Portimão is primarily a sardine town, and the best eating here reflects that. Grilled sardines, properly fresh, are a different creature from the tinned or frozen versions that travel — the season runs from June to September when the fish are fat and full of flavour. Cataplana (seafood or pork stew cooked in a hinged copper pan) is the Algarve's signature dish and worth ordering at a restaurant that makes it properly.