Hotspots Algarve: the New Michelin?

Yesterday, I wrote a rather critical column about Michelin. Only 26 restaurants in the entire Algarve are recommended by the famous French guide. Not a single Bib Gourmand. After personally visiting around 800 restaurants, I find that difficult to understand.

Then Robert Besseling left a comment: “Hotspots, the serious alternative for the old-fashioned Michelin!”

I smiled. But it also made me think. Perhaps he has a point.

Michelin has stars, inspectors, a history of more than a century and an international reputation. We have something else. Curiosity, independence, a camera, an appetite and a genuine love for restaurants and the people behind them.

I don’t visit restaurants to find fault. I visit them hoping to discover something wonderful. A passionate chef, a family business, a waitress who remembers your name, or a little bistro where you eat like a king for €25.

And unlike Michelin, I don’t believe that a restaurant needs white tablecloths, expensive wines or a famous chef to be exceptional.

Our upcoming Hotspots Algarve Top 500 is not about luxury. It’s about places worth visiting. From a €12 lunch to a €275 tasting menu. Good food, friendly service, atmosphere and value for money. Restaurants where you leave happier than when you arrived.

Of course, Michelin and Hotspots are different. Michelin awards stars. We share experiences. Michelin has anonymous inspectors. I prefer to introduce myself after dinner, talk to the chef, meet the owners and understand their story.

And perhaps that’s the biggest difference. I’m not particularly interested in judging restaurants. I’m interested in discovering them, understanding them and helping other people enjoy them.

So, is Hotspots Algarve becoming an alternative to Michelin?

I don’t know. And frankly, that was never the ambition.

But if our recommendations help people discover wonderful restaurants, and help passionate restaurant owners fill a few more tables, then we’re doing something worthwhile.

Because a restaurant without guests is just a kitchen.

And a restaurant guide without readers is just a list.

Fortunately, we have plenty of both.

Thank you, Robert. You made my day.