Where to Eat in Manta Rota and Altura: Beach Restaurants

Manta Rota and Altura are two beaches in the eastern Algarve, each about 10 minutes by car from Cacela Velha. This guide gathers the restaurants I could confirm something about in dated sources, with what they say and what I could not confirm. It is not a ranking, and I did not visit the restaurants for this article.

Quick answer

• Driving distances from Cacela Velha: 3.8 km and 9 minutes to Manta Rota beach, and 6.1 to 6.6 km and 9 to 10 minutes to Rua da Alagoa in Altura (OSRM, 27 October 2026).
• Hours from official websites (checked on 27 October 2026): Chá com Água Salgada is open 12:00 to 22:00 and closed on Wednesday; O Finalmente is open 12:30 to 14:30 and 18:30 to 21:00, closed on Thursday and, on Wednesday and Sunday, at dinner.
• Altura: A Chaminé (Avenida 24 de Junho 17) and Churrasqueira da Praia (Rua da Alagoa 146), according to Tripadvisor.
• Água Salgada Marisqueira is in Tavira, not in Altura (see below).
• Not confirmed: current hours and prices for the other restaurants.

How to choose

This is my own suggestion, based on what the sources say:

• Lunch on the beach, booking by phone: Chá com Água Salgada.
• Razor clam rice and feijoada in a family restaurant: O Finalmente.
• Pizza or grills by the quay: Mamma Lucia or O Pangaio.
• In Altura, fish and cataplana: A Chaminé; roast chicken: Churrasqueira da Praia.

Manta Rota

Chá com Água Salgada

It is on Manta Rota beach. According to the restaurant's website: open every day 12:00 to 22:00, closed on Wednesday, with bookings by phone (+351 281 952 856) (Chá com Água Salgada, 27 October 2026). On Tripadvisor it has 4.4 out of 5, from 720 reviews (27 October 2026). Listing on this site: Chá com Água Salgada.

O Finalmente

According to Postal (8 May 2026), it started in 1978 as a beach bar and now serves Algarve and Mediterranean cooking in Largo do Mercado; the specialities mentioned are razor clam rice and feijoada, with grilled sea bream and sea bass in high season, dishes to share, and vegetarian and vegan options (Postal). Its website gives the hours above, the phone +351 910 008 066 and online booking with a card deposit, non-refundable in case of a no-show (O Finalmente). On Tripadvisor: 3.7 out of 5, from 429 reviews. It has no listing on this site.

O Pangaio

According to the listing on this site, it is a grill restaurant with a covered terrace by the quay, with no current source. On Tripadvisor it has 3.3 out of 5, from 76 reviews (27 October 2026). Listing: O Pangaio.

Pizzeria Mamma Lucia

According to the listing on this site, it is an Italian pizzeria with handmade pasta and pizzas, with no current source. On Tripadvisor it has 3.6 out of 5, from 107 reviews. Listing: Pizzeria Mamma Lucia.

Altura

A Chaminé

According to Tripadvisor, it is at Avenida 24 de Junho 17, Altura, phone +351 281 950 100, with 3.9 out of 5 from 727 reviews (Tripadvisor, 27 October 2026). The listing on this site mentions a family restaurant open since 1981, with fresh fish, stuffed sole, grilled tuna and cataplanas, with no current source. Listing: A Chaminé.

Churrasqueira da Praia

According to Tripadvisor, it is at Rua da Alagoa 146, serves barbecue with table service and takeaway and has no published hours; it has 3.0 out of 5 from 57 reviews (Tripadvisor, 27 October 2026). The listing on this site mentions roast chicken and grilled fish. Listing: Churrasqueira da Praia.

Ti'luís

The listing on this site mentions the fish "rodízio". On Tripadvisor it has 3.4 out of 5 from only 20 reviews; I found no other sources. Listing: Ti'luís.

Looking for "Água Salgada" in Altura?

The Água Salgada seafood restaurant I found is in Tavira, in the Municipal Market, shop 9, according to Visit Tavira (27 October 2026), and I found none in Altura. It is not Chá com Água Salgada, which is in Manta Rota. Listing: Água Salgada Marisqueira.

Other names on the Tripadvisor lists

• Manta Rota (list, 27 October 2026): Restaurante Manta Rota (Mediterranean, 4.0 out of 5), A Proa (Portuguese, 3.8) and Dona Lota (seafood, 4.9, with 20 reviews).
• Altura (list, 27 October 2026): Restaurante Dom Rodrigo (Portuguese, 4.3), Bate Que Eu Abro (seafood, 4.2), Restaurante das Mares (seafood, 4.0) and Uca Restaurante (seafood, 4.4, with 20 reviews).

I have not checked them and they are not my recommendations.

Before you go

• Book in July and August, and wherever the website requires it.
• Check hours and closing days: I only read the two websites above.
• Read recent reviews. Listings change.

Nearby

• Restaurants in the area: Manta Rota and Altura; at Praia do Cabeço, Sem Espinhas Cabeço.
• More guides: where to eat in Cabanas de Tavira, where to eat in Cacela Velha and what to visit in Manta Rota.

Where to stay

• Manta Rota: accommodation guide · Booking.com.
• Altura: accommodation guide · Booking.com.
• Cacela Velha: Booking.com · Compare the areas in where to stay near Cacela Velha · Hotels.com · Vrbo.

Sources

• Restaurant websites (27 October 2026): Chá com Água Salgada and O Finalmente. Postal: O Finalmente in Manta Rota (8 May 2026).
• Tripadvisor (27 October 2026): Manta Rota, Altura, A Chaminé, Churrasqueira da Praia and O Pangaio. Visit Tavira: Marisqueira Água Salgada.
• Distances: OSRM.
• Photographs: Vitor Oliveira (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.