Chef José Avillez on Lisbon, Portugal.
This month we hear from chef JOSÉ AVILLEZ on where to eat and drink in his hometown.
José Avillez knows what’s happening in Portuguese dining circles. Not just at the top end – his restaurant Belcanto by José Avillez is Lisbon’s first restaurant to receive two Michelin stars and is 42nd on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list – but at the casual, familyfriendly end of the spectrum, too. From tascas (a casual, local restaurant) to white tablecloths, this is where the influential, award-winning chef takes visitors when they come to Lisbon.
Life is a cabaret
This year we opened Canto, a restaurant with live music. The menu is based on traditional Portuguese cuisine, but after dinner, the music can take you from Spain to Brazil.
It’s a very intimate and special performance. This type of dining experience is something I am fascinated with. My great-greatgrandfather opened the first cabaret show in Portugal in 1908. I wanted to build on his concept, which is why I first opened Beco Cabaret Gourmet. It’s a place where creative fine dining and cabaret come together. It’s so much fun. It’s where I celebrate special occasions. It’s an amazing cabaret show but – to use a culinary term – not too spicy.
On Sundays I like to have lunch with my family at Mar do Inferno, a seafood restaurant in Cascais, my birthplace. It's a 25-minute drive from Lisbon, so it's easy to get to. It's on the ocean, by a fishermen's village. We always order bruxas, a small type of lobster. My kids go crazy for it.
On the way to Cascais beach is Estrada do Guincho: a road that has two or three restaurants that are in the most amazing spots. There are no houses nearby – only sand dunes and the sea. It really has the most magical view. It's the perfect place to relax. We're actually opening Maré, our new restaurant, there very soon. Its focus will still be on seafood, but we will be bringing those ingredients together in a more contemporary way.
The best seafood
For seafood in central Lisbon, go to Cervejaria Ramiro. It's very good, but it's full of tourists. I still like to bring people there, but preferably when it's less crowded. It's popular for a good reason: the ingredients are very good. Look out for blue lobster, crayfish and carabineros (scarlet prawns). You must have bulhão pato clams (clams with lemon, olive oil and garlic).
Traditional dishes
Magano is a neighbourhood restaurant where locals love to go. It serves traditional food from Alentejo, south of Portugal. It's honest cooking, using fantastic ingredients to make typical, flavourful dishes. Be sure to get a few starters to share – the rice and cod dishes are amazing.
Locals who lunch
Zé da Mouraria is where I bring friends and chefs when they're in town. It's a tasca – a casual restaurant that's full of locals. It's only open for lunch and offers about six dishes per day. On Fridays and Saturdays, try its specialty: beautiful grilled cod with chickpeas and onions.
It's simple food with a lot of identity.
Modern twist
Tasca da Esquina is a contemporary restaurant by Vítor Sobral: one of the first chefs to create and cook modern Portuguese. He was the first to develop creative dishes using traditional local flavours.
António Galapito's Prado has a lot of London influence, probably from his time as protégé of chef Nuno Mendes in London. The Portuguese ingredients are always the star, and impressive smoking and fermentation techniques are used.
New hotspot
Newcomer Taberna do Calhau is the hottest reservation in town right now. Architect-turned-chef Leopoldo Garcia Calhau takes typical dishes from Alentejo and makes them creative and contemporary by bringing his own identity to the plate. It's interesting and delicious.
Culture club
Rei da China, meaning King of China, is a restaurant that I helped my friend Estanis Carenzo open. He's an Argentinian chef cooking Portuguese-Asian cuisine. Culturally, it's very interesting. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in most Asian countries, so there's a lot of influences: what we took with us, and what we brought back here to Portugal. It's beautiful food.
Portuguese tarts
I might be biased, but I think the Pastéis de Nata at my restaurant Bairro do Avillez are the best. The second best are at Manteigaria.
Regional tastes
To eat the tasting menu at Belcanto is to travel around Portugal. It helps you understand our culture. The menu visits regional cuisine and is inspired by our country's past; ex-colonies and the discoveries of the Portuguese.