Photo – Paulo Barata
It wasn't this year that the young Head João Oliveira, from “Vista”, at the Hotel Bela Vista, in Praia da Rocha, won his first Michelin Star. But that didn't mean that life went wrong in Algarve restaurants.
The list of restaurants starry has just been announced in Girona, Spain, and it turns out that the Algarve maintains the six Michelin-starred restaurants it had already achieved last year.
However, for the country as a whole, the expectation regarding the increase of awarded restaurants and the increase in the number of stars in some of them is confirmed.
Thus, in the Algarve, there are still two restaurants with 2 Michelin Stars (the Ocean. Head Hans Neuner, at Vila Vita, in Alporchinhos, Lagoa, and the Vila Joya, by Dieter Koschina, in Albufeira), as well as four others with 1 Star: o Good Good, by Rui Silvestre, near Carvoeiro (Lagoa), which was the big surprise of last year, the Henrique Laws. Head with the same name, in Almancil (Loulé), the Saint Gabriel, by Leonel Pereira, in Almancil (Loulé), and also the Willie's, by Willie Wuger, in Vilamoura (Loulé).
In the rest of the country, it won another star, now adding two, the Il Gallo d'Oro, by Benoit Sinthon, in Funchal, and the The Yeatman by Ricardo Costa, in Vila Nova de Gaia. Retained 2 stars o Nice singing by José Avillez (Lisbon), and the Algarve Ocean e Vila Joya.
Joined this exclusive list of the best restaurants in the world, with one star, the Alma, Henrique Sá Pessoa (Lisbon), the Antique, by Vitor Matos, in Porto, to Boa Nova Tea House, by Rui Paula, in Leça da Palmeira, the LAB by Sergi Arola, in Penha Longa, the Loco, by Alexandre Silva, in Lisbon, and also the William, by Luís Pestana, at Reid's Hotel in Funchal. Miguel Laffan recovered the lost star last year, from the L'And Vineyards, from Montemor-o-Novo.
In other words, compared to last year, Portugal has won seven new restaurants in the exclusive list of the Michelin Guide and has won two more stars for many other restaurants that had already been distinguished before.
In the Algarve, the municipality of Loulé continues to have the largest number of Michelin-starred (3) restaurants, followed by Lagoa (2) and Albufeira (1).
The Michelin Guide was created in France in 1900 and has since established itself as the Bible of those who like to eat very, very well. Its stars, between one and three, have a meaning: one star is synonymous with “a very good restaurant in its category”; two “excellent cuisine, which justifies a detour”; three, the maximum, “exceptional cuisine, which justifies a trip”.
Although no one really knows what the exact criteria of the jury members are, the Michelin Guide says it evaluates “only what's on the plate” according to five criteria: quality of ingredients, technique in preparation and combination of flavors, creativity, balance quality/price and consistency of standards.
Restaurants with **
Belcanto / José Avillez, Lisbon
Il Gallo d'Oro / Benoit Sinthon, Funchal (+ one)
Ocean / Hans Neuner, Alporchinhos (Lagoon)
The Yeatman / Ricardo Costa, Vila Nova de Gaia (+ one)
Vila Joya / Dieter Koschina, Albufeira
Restaurants with*
Alma / Henrique Sá Pessoa, Lisbon (new)
Antiqvvm / Vitor Matos, Porto (new)
Bon Bon / Rui Silvestre, Carvoeiro
Casa da Calçada / André Silva, Amarante
Boa Nova Tea House / Rui Paula, Leça da Palmeira (new)
Eleven / Joachim Koerper, Lisbon
Trading Post / João Rodrigues, Lisbon
Guincho Fort / Miguel Rocha Vieira, Cascais
Henrique Leis / Henrique Leis, Almancil
LAB by Sergi Arola, Penha Longa (new)
L'And Vineyards / Miguel Laffan, Montemor-o-Novo (recovers)
Loco / Alexandre Silva, Lisbon(new)
Pedro Lemos / Pedro Lemos, Harbor
São Gabriel / Leonel Pereira, Almancil
William / Luís Pestana, Funchal (new)
Willie's / Willie Wuger, Vilamoura
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