Stars are centered in Lisbon and Porto. Avillez's Vegetarian restaurant was distinguished, as well as 2 Japanese gastronomic projects. Euskalduna shines in the north of the country. But the news doesn't stop there; in 2023, Portugal and Spain will have separate guides, and, in 2024, there will be a Michelin gala just for Portugal.
There are five more restaurants (the same number as in the last edition) with Michelin stars in Portugal: Encanto (José Avillez) - the first vegetarian restaurant on the Iberian Peninsula included in the Guide -, Kabuki Lisboa (Paulo Alves) and Kanazawa (Paulo Morais), in Lisbon; Euskalduna Studio (Vasco Coelho Santos) and Le Monument (Julien Montbabut) in Porto. There is also another restaurant with a green star, which reflects a commitment to more sustainable gastronomy: the Mesa de Lemos, in Passos de Silgueiros, Viseu, which, with chef Diogo Rocha at the helm, has had a Michelin star since 2019.
It was with a full house that the Palácio de Congressos El Greco, in Toledo, Spain, served as the stage for the unveiling of the Michelin-starred restaurants for the year 2023. Chef Ricardo Costa from the Yeatman restaurant, with two Michelin stars (Vila Nova de Gaia), was responsible for announcing the new stars for Portugal.
Portugal also won a green star for the Mesa de Lemos restaurant (Viseu), whose kitchen is run by Chef Diogo Rocha (who already has a Michelin star, awarded in 2021). Last year, green stars were awarded to the Portuguese Il Galo d'Oro (Funchal, two Michelin stars) and Esporão (Reguengos de Monsaraz, one star).
Encanto is the first Portuguese restaurant with a unique 100% vegetarian menu to receive a Michelin star. José Avillez adds this latest star to the two he has at Belcanto, in Lisbon, and one at Tasca, in Dubai.
In the Bib Gourmand awards (for "restaurants with good quality and good value"), Portugal wins seven firsts: À Mesa (Tavira), Carnal (Lisbon), Ofício (Lisbon), Zunzum Gastrobar (Lisbon), Gruta (Porto), Semea by Euskalduna (Porto), Rio by Paulo André (Vila do Conde).
The day he received the legacy of the exclusive Japanese restaurant Kanazawa from the hands of Japanese master Tomoaki, Portuguese Paulo Morais felt the weight of responsibility. At the time, in 2017, Paulo brought more than two decades of dedication to Japanese cuisine and a resume in countless restaurants. Now, Paulo Morais sees his work recognized with his first Michelin star.
Kabuki Lisboa, the first international restaurant of the Spanish brand with the same name, opened its doors to the public in December 2021 in the galleries of the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. A restaurant space that fuses Japanese and Mediterranean gastronomy.
Located at 404 Rua de Santo Ildefonso, Euskalduna Studio opened its doors in December 2016. As a tribute to his professional career in the Basque Country, “Euskalduna” - “Basque” in Basque - was the name chosen by Chef Vasco Coelho Santos for his contemporary signature cuisine project.
In Le Monument, inserted in the hotel Le Monument Palace, in the center of Porto, the French chef Julien Montbabut shines again with a star, after having already been distinguished by the project Le Restaurant, in Paris.
Portugal now has 38 restaurants awarded the Michelin star, out of a total of 45 stars distributed, respectively, among 31 restaurants with one star and seven with two.
At the opening of the Michelin Gala, Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, “highlighted the new generation of chefs working in the sector, despite the adversities”, adding that “Portugal and Spain show great dynamism in the restaurant industry”.
Michelin Guide promises “historic year” for Portuguese gastronomy