W Algarve has announced the launch of six socially-driven bar and dining concepts that will welcome guests when the hotel opens its doors this May.
Acclaimed Portuguese chef Nuno Goncalves will make his return to Portugal after 13 years in London, overseeing dining throughout W Algarve in his new role as Executive Chef. Chef Nuno brings experience developed at some of London’s most iconic restaurants including Quaglino’s, Aqua Shard, Galvin La Chapelle and The Wolseley.
Local, seasonal ingredients will take centre stage in Chef Nuno’s dishes, prepared with the highest level of attention to detail and respect for sustainable and ethical sourcing.
“After an incredible time spent cooking and soaking up the atmosphere in one of the world’s most diverse and cosmopolitan cities, I can’t wait to bring a fresh new flavour to the Algarve,” says Nuno. “W Algarve gives foodies a new reason to visit the southern Portuguese coast, offering a modern twist on flavours from across the globe.”
Forty years after its original opening in the heart of Milan’s fashion district, the legendary Paper Moon will make its Portuguese debut at W Algarve. Sitting atop the hotel with a spectacular terrace, Paper Moon offers panoramic views over the grounds, region and ocean beyond. The sister to the original Milanese restaurant will serve honest Italian cuisine, where fish is the star of the seasonal menu, alongside a selection of fresh salads, pastas and pizzas. Highlights include grilled market fish and crustaceans with Sicilian vegetable caponata, grilled monkfish with Jerusalem artichoke purée, baby fennel and tomato confit, and ricotta gnocchi with courgette cream and langoustine tartare.
At the hotel’s rooftop bar Sea Sky, five signature Mediterranean and Italian-inspired cocktails can be found on the menu, created as pairings to the dishes at adjacent Paper Moon. Unique flavour pairings combine the finest Italian spirits with fresh botanicals – perfect as an aperitif or digestif.
Sophistication is matched with creative mixology at the W Lounge, with an eclectic menu of drinks that will celebrate W’s cocktail culture, as well as distilleries local to the Algarve.
Cocktails are mixed with foraged ingredients and signature Portuguese flavours – from sweet paprika to fig, Pasteis de Belem and seaweed. For wine lovers, W Lounge’s eclectic wine list will feature a mix of the best biodynamic and natural wines, plus a ‘What She Said’ section spotlighting Portugal’s leading female winemakers.
Market Kitchen, meanwhile, will invite guests to indulge in southern Portuguese cuisine with a modern flair, all in laidback, neighbourhood-style surroundings curated by the interior design studio AB Concept. Highlights include soy glazed beef short ribs with apple-jalapeño purée and rosemary crumbs; confit salt cod and fire roasted pepper “Niçoise” salad; and black Iberian double pork chops, piri piri chicken and giant tiger prawns straight from the grill. On Sundays, guests can indulge in a bottomless brunch, with a choice of unlimited Champagne, sparkling wine, beer, or cocktails.
Coastal sunkissed cocktails and nutritious cuisine will await at SIP @ WET, bringing flair and flavour from Asia to the Mediterranean Coast. The venue will offer a fresh take on summer cocktails, inspired by the region and the latest mixology: including Japanese Smuggler (sake, Tanqueray Gin, pea juice, cucumber, wasabi, sesame); Yellow Mary Pepper (Belvedere vodka, yuzu, tomato and pepper water, fish and soy sauce) and Black & Green (lemongrass infused Absolut, liquorice, kiwi, coriander, apple).
Nutritious dishes include buddha bowls, ahi tuna and shoyu salmon poké and Ria Formosa oysters with Algarvian lemons and shallot vinegar. Designed to be enjoyed poolside at the WET deck, guests can refuel with health-inspired quick bites from seabass and shrimp ceviche to cooling vegetable crudités with romesco dip and sea salt.
Champagne sunset deck AIR will be home to an endless array of Cava, Champagne, Prosecco, Franciacorta, Espumante, Port and Moscato. Paying homage to the Tartessian planted vines in the Sado and Tagus valleys, AIR’s fine sparkling selection is best sipped ice cold while the sunsets.
