Restaurant in Faro, Portugal
Accessible Algarve cooking with real ambition.
CHECKin by Leonel Pereira is Faro's clearest answer for contemporary dining in the historic centre: a Michelin Plate-recognised restaurant (2024 and 2025) priced at €€, run by an Algarve-born chef in a converted storehouse near the castle. Easy to book, strong value against the broader Portuguese fine-dining market, and a structured menu that rewards the full progression from Check-in through to dessert.
Yes, and you probably can. Booking at CHECKin is notably accessible by the standards of Algarve's serious contemporary dining scene — you are not competing with a months-long waitlist or a reservation lottery. That accessibility is part of the value proposition. This is a Michelin Plate-recognised restaurant in the historic heart of Faro, priced at €€, run by an Algarve-born chef, and the competition at this price point and quality level within the city is thin. If you are spending time in Faro and want a meal that goes beyond grilled fish and tourist menus, CHECKin is the clearest answer on the table.
Book at least one to two weeks in advance if you are visiting in summer or around public holidays. Outside peak season, shorter notice is usually sufficient, but confirming ahead is always worth the effort given the restaurant's recognition and the limited dining options at this standard within Faro itself. There is no firm data on seat count, so treating it as a small to mid-sized room and booking early in your trip planning is the sensible approach.
The physical setting matters here, and not just as backdrop. CHECKin occupies a former cereal and wine storehouse that has been fully remodelled within Faro's historic centre. For a food and travel enthusiast, the spatial context adds genuine depth to the meal: you are eating contemporary Algarvian cooking in a building that once held the agricultural produce of the region, now reimagined as a venue for a chef who grew up in that same region. The remodel strips away any dusty heritage-site affect and replaces it with a space calibrated for contemporary dining.
Faro's old city — the Cidade Velha, enclosed by medieval walls , is a compact, walkable area that sees fewer tourists than it perhaps should, given how well-preserved it is. CHECKin sits within that environment at R. do Castelo 7 and 8, which places it literally in the shadow of the castle district. For visitors staying outside the old town, it is a short walk from the marina and the main pedestrian areas. As a neighbourhood anchor, the restaurant occupies a role beyond just serving dinner: it is one of the clearest signals that Faro's historic centre has a credible food culture worth exploring on its own terms, not just as a stopover before heading to the beach resorts.
Explore more of what Faro has to offer through our full Faro restaurants guide, or check our full Faro hotels guide if you are planning an overnight stay in the city rather than the coastal strip.
Chef Leonel Pereira is from the Algarve, and that local grounding shapes the menu's direction. The cooking is built around seasonal ingredients with a stated focus on creativity and flavour , both of which are confirmed by the Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025. A Michelin Plate does not carry the weight of a star, but it is a meaningful credential: it signals that Michelin's inspectors found cooking worth noting without reservation. At €€ pricing, that represents a clear value position in the Portuguese fine-dining context.
The menu structure itself is worth understanding before you sit down. It is divided into four sections: Check-in (which functions as an opener or snacks course), Cozinhados no Tacho (braised or pot-cooked dishes), Momentos Especiais (the centrepiece courses), and Check-out (desserts). The naming is playful , a riff on the restaurant's own name , but the structure is genuinely useful, signalling that the kitchen thinks in terms of a composed progression rather than a flat list of dishes. For context on how this compares to more elaborate tasting formats in Portugal, look at Belcanto in Lisbon or Vila Joya in Albufeira, both of which operate at a significantly higher price point and formality level.
Michelin's own record for the restaurant specifically calls out the cheesecake with strawberries, lime, meringue and tangerine peel ice-cream as a dish to try. That is a rare and specific endorsement from the guide's editorial notes, not a fabricated recommendation, and the Check-out section is worth saving room for on that basis alone.
For broader reference points in Portuguese contemporary cooking, Ocean in Porches and Antiqvvm in Porto show the range of what serious regional fine dining looks like across the country. CHECKin sits at the accessible end of that spectrum in price, but not in ambition.
CHECKin holds a Google rating of 4.5 from 388 reviews, which is a solid and statistically meaningful score at that volume , not a handful of enthusiast reviews propping up a number, but a consistent signal across a real sample. Combined with consecutive Michelin Plate recognition (2024 and 2025), the venue has earned its position through both critical and popular validation. For a €€ restaurant in a city that is often overlooked in favour of the Algarve's resort towns, that double confirmation is the clearest reason to trust the booking.
You can also see how CHECKin compares against its closest local peer through Pearl's own listing: CHECKin Faro By Leonel Pereira. For another option in the city at a similar level, Alameda is worth considering if CHECKin is fully booked on your date.
If your Algarve itinerary extends beyond Faro, Pearl's guides to Faro bars, Faro wineries, and Faro experiences cover the full picture. For broader Portuguese fine dining context, see also Casa de Chá da Boa Nova in Leça da Palmeira, The Yeatman in Vila Nova de Gaia, Il Gallo d'Oro in Funchal, Fortaleza do Guincho in Cascais, and Ó Balcão in Santarém.
