A six-course journey through six decades of Algarve hospitality
Vilalara Grand Hotel Algarve is marking its 60th anniversary with an intimate dinner at the Gaivotas restaurant on May 23, overlooking the cliffs where founder George Ansley first imagined the resort in the 1960s.
Under chef Diogo Pereira, the evening revisits the hotel’s early years through a menu inspired by the flavours and atmosphere of each decade. Limited to 32 guests, the dinner combines archive footage and storytelling with dishes rooted in Algarve produce, seafood and Atlantic flavours.
The six-course menu includes a prawn cocktail inspired by the 1970s, sole à la Meunière from the 1980s and duck breast with red berries recalling the 1990s, alongside desserts reflecting the hotel’s more contemporary culinary direction.
Beginning at 7pm, the guest of honour is Lara Beirão da Veiga, granddaughter of George Ansley and the inspiration behind the name Vilalara.
The event marks the start of a wider programme celebrating the hotel’s 60th anniversary throughout 2026, with experiences focused on gastronomy, well-being and culture.
“Vilalara was born from a very special relationship with this landscape and with a more discreet Algarve, long before the destination became what it is today,” said Jorge Moura, F&B manager at Vilalara Grand Hotel Algarve. “This season was not designed to celebrate nostalgia, but to revisit what has always defined the hotel. Discretion, time, silence and a way of welcoming guests that has never needed explaining. Throughout the year, we want to continue this conversation through different experiences linked to gastronomy, well-being, culture and the very history of Vilalara.”
Set on the cliffs of Porches with direct access to Praia das Gaivotas, the hotel remains one of the Algarve’s longest-standing luxury retreats and is home to Coral, recently recommended in the Michelin Guide Portugal 2026.
Bookings are required and priced at €160 per person. More information is available on Vilalara Grand Hotel Algarve, or by contacting [email protected] or +351 282 320 000.
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