Hello and welcome to Food Neighborhoods on Monocle Radio.
I'm Monica Lillis and once again we're taking you to the places locals love for their food and drink.
This week we head to Portugal's Algarve and to Lagos, a busy summer tourist destination known for its golden beaches and limestone cliffs.
Here, Angelica Jopson takes us for a walk through town in the quieter months for the best spots to enjoy the delicious simplicity of the local cuisine.
It's early the the winter sun is just starting to warm up the flecked black and white mosaics that line the streets of Lagos.
Old Town Calsada, Portuguesa or simply Calcada, small pieces of basalt and limestone, hand laid and arranged in patterns, is an iconic element of Portuguese urban design.
It became widespread after the rebuilding of lisbon following the 1755 earthquake and tsunami that flattened the Portuguese capital and changed the trajectory of the country.
The devastation reached all the way down to the southernmost tip of the Algarve coast and into North Africa, hitting Lagos itself with water said to reach the top of the city walls.
Today, the main square, Prasa Gilens, features concentric circles of Calsada.
Elsewhere, you'll see lines and squares and sharp edged oblongs.
Near the statue of Sun Gonzalo, patron saint of Lagos, who stands on the edge of the old town overlooking the ocean, you can see wave patterns paying homage to the town's 2,000 year old maritime and fishing history.
But it's not fish I'm after, not just yet.
It's coffee and pastries.
A 10 minute walk from our patron saint and you'll find yourself outside of the fresh white walls of Padaria Central, which translates simply as Central Bakery.
It's been family run since 1926.
At the entrance is a small machine.
Press for a ticket and then thrust your eyes up to the screen and wait.
Inside, you'll find two long counters filled with breads, empanadas, croquettes, as well as sweet pastries, cookies and cakes.
And the object of my current desire.
In any Portuguese neighbourhood, I feel it's vital to know where to find the best pastel De nada.