Vila Vita Parc expands beyond the resort with a fire-led dining concept inspired by Algarve produce and Mediterranean flavours
Vila Vita Parc has expanded its culinary portfolio with the opening of CIRO in Guia this summer with a concept built around Mediterranean cooking over fire, bringing together Portuguese and Algarve influences with flavours and techniques from across the region.
The new restaurant places the grill and open flame at the heart of the experience, using fire in different ways throughout the menu to bring smoke, depth and intensity to seasonal ingredients.
“The Algarve has always had the ingredients, a deep connection to fire and a culinary culture rooted in generations,” explains Kurt Gillig, managing director of Vila Vita Parc. “CIRO is our way of honouring that, with a Mediterranean fire-cooking concept and a distinctive atmosphere – not to reinvent anything, but to give the Algarve’s culinary tradition the attention it deserves.”
The opening also brings a new dining concept to Guia, a town already strongly associated with its culinary traditions, particularly the famous frango piri piri. According to Gillig, part of the intention behind CIRO is to encourage diners to see Guia as a destination in its own right.
“We want it to become a destination of choice, where people come to Guia for lunch and dinner, rather than just passing through,” he says.
At the helm of the kitchen is chef Francisco Barbosa, whose career has taken him from Musa and Taberna do Calhau in Lisbon to Londrino – chef Leandro Carreira’s London restaurant – as well as the Jamie Oliver group in the British capital. At CIRO, his approach focuses on seasonality and produce, using the grill and open flame to add smoky depth and intensity to the ingredients.
Designed for sharing, the experience moves between vibrant Mediterranean flavours and Portuguese ingredients, with fire appearing in different forms throughout the menu. The bread course sets the tone, pairing sourdough with rich smoked butter or baba ganoush with roasted peppers.
Among the starters, delicate white sea bream crudo is served with olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade, smoked crème fraîche, salted nectarines and fresh mint, whilst cured mackerel comes with punchy horseradish and plum romesco. Succulent tiger prawns are accompanied by a rich bisque, crispy shoestring potato and lemon, whilst organic carrots are paired with creamy sunflower seed cream and aromatic dukkah.
The influence of the grill becomes even more pronounced in the main courses. Squid is paired with sautéed spinach and turnip, finished with vinaigrette and a fresh dill and lemon sauce, whilst Iberian pork presa comes with hearty oven-baked rice dotted with Portuguese cured meats, parsley, pickled shallot and cornichons. A juicy beef skewer brings together guanciale, harissa and chimichurri with celery toffee and triple-cooked fries, whilst the impressive Tomahawk is kept relatively simple with CIRO’s signature sauce and chips.
Guia’s most famous culinary tradition inevitably finds its way onto the menu as well. CIRO-style chicken takes the familiar local staple in a different direction: half a boneless chicken is served with the restaurant’s chilli oil, watercress, fresh coriander tzatziki and yoghurt bread. Rather than reproducing traditional frango da Guia, the dish reflects the restaurant’s broader Mediterranean approach whilst acknowledging its location.
The menu also makes room for vegetable-led dishes, such as roasted aubergine with creamy tahini emulsion, crunchy seed granola, chilli oil and sumac. Sides include a comforting cauliflower gratin with leeks and São Jorge cheese, and fragrant Mediterranean rice with pine nuts.
The open flame also finds its way into the desserts, with juicy grilled peaches paired with honey, balsamic vinegar, thyme, silky vanilla mousse and cinnamon sponge cake. A creamy mascarpone semifreddo combines Frangelico-soaked sponge with distinctly Portuguese carob, coffee and orange, whilst the baked goat’s cheese tart is finished with a touch of fleur de sel.
Behind the bar, the fire theme takes a playful turn with cocktails such as the Piña de Fuego, a tropical combination of Capucana cachaça, smoky grilled pineapple, toasted coconut, lime juice and ginger foam.
With 120 seats, CIRO is spread across two dining rooms on separate floors, alongside two bars, a terrace and two courtyards. The layout reflects the restaurant’s emphasis on convivial dining, with a menu intended as much for sharing around the table as for exploring the different ways in which ingredients respond to fire.
CIRO is open for lunch from 12.30pm to 5pm and dinner from 6pm to 10.30pm.
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