Why this site exists

The problem

I live in the Algarve. The bar question comes up every time someone visits.

"Where should we go tonight?"

I'd send them to the same five spots, and they'd come back saying it was the best drink they had all trip. Meanwhile every guide online was either an SEO content mill listing 47 bars with no opinion, or a single travel blogger's two-day visit from Lisbon.

So I started this. The Algarve has a serious bar scene now. Lagos has a speakeasy that would hold its own in London. Carvoeiro has a cocktail bar that's been running 23 years. Tavira has rooftops nobody talks about because the locals would rather keep it that way.

The point of ArtOnBar is to write down what I'd tell a friend.

How bars get on here

Three ways:

1. I went, I'd send a friend, it's in.
2. Someone I trust went, vouched for it, and I've read enough reviews to back them up.
3. Sometimes a bar pays for a featured listing. When that happens, the page says so at the top. The review itself doesn't change. If a paid bar is bad, the review still says it's bad.

How I make money

Affiliate links to GetYourGuide and Booking.com when those make sense (cocktail classes, hotels near a bar). Featured listings as above. That's it.

No comp drinks. No "we'll review you for €200." I'd rather the site stay slow and honest than fast and full of garbage.

Who writes this

Someone who lives in the Algarve, drinks in the Algarve, and has strong opinions about cocktail-to-price ratios.

If you want to reach me, use the contact page. I read everything.