4/5 just the portion is a bit small. It is not the portion of the typical Italian food I had. That was why I gave 4/5. (Maybe because the lunch menu’s setting) 15-19 per person for 2-3 course. Will come back for tiramisu:)

This charming intimate restaurant is a shining star! With four in our party from various parts of the world, pleasing us all is quite the feat. We ordered their 3 corse daily special for the table: tomato starter, shrimp pasta with pistachio, and meatballs with potato salad. Everything is made in-house (including pasta).All four of us were genuinely impressed. This is by far the best food we have had in Portugal. Indeed, the best Italian food we have had outside of Italy. The service was also fantastic. I feel confident that I can promise you a fantastic meal at this brilliant restaurant.

Simply wow! This restaurant is outstanding. Osteria Mavalà is clearly the passion of the owners who operate it. It is small and intimate with beautiful decor and furnishings off the beaten path. The three course lunch and dessert we had were delicious and unique. The quality and presentation are top notch with the waiter and chef both making it a personal experience.

Hands down the best culinary experience I’ve had in Portugal. From the moment I entered the space I felt welcomed and well taken care of. The food is beyond exquisite. Everything I had was perfectly prepared, had amazing flavors, and was visually appealing. Each dish was paired with the perfect wine. For dessert I got the tiramisu which was absolutely heavenly. Thank you to Carlos for your gracious service! You helped create a very pleasurable experience for me. Thank you to the Chef and the rest of the crew for creating such masterpieces!

I stayed in Faro for 1 night and was recommended this restaurant by a friend that was here 3 weeks prior. I am so glad I got the recommendation, it was the best meal I have had in a long time. The quality of the food was outstanding, the pasta was perfectly cooked and I do not know how they can get that much flavour into meatballs. I came with my girlfriend and we split everything, they separated our food onto two beautiful plates for us. Desert was outstanding as well, they are true experts and provided very nice recommendations on wine pairings etc. The Chef came out to see us to make sure everything was perfect, and it was. I am so impressed by this restaurant, if you are in Faro, please go and you will not be disappointed.

The restaurant was fully booked but we were offered a place at the bar to have a tasting menu. We got 10 rounds of the most delicious Italian food and in the meantime had some nice chats with the owners. The ambiance was great, the food was fresh and amazing. Definitely a place to visit when you’re in Faro! It is advisable to make a reservation in advance.

This is officially my fav restaurant! What according to oura We asked for a table for two (last minute decision) no reservation and the restaurant was full. But kindly Carlos offered a tables chef experience by the bar. Best decision ever! We had the opportunity to try a sellection of options prepared by Chef David, a full experience of flavours textures and presentation. All were unique and delicious! And the pesto sauce was mouth-watering! Each dish was presented to us buy the chef or Carlos, explaining the full concept. Carlos kindly suggested an great white wine that goes with our personal taste. Desert! The best ever! Simply Devine! Uau Thank you very much to David & Carlos for making our night and providing a unique experience!

We celebrated our 25th anniversary here and enjoyed the 5 course Chef tasting. I can't imagine it could have been any better. The food was amazing and paired perfectly with a variety of wines. Don't miss this perfect little place if in the area!

Amazing food experience here. Service was just right. Food quality and presentation was out of this world. As for the price normally pay twice as much in the UK.

Wonderful experience and so far the best restaurant I tried in almost a month in Portugal. Great Italian food, fresh pasta and amazing mix of ingredients in original recipes. Experts in wines, excellent service and dedication in gastronomy. I can't recommend more this hidden gem of Faro.

Diner is always a feast at this place but do not forget their lunch ! The ‘Prato do dia’ is a very nice surprise! Price / quality undoubtedly the BEST in Faro !

Superb. You will miss out on a top notch culinary experience if you do not go. Chef could have a Michlin star. Chef really cares about everyone having a wonderful experience and loving the food. It is delicious. Top notch. Quality. They are attentive. They change their menu about twice per week and work with fresh ingredients. They have a tasting menu that is 100% worth it. Given the quality and presentation, the food could totally have a Michlin star. Don't miss out on this hidden gem! :) Also, it doesn't have to be expensive, you can order an amazing pasta dish for 14 euros!:) Grazie mille! P.S. Had a most wonderful lambrusco that was not sweet and dark like red wine. Amazing. Best of both worlds (bubbles and red). Hadn't had such a good one for years. P.P.S. Also lovely appropriate Italian music in the background, not too loud, not soo soft, perfectly period piece. P.P.P.S I forgot to take some pictures as I was so in the moment :)

The tasting menu is just AMAZING! loved it

Highly recommend eating here. Thank you Google Reviewers for suggesting this fabulous restaurant in Faro Old Town. I arrived on Saturday 4th June in Faro wanting to visit this restaurant based on Google's recommendation. Unfortunately I arrived just after 3pm and so lunch was no longer being served. I knew I would be coming back into Faro the following Saturday so the 11th June. I was welcomed by the head waiter and we discussed the options on the menu. I was pleased to be catered for as a vegetarian. My meal was outstanding and lovely cool place to restore my energy away from the heat of the day. I enjoyed a caprese salad and a lovely pasta dish and desert. Accompanied by an excellent pairing of wine with the meal.

Absolutely fantastic place! Service and food was world class, and to find such a place in Faro was utterly surprising - the food was amongst the best I've had anywhere. I would definitely recommend getting the tasting menu and letting the chef and sommelier take care of you - they truly know their craft! 10/10

I had the risotto with mushrooms and was really delicious, delicate and easy to digest! Just wished my plate was bigger 😄! Also enjoyed very much the focaccia that was served while I was waiting. Loved the espresso too! Truly Italian quality food. Great service as well!! Amazing experience 👍

Authentic Italian run restaurant, good service. Carefully thought out and tasty modern Italian dishes.

I came to this restaurant by chance and was not disappointed. Everything deserves 5 stars, the service, the food, the atmosphere etc! Yes the portion are not ‘massive’ but the taste is delicate and will stay with you long after. Anyway if you finish with a tiramisu ( dont share it, trust me u wont regret it) you will not leave hungry but extremely satisfied.

Had dinner here yesterday and we ordered the 3 course dinner menu together with a wine pairing and for our daughter the tagliatelle with veal ragout. Food and drink was excellent!

Second time visiting Mavala Osteria. Just as good as the first time if not better. Proper Italian food cooked by Italians. I challenge you to find a better Italian restaurant in the central Algarve . Great friendly service and a very interesting wine list made up of portuguese and Italian wines with some great natural wines thrown in the mix too. This place has been here for 5 years and post covid will continue to thrive . Thanks Guys

Excellent food. Great hosts.

Amazing authentic Italian food. We enjoyed the 5 course menu which was a surprise by the cook. Each course was explained in detail by the waiter. Best dinner we had in two weeks of visiting many cities in Portugal.