New Supermarkets

You may have seen on the Carvoeiro forum that not one but two new supermarkets are planned near Lagoa this year - a Continente in the way in on the site of that usually empty hardware store and an Apollonia by Lidl. This should be useful as we will be able to stock up in the first and treat ourselves in the Waitrose style second. Not sure all the Pingu will survive. Is this all for the better and shows the area is prospering?

 

Well Apolonia is fully functional as it was in June when we were last out having only been open then for just a few days. On this latest trip we have tended to make it our supermarket of choice. Excellent parking, extremely well stocked and the wine section is just amazing. All the staff speak good English, are most helpful and you never have to wait at the checkouts. Possibly a little more expensive than some of the others but it largely depends on what you buy. If you are looking for your usual UK brands then yes it is expensive. But hey! Who goes abroad to eat and drink the same things as you can in the UK?

 

We'll probably have a look at Apolonia when we come out at the end of the month, but we don't usually seek out UK brands, and we've been happy with a combination of Aldi, Pingo Doce and Intermarche up until now.

 

It sounds good Tom. Pat and I are going to try it out tomorrow. We try not to buy UK brands when we are out here.

 

We went twice this month and not used before. Not full of British brands at all. You can easily spend a lot as there are many temptations, particularly in the deli areas. However the quality is high and the service higher as there so many good staff. The fish counter staff even spent some time advising what bait to use on which beach! Very much a Waitrose style retailer. There seem to be a number of smart openings recently with here and the Terroir Wine Bar. Also just opened is the Earth Café in the side road opposite Primavera which was very pleasant. All this type of investment in the area shows a good degree of economic confidence which is reassuring.

 

Yes there does seem to be a lot more confidence around. Where is the Terroir Wine Bar?

 

It's opposite Villa Medici at the top of restaurant hill in Carvoeiro. Has a wide range of Portugese wines they will let you taste until you find one you want. Also has small and large tasty tapas. Pleasant venue and sometimes we just have a drink outside. You can also buy bottles to take away. Its a firm favourite now and lots of reviews on Tripadvisor. They own the new Earth Café nearby that also stocks their wines.