This restaurant is just amazing. We had a great show because we dined at the chef's special table which is located in the kitchen. The show was really impressive, an experience that you should at least test once in your life!
The meal and service were of course faultless, sometimes we were served by the second cook or one of the other cooks. Chief Dieter Koschina was present that day too. The sommelier and some waiters were French, so we could chat with them. All the staff were really nice and very professional.
The setting is also exceptional, we will come back to enjoy the sea view next time!
It was a totally unforgettable evening.

On Vila Joya at he sea's Facebook pages they describe their new restaurant like this: Vila Joya Sea is the new beach bar and restaurant concept of Vila Joya down by beach. Come and enjoy contemporary fusion foods and crEATive cocktails.
Mmmm, not that correct. We booked two days in advance, came down on the beach to the restaurant, only to wait one and a half hour on our table!!!!, They forgot us, which the head waiter admitted was her problem. Anyway. It's a small bar (mostly a sushi bar), but on the beach with a fabulous sunset. We are regular guest at Vila Joya, been there the last 15 years. But I'm sorry to say that something has happened with the restaurant. You are not included the same way as before. They do not know who you are, still after 15 years of booking (what system are they using?) and we meet new people every year.
Anyway, the menu on the beach restaurant is small. We started with oysters, delicious and fresh and a glas of champagne. When you get the really good things from their kitchen - it's outstanding!
We followed it by a Chirashi Sushi, raw fish on top of rice served in a small bowl. We choose tuna and Sea Bass. Chirashi Sushi is a quite simple and colourful dish for happy occasions. On Vila Joya Seas own Facebook page we could se nice pictures of it, lots of fish on top of a very nice styles bowl of rice. Sorry to say that what we got was not near their own facebook pictures. We got a bowl filled of mostly rice, and four thin sliced fish pieces, lightly styled.The taste was fresh and clean, the way it should be. But fare to little for the price of 43 euro. That's a rip off! Why? Because Vila Joya is much, but certainly NOT a two star Michelin SUSHI restaurant. This quality you will get in any mediocre sushi bar.
After that we had the Flanc Steak, very tender, but salted almost to the crazy, and a salad with gigant prawn. The mini Wagyu burger must be a joke. The name says it all.
We got a wine choose from the head waiter, that was very good. She had worked all day and was tired, but she did the best for us. We had to argue on the bill at the end, because the champagne we got, was promised being free on the house. The head waiter forgot to inform the other waiters, and the champagne came on the bill.
All in all Vila Joya Sea: Better use it as a top class cocktail bar. Now it is placed in the middel of a restaurant and a beach bar. And that's just confusing.
We left Joya Sea and went up to the bar on top in Vila Joya it self. What has happened there? All walls gone white, and white rococo chairs all over??? Where are the soul of the house, the old moorish style. That made Vila Joya a little secret? Please, dont be mainstream, dare to be different. After leaving Vila Joya we both said to our self: Has he paradise gone?

We visited this restaurant while on holidays in the region of Albufeira.
We were greeted by a very friendly staff composed of local and foreign waiters. The setting of the restaurant with its astonishing view of pine trees and a seafront put us in a very good mood.
There is no choice of menu, the chef composes dishes according to availability of seasonal products of the best quality.
We enjoyed three sets of amuse-bouches before our starter that was composed of kingfish in an original "sashimi"-fruity presentation.
Our second dish was a declination of salmon grave-lacks with zucchini and cucumber. The flesh of the fish was particularly tender and the taste was surprisingly sweet.
Our third dish was sole with artichoke and black truffle emulsion.
This one was not a great success. The taste and aromas were really pleasant but I believe too strong for a delicate fish.
We greatly enjoyed the next dish which was a filet of grouper in a mushroom broth. A perfect match between a fish with strong taste and the fine aroma of shimeji mushrooms.
Our meet dish was a perfect finale:
Duckbreast cooked in perfection with beetroot, and raspberry notes.
The chef offered a couple of surprise dishes before our desert. I find it very hard to match a good desert after such a meal and this time imI was pleasantly surprised:
A fraisier with a spicy coulis ( I guess some Espelette chilli). It simply blew the remaining taste buds in our mouths.
The only negative point about this restaurant were the prices of wine.
We enjoyed 2 different Portuguese wines (white and red) that cost us an average 3.5 tines the market price.
Having enjoyed numerous Michelin Star restaurants in the past, I rarely encountered such an overwhelming price difference between market price and restaurant price.
I guess this is the only reason I will give only 4/5 in my global appreciation.