CHECKin Faro, chef Leonel Pereira's restaurant
Chef's cuisine in the heart of Faro.Leonel Pereira · Michelin Guide
CHECKin
“Do not copy… use your brain.”
Leonel Pereira
The motto is painted on the dining room wall, and it says everything about the cuisine. At CHECKin, the Algarvian chef who left behind a star at São Gabriel cooks in a more tangible way: produce from the Ria Formosa and the coast, haute cuisine technique, the absolute minimum of fats, sugars, and salt.
Guide 2025 · 2026
Sustainability 2025
4.5 · 447 reviews
4.4 · 162 reviews
O conceito
“Faz-se o check-in pelas entradas.
Passa-se pelos tachos e pelos momentos especiais.
Faz-se o check-out na sobremesa.”
CHECKin is a place where the Algarve comes to the table, through contemporary, creative cooking deeply connected to the land. We value local produce, the sea, the Ria Formosa and the richness of its biodiversity, bringing together tradition, innovation and research with knowledge, sustainability and respect for nature.
Here, no dish sets out to tell a story. It is the story itself, awakening memories and, above all, offering a true experience of flavour.
The Chef & The Kitchen
Chef Leonel Pereira
Martim Longo · Faro
Cooking is science, knowledge, and emotion.
“It is in the roots of the territory and the power of the sea that I find inspiration, respecting biodiversity and sustainability to transform each ingredient into an experience of flavor, memory, and future.”
Learn more · View bio Collapse biography
Originally from Pessegueiro/Martinlongo in the Algarve, Chef Leonel Pereira has a national and international career spanning over 30 years. Having trained at prestigious schools such as Lenôtre, Alain Ducasse, and the Culinary Institute of America, he has worked with hotel groups including Sheraton, Le Méridien, Pestana, and Pousadas de Portugal.
His cuisine has deep roots in Algarve tradition, combining regional flavors with contemporary techniques, creativity, and a strong emotional and sensory component.
Throughout his career, he has received numerous distinctions. In Brazil, he was recognized as Revelation Chef Brazil and earned a 4 Rodas Guide star at the Cais da Ribeira restaurant. At the Sheraton Lisboa & Spa, the Panorama project received Chef and Restaurant of the Year awards three times.
In 2013, he took over the São Gabriel Restaurant in Almancil, winning a Michelin Star in 2014, which he maintained until the restaurant's closure in 2020. He was also named Chef of the Year, received the Platinum Fork, and three Repsol Suns.
Since 2014, he has also collaborated with CCMAR — Centre of Marine Sciences at the University of Algarve — on research projects.
In 2020, he opened Check-In Faro by Leonel Pereira, recognized that same year with a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand.
Publication · New Book
Todo um Oceano no Prato
“The Algarve ocean is not just our landscape: it is identity, living science, and the purest memory of flavor that we bring to the table.”
A unique work dedicated to the richness of the Algarve sea, sustainability, and high ocean cuisine. In “Todo um Oceano no Prato”, Chef Leonel Pereira joins biologists and researchers João Navalho and Hugo Pereira to share stories, knowledge, and pioneering research developed in partnership with CCMAR — Centre of Marine Sciences of the University of Algarve.
From the halophyte plants of the Ria Formosa to plankton and phycocyanin, the book unveils the fascinating gastronomic potential of the southern coastline, bringing together refined techniques, essays on marine preservation, and iconic recipes created by Leonel Pereira.
The space · Three atmospheres
Three distinct atmospheres.
Well worth reserving.
CHECKin's informal elegance unfolds across three settings, each with its own character: the bar, the terrace and the dining room.
Quem se senta à mesa
Grupos e eventos privados
Celebrações e grupos, à medida
A reserva online vai até oito pessoas. Para um grupo maior ou um evento privado, diga-nos o dia, a hora e quantos são — e fala com alguém da casa.
CHECKin Faro
ReservarR. do Castelo 7 e 8
8000-243 Faro
+351 968 070 776
+351 289 824 178
[email protected]
Chamada para a rede móvel e fixa nacional
Segunda a sexta, almoço 12:00–15:00
e jantar 19:00–22:00
Sábado, jantar 19:00–22:00
Encerrado ao domingo