Work through the full menu progression if you can: the Check-in section functions as an opener, while Cozinhados no Tacho covers braised and pot-cooked dishes that reflect the Algarvian pantry. For dessert, Michelin's own guide singles out the cheesecake with strawberries, lime, meringue and tangerine peel ice-cream , that is a specific editorial endorsement from the inspectors, not generic praise, and it is worth ordering. Ask the front-of-house team about seasonal availability when you arrive, as the kitchen's stated focus is on seasonal ingredients.
At €€ pricing with Michelin Plate recognition two years running, CHECKin offers strong value against the broader Portuguese contemporary dining market. You are not paying Belcanto or Ocean prices , both of which sit at €€€€ , but you are eating in a kitchen that Michelin's inspectors found worth flagging. If you are weighing CHECKin against a more expensive option in the Algarve, the price gap is significant and the quality gap is smaller than the price differential suggests. For the Faro visitor specifically, it is the clearest value case in the city for this style of cooking.
No dress code is confirmed in the venue data, but the combination of Michelin recognition, a €€ price point, and a remodelled heritage space in Faro's old city suggests smart casual is the appropriate register. You are not at a Michelin-starred fine-dining room requiring formal dress, but you are also not at a beachside grill. Clean, presentable clothes , what you would wear to a good European bistro or contemporary wine bar , will be appropriate. If in doubt, err slightly toward the smarter end; it is easier to be overdressed than to feel out of place.
No specific dietary policy is confirmed in the available data. Phone and website details are not publicly listed in Pearl's database at this time, so the leading approach is to contact the restaurant directly when making your reservation and state your requirements clearly at the point of booking. Given the structured, progression-based menu format, advance notice of restrictions is more useful here than raising the issue on arrival , it gives the kitchen time to adjust individual courses rather than having to improvise at the table.
Yes, with some caveats on expectations. The combination of a converted historic building, a structured tasting-style progression, Michelin Plate recognition, and an Algarve-born chef cooking seasonal regional food gives the meal a clear sense of occasion. At €€, it is also one of the more affordable ways to mark a celebration in a credible fine-dining setting in southern Portugal. It is better suited to an intimate dinner for two or a small group than a large celebratory party , the space is a remodelled storehouse, not a ballroom. For grander celebration budgets, Vila Joya in Albufeira operates at a higher formality and price level. But for a meaningful, well-cooked meal in Faro's historic centre without a three-month wait or a four-figure bill, CHECKin is the right call.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHECKin by Leonel Pereira | Contemporary | €€ | This charming restaurant occupies a former cereal and wine storehouse which has been completely remodelled in Faro’s historic centre. The cooking of chef Leonel Pereira, a native of the Algarve, is based around seasonal ingredients with a strong focus on creativity and flavour. The menu is divided into different sections: Check-in, Cozinhados no Tacho, Momentos Especiais and Check-out. Make sure you try the cheesecake with strawberries, lime, meringue and tangerine peel ice-cream.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Belcanto | Modern Portugese, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Casa de Chá da Boa Nova | Portugese, Seafood | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Ocean | Contemporary European, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| 50 seconds from Martin Berasategui | Progressive Spanish | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Lab by Sergi Arola | Progressive Spanish, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between CHECKin by Leonel Pereira and alternatives.
The cheesecake with strawberries, lime, meringue and tangerine peel ice-cream is explicitly flagged by Michelin as a dish to seek out — order it. The menu is structured into four sections (Check-in, Cozinhados no Tacho, Momentos Especiais and Check-out), so working through the arc as intended gives you the full picture of what chef Leonel Pereira is doing with Algarvian seasonal produce.
At the €€ price point, CHECKin represents strong value for a Michelin Plate restaurant in the Algarve — you are getting a structured, chef-driven format without the outlay of Ocean or Casa de Chá da Boa Nova. The four-section menu format is designed to be experienced in sequence, so if you prefer à la carte flexibility over a set progression, manage expectations accordingly.
The venue is a fully remodelled historic storehouse in Faro's old city, with a €€ price range and an approachable booking profile — neat, put-together clothes are appropriate, but there is no indication of a formal dress code. Think the kind of effort you would make for a good neighbourhood restaurant, not a black-tie occasion.
The menu emphasises seasonal ingredients and creativity, but no specific dietary accommodation policy is documented in available data for CHECKin. check the venue's official channels before booking — the address is R. do Castelo 7 and 8, 8000-243 Faro, and given the structured menu format, advance notice of restrictions is advisable.
Yes, and at €€ it is one of the more accessible ways to mark an occasion in the Algarve without committing to a full fine-dining spend. The converted storehouse setting in Faro's historic centre gives the meal a sense of place, and the Michelin Plate recognition (2024 and 2025) means the cooking has been independently vetted. For a milestone dinner with a higher budget, Ocean or Casa de Chá da Boa Nova will deliver more ceremony.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
