Vila Joya in Albufeira, Portugal, is one of the best culinary hotels in the world, best known for its two-star Michelin restaurant.
This small luxury hotel is located on a cliff above the beaches of Galé and truly lives up to its slogan ‘feels like home, tastes like paradise’. From the moment you enter this green oasis by the ocean, you are greeted by the most welcoming and friendly staff that truly makes you feel at home.
They greet you with a ‘Welcome Home!’, address you by name, and immediately make you feel welcome and special. It’s incomparable to most other fancy restaurants we have ever been to, where the atmosphere is usually very formal and often even snobbish. Vila Joya, however, feels cozy and even homey, and the friendliness of the staff is without compare.
We recently dined at the Vila Joya Michelin Restaurant in Algarve and in this article, I share our experience and what you can expect.
Just in case you wonder, this is not a sponsored review and it’s not endorsed by the restaurant in any way. We paid the full price (and yes, it was our most expensive dining experience ever). You can find prices and practical information further below.
Vila Joya Restaurant
Vila Joya’s restaurant is a fine dining experience led by Austrian chef Dieter Koschina since 1991. He was awarded his first Michelin star in 1995, and the second one in 1999 (and has kept them ever since!).
Vila Joya was the first restaurant in Portugal to receive two Michelin stars. It has also been featured in the famous ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ list multiple times.
What sets this restaurant apart even among Michelin-star restaurants is that the chef and his team create a new menu every single day. And that for more than two decades!
Furthermore, the setting is stunning with the restaurant’s terrace offering lovely views of the Atlantic Ocean. In the fall, you can enjoy spectacular sunsets from here (in the summer, the sun sets a bit too far to the west, but the colors of the sky are still stunning).
What to Expect
As you can imagine, dining at a restaurant like Vila Joya is a culinary experience at the highest level. It’s a true gourmet cuisine where all food is prepared with incredible attention to detail and beautifully presented. Every dish is unique and every bite is full of flavor.
We have dined at some Michelin-star restaurants before, but it’s rare to find such an impressive variety of flavors and aromas in every single bite as at Vila Joya.
In addition, they give as much attention to the drinks as to the food. Before dinner, you can have some amazing cocktails – be sure to try some of their unique creations rather than ordering a cocktail you already know! You can also opt for a Portuguese wine-pairing menu or choose a bottle or two from an impressive wine list.
Good to know: There is no à la carte menu at Vila Joya. Whether you come here for lunch or dinner, you will be served a set menu that consists of four courses. In addition, there are so many little surprise dishes in between that you will quickly lose count. Let’s just say that you won’t be going home hungry.
TIP: If you are looking for a much more affordable restaurant experience at Vila Joya, they also have a restaurant down by the beach, close to Praia da Galé. It’s called Vila Joya SEA and has a different concept every year. We still didn’t find the time to get there, but it looks amazing as well.
Opening Times
Vila Joya is open daily in the high season, from March to November.
Lunch sitting at the restaurant is at 1 pm and dinner is at 7.30 pm. If you want to have a cocktail before dinner, they recommend arriving at 7 pm.
Dress Code
The dress code at Vila Joya’s Michelin Restaurant is smart elegant.
Beach- and sportswear are not acceptable and you shouldn’t show up in shorts at dinner even if it’s 35°C (we asked ;)). At lunch, you might be ok in a very nice summer outfit, but dinner is a bit more formal.
When we were there, most men wore long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and smart shoes. Most women wore nice dresses or long skirts.
How Expensive is Vila Joya Michelin Restaurant
Fine dining in a paradise-like setting comes with a high price tag. At the moment, the price for a set menu for lunch or dinner is 250 euros, excluding drinks.
Wine pairing is 145 euros and if you prefer to choose wine by the bottle, prices start from around 90 euros and up to 10.000… Cocktails cost about 25-30 euros.
Since the wine list looked overwhelming, we opted for wine pairing with our dinner. They are very generous with the wine, so be sure to take a taxi to the restaurant if you are not staying at their hotel.
The entire Vila Joya Michelin Restaurant experience for 2 (with cocktails, dinner, wine pairing, and water) cost us 855 euros. This does not include tips, which are kind of expected in Algarve.
How to Reserve a Table
Since most Vila Joya hotel guests dine at the Michelin restaurant every evening, they have very few tables available for dinner for non-resident guests. Because of this, it’s much easier to secure a reservation at this restaurant for lunch than for dinner.
If, however, you absolutely want to come here for dinner, you should book at least a few weeks in advance (and be very flexible). Alternatively, if you want to dine here on a specific date, book several months ahead.
You can make a reservation by filling in a form on their website or by phone. See this page for more information. You will need to guarantee your reservation with a credit card.
Good to know: The biggest table size at Restaurant Vila Joya is for 6 people.
Is It Worth It?
Having to make reservations weeks or even months in advance and having an expensive set menu without being able to choose what you eat, you may be wondering if Vila Joya restaurant is worth it…
I guess the answer depends on your expectations and your budget. But…
If you like gourmet food, are looking for a fine dining experience in a paradise-like setting, and money is not a concern, then yes, Vila Joya Michelin restaurant is absolutely worth it. It’s the best restaurant in Algarve, the food is out of this world, and the service is impeccable. The entire Vila Joya team goes above and beyond to make sure you have the best possible experience.
We both absolutely loved it and are hoping to return again next summer!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO READ: Best Restaurants in Albufeira (much more affordable ;))
More travel inspiration for Albufeira and the Algarve region:
- ALBUFEIRA:
- ALGARVE:
- …For many more destinations all over Algarve and Portugal in general, please see our Portugal travel guide.
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Shari Cassel
Monday 5th of August 2024
I loved your article about this restaurant. I am so happy you were able to go there. What an experience! Thank you for sharing. Looks like a dinner of a lifetime!
Shari Cassel
Monday 5th of August 2024
@Jurga, I couldn’t agree more. With age comes wisdom and the things that were important to me in my 20s seem silly now! Quality over quantity!
Jurga
Monday 5th of August 2024
Thank you, Shari. Yes, indeed, it was a great experience and one we hope to repeat one day! As one of my (older and wiser) friends told me years ago, there is no bigger pleasure in life than a truly good meal, and it's better to drink a glass of a really good wine than a bottle of mediocre... I'm starting to appreciate it better now.