Overlooking Meia Praia on Rua Ruy Belo, Est. da Meia Praia in Lagos, Emocean’s Brazilian fusion dishes are packed full of flavour and flair, making for a memorable dining experience.

A picturesque location had to come with a dream concept, which Emocean Restaurant pulls off brilliantly despite only being open since July.

Emocean exemplifies passion for cooking with their beautifully curated dishes as well as boasting an impressive and attentive service. This symbiosis between kitchen and service is what makes Emocean the perfect place for family and friends to gather.

Emocean Restaurant owner, Sebastian Lang is an internationally acclaimed F&B Manager and together with his wife, Marina, a Holistic Health Coach who has grown up in the world of gastronomy, Lagos was the perfect place to realise their vision of new age gastronomy.


Passion

Emocean has a committed and friendly team who are passionate about providing their guests with an extraordinary experience where timeless memories are created.

Their Brazilian kitchen team is headed by an exceptional Brazilian chef that brings guests an authentic Brazilian gastronomic experience, in which Sebastian compliments through his European touch, having 16 years of experience in Hospitality Management.

I was assured that the vibrant menu was curated by the whole team, in which they only use the best local produce which is reinforced by having a smaller menu which only focuses on fresh and seasonal dishes. Their delightful menu is the “best of both worlds” in the way they have made sure there is something for everyone, with meat, fish and vegan dishes. They also affirmed that they cater to families and can make any celebration that much more special as it is always tailored to the guests needs.

Sebastian is passionate about the beauty of hospitality management which is why the atmosphere and service is to the highest degree. “In Germany the philosophy we had at the time was “if you want to have a successful hospitality management, the work environment is really important, it starts at the bottom all the way to the top and we are a family.”

Sebastian Lang and his wife, Marina, opened Emocean on the 13th of July, following moving to the Algarve from Germany, sharing that they “want guests to have a second home and I know it sounds very abstract but it is the kind of feeling we want to give people here at Emocean. This is also why we decided on the name Emocean, obviously because of ocean but the food and cocktails that are made are all filled with emotion and this is the feeling we want to give to the guest as well.”

Delightful experience

When we arrived, Sebastian and Marina, warmly welcomed us into their new restaurant, the classic décor and atmosphere set the scene for what was going to be a delightful culinary experience.

I was ready to see for myself, if their impressive ethos and attentive service was reflected in the cuisine. I can say that I was not left disappointed and far from it, what a fantastic experience all round, with all of the dishes appearing like curated art and where your taste buds are sure to be impressed.

We were served a complimentary platter with an array of delicious deep-fried meat and vegan tarr tarr, which were cooked beautifully and were not oily. This platter of goodness also went really well with the aioli and spicy mustard served with it.

For starters, my partner had the Beef Carpaccio with a Cipriani sauce, arugula on homemade toast which he loved. I had a trio of bruschetta’s, one with crispy prosciutto with honey and brie in rosemary bread, octopus bruschetta with sour cream as well as mozzarella, pesto and cherry tomatoes.

Surprising

I was surprised that octopus could work so well with bruschetta, it was a flavoursome treat. My favourite was however, the perfectly crispy prosciutto on crunchy bread which was balanced with soft and creamy brie with a touch of sweet honey, a perfect combination in my opinion. I thought the overall variation was delicious and the portion sizes were great for casual dining.


My partner had a T-Bone steak with salad and French fries, which was seared and seasoned to perfection and I had one of the most flavoursome fish dishes I have ever tried, Emocean’s red snapper with grilled vegetables and coconut rice was a fusion of heavenly flavours paired with a rich noisette sauce that tasted phenomenal. As you can probably guess, I was left impressed with every bite. To accompany my meal, I had a Moscow mule which was super refreshing with fragrant notes of lime and ginger and I must reveal that they have a detailed cocktail list, which you have got to try for yourself.


For dessert we had a wonderful selection of desserts which included a homemade chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream, cheesecake and the molten gateau of guava.


Despite every course being delicious, my favourite was the dessert Molten Gateau of Guava which was topped with curd cream cheese. It was just so unique and I had never had anything like it before. It completely blew me away. If you like fruity yet sweet desserts, I urge you to try this unique dessert but be warned that you are going to have to be a sweet tooth for this one. Overall, I could not find a single fault, so if you are looking for a wonderfully memorable casual dining experience which is paired with a relaxed atmosphere, then please visit Restaurant Emocean, where their offer is sure to exceed your expectation.

Emocean Restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm to 10pm.

For more information, please visit http://restaurant-emocean.com/ or visit their Instagram @emocean_restaurant. For reservations, please call +351 912 413 729 or email info@restaurant-emocean.com.

Author

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes