The Algarve was the region chosen for the first Michelin Guide ceremony in which Portugal presents its own selection of stars separate from Spain and with its own event. the ceremony will take place on February 27, 2024 at the NAU Salgados Palace & Congress Center hotel in Guiain Albufeira, announced this Friday Nuno Ferreira, representative of the Michelin Guide in Portugal, at a press conference at the School of Hospitality and Tourism of the Algarve, in Faro.
The gala dinner that will mark the publication of the “Michelin Guide Portugal 2024” will be coordinated by the Austrian Dieter Koschina, chef at Vila Joyathe first two stars in the country, a distinction he has held since 1999, and Rui Silvestre, ahead of Vistas Rui Silvestre, the youngest Portuguese chef to receive the star, in 2015, at the age of 29, at that time in charge of Bon Bon, in Carvoeiro— achieved, in 2019, the same distinction for the gastronomic space he commands at the luxury resort Monte Rei Golf and Country Club. The event was attended by Luís Araújo, President of Turismo de Portugal, and João Fernandes, President of the Algarve Tourism Region, partners in organizing the ceremony, which should have between 450 and 500 people.
The press conference took place at the School of Hospitality and Tourism of the Algarve, in Faro.
The choice of the Algarve was made to highlight “one of the main gastronomic destinations in Europe, with a great culinary richness, which attracts countless food lovers from all over the world,” the organization highlights, now in a statement. At the press conference, Luís Araújo recalled that “the Algarve and the chefs” of the region have played a fundamental role in the “promotion of Portuguese gastronomy”, here with special emphasis on seafood, fish and shellfish. Of the 38 Michelin-starred restaurants in Portugal, eight are in the Algarve, including two of the seven with two stars.
On the possibility of an increase in the number of spaces distinguished with the star, Nuno Ferreira adds that an exclusively national ceremony does not necessarily mean that there will be more stars. “The existence of a ceremony never influenced the number of stars.”
The number of inspectors is also not disclosed.but the person in charge of the Guide in Portugal details that the international team includes elements of more than 15 nationalities, who travel all over the world and who, annually, have an average of 300 meals, between lunches and dinners, to evaluate the restaurants.
After the Algarve, the goal is for the ceremony to move to other Portuguese regions in future editions. “The idea is that this gala will travel the country”, explained Luís Araújo, highlighting the richness and gastronomic diversity of the seven Portuguese regions.
Michelin Guide. From José Avillez to Vasco Coelho Santos, there are 5 new stars in Portugal
In 2023, five Portuguese restaurants were distinguished with new Michelin stars: the Charm (José Avillez) —the first vegetarian in the Iberian Peninsula included in the Guide—, the Kabuki Lisbon (Paulo Alves) and the Kanazawa (Paulo Morais), in Lisbon; EITHER Euskalduna Study (Vasco Coelho Santos) and the Monument (Julien Montbabut) in Porto. There was also a new restaurant with a green star, Mesa de Lemos, in Passos de Silgueiros, Viseu.
In addition to recommending the best tables in the country, the “Michelin Guide Portugal 2024” will emphasize sustainability precisely through the green star, which recognizes restaurants and chefs particularly dedicated to sustainable gastronomy.
Michelin Guide. ‘Green star’ restaurants have a real impact on society
Source: Observadora
