Portugal is (also) flavour

Come for one reason, stay for all the reasons…. Among them, gastronomy undoubtedly occupies a prominent place.

The first Michelin Guide gala in Portugal took place on February 27, 2024 in Albufeira, with only Portuguese restaurants. This was the first time that Portugal presented its own selection of stars, separated from Spain.

In 2023, five Portuguese restaurants were awarded new Michelin stars: Encanto (José Avilez) — the first vegetarian restaurant on the Iberian Peninsula included in the Guide —, Kabuki Lisboa (Paulo Alves) and Kanazawa (Paulo Morais), also in Lisbon; Euskalduna Studio (Vasco Coelho Santos) and Le Monument (Julien Montbabut) in Porto. There was also a new restaurant with a green star, Mesa de Lemos, in Passos de Silgueiros, Viseu.

The 2024 selection included a total of 167 restaurants, of which 39 are MICHELIN Stars (8 two-star and 31 one-star), 32 are Bib Gourmand and 96 are Recommended Restaurants. Among them, there are also 5 that have the Green Star distinction.

Large cities continue to be the sector’s reference points, however, “it is increasingly common to see a growing variety of establishments offering suggestions that go beyond traditional cuisine, often taking it as a base and enriching it with new proposals of an international nature, which facilitates access to flavours from Asia and Latin America”, we can read on the Guide’s website.

During the gala, a new restaurant with two Michelin stars in Portugal was announced, Antiqvvm, in Porto (Chef Vítor Matos). Also, with the intervention of this Chef and in partnership with Chef Francisco Quinta, 2 Monkeys in Lisbon, received the first star, and Chef Rita Magro, who is part of his team at the Blind restaurant, in Porto, received the young award Chef of the year.

Henrique Sá Pessoa is another Chef with a two-star Michelin restaurant. In the 2024 edition of the red guide, its Alma maintained the same category. The other restaurants awarded a Michelin Star are: Desarma (Funchal), Ó Balcão (Santarém) and SÁLA de João Sá (Lisbon). Find out all the details and references at the link – https://guide.michelin.com/pt/pt_PT/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/todas-as-estars-do-guia-michelin-portugal-2024.

In Portugal, gastronomy and wine constitute a “product” considered strategic for tourism. Lisbon is an example of unprecedented renovation, which translates into a multitude of changes in terms of spaces and restaurant concepts. Part of this renewal is the emergence of Portuguese haute cuisine, led by a generation of young and innovative Chefs, coexisting with traditional cuisine and cuisines brought from other parts of the world by the immigrant communities that today inhabit the city. The achievement of more and more Michelin stars reflects this commitment to gastronomy.

Food, in addition to its vital importance for the body, is known for bringing people together and promoting unique and special experiences. Therefore, gastronomic tourism invites tourists to discover the local cuisine of the destination, forming part of their travel experience. Portugal has developed a lot at this level and gastronomy is a tourist tool that is here to stay, we are rated as one of the best cuisines in the world, I think for us Portuguese actually the best. According to the TasteAtlas platform, our cuisine ranks fourth worldwide out of a total of 100 countries mentioned. Being overtaken by Italy, Japan and Greece.

Come and try! Another of the many reasons to visit and experience Portugal!

Paula Oliveira

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