That's where we had a coffee and made the decision that we had to buy a holiday home in the Algarve rather than the Costa Brava. The beach did it for us - deep blue sky, turquoise sea, white crashing waves and fine pale sand with hardly a soul on it. Aaah - can't wait to get back there!

We go to Sao Rafael beach a lot and have had drinks and ice creams from the cafe but never had a meal so can't tell you what the food's like. Like all the beach bars, it's very smart and new in the last few years. The locals tend to resent them, preferring the older traditional ones that were pulled down and replaced, but for tourists they are very good - modern, clean and well kept.

I've heard good reports about the beach restaurant at Castelo (a little further along to the west), but we've only ever had a tosta mista there.