Portugal celebrates 8 new Michelin-starred restaurants

The Michelin Guide has revealed its new selection of restaurants for 2025.

The international team of inspectors who visited the country highlighted how chefs seek to preserve their gastronomic and culinary legacy, reinterpreting classic dishes with current techniques, never closing themselves off to new international influences and promoting native raw materials of the highest quality.

Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide , also states in this regard: “Portugal is on a path of growth and is gradually becoming a gastronomic destination of reference for lovers of haute cuisine from all over the world”.

“The chefs’ commitment to the country is absolute, revealing, in the North, a greater attachment to traditional recipes than in the South, where we can speak of a wonderful encounter between regional Portuguese flavors and those with a more international flavor. On the other hand, sustainability continues to gain ground, not only in the local sense, but also in terms of excellence, which always seeks to discover the best raw materials from the different regions of the country for the itinerant restaurant.

All two-star restaurants renew their distinction

The renewal of all eight two-star distinctions in Portugal by the Michelin Guide is seen as a sign that Portugal remains stable in its offering.

The two-star restaurants in Portugal are: Alma (Lisbon), Antiqvvm (Porto), Belcanto (Lisbon), Casa de Chã da Boa Nova (Leoa da Palmeira), Il Gallo d'Oro (Funchal), Ocean (Porches), The Yeatman (Vila Nova de Gaia) and Vila Joya (Albufeira).

New stars

Inspectors have recognized eight more restaurants with this distinction. With them, there are now 38 establishments that “shine with the coveted and demanding

Arkhe in Lisbon

Vegan/vegetarian cuisine continues to gain followers, and Brazilian chef João Ricardo Alves is betting big on it. In the minimalist setting of his restaurant, and always well accompanied by Alejandro Châvarro, who acts as master sommelier, he proposes three tasting menus of unusual delicacy, technique and flavor (lunch, discovery and menu)

Blind in Porto

For those who want to be surprised and are looking for a different gastronomic experience... here is an excellent opportunity! The proposal by award-winning chef Vitor Matos, defended daily by chef Rita Magro (who received the MICHELIN Young Chef Award 2024), pays homage to the work “Blindness”, by José Saramago, and seeks to play with the restaurant through a menu

Grenache - Lisbon

A unique restaurant in Lisbon’s Alfama? This is one of those that should always be considered, as Dom Fradique’s Papa is sheltered from the tourist hustle and bustle. The proposal, available only through two tasting menus (Grenache and Experience), is led by chef Philippe Gelfi, who, inspired by his origins, proposes elegant contemporary cuisine

Marlene - Lisbon

Just a few meters from the Lisbon Cruise Terminal, this restaurant, with a contemporary atmosphere, surprises with a large open central kitchen, which allows you to appreciate, at all times, the meticulous work of chef Marlene Vieira and her team. Here, you can find two interesting exclusive tasting menus, with references to Portuguese tradition and some flavors from other

Hidden - Vila do Conde

It is located in the The Lince Santa Clara hotel and lives up to its name, as part of the monastery of the same name has been recovered, having had to be excavated to bring it to light. The gastronomic proposal, led by renowned chefs Vítor Matos and Hugo Rocha, is embodied in two tasting menus closely linked to the marine world.

Palatial - Braga

This unique and elegant restaurant, on the southern outskirts of Braga, surprises with a tasting bar at the entrance, where the region's wines are extolled, and a well-kept dining room. Here, with fantastic service, there is the option of choosing à la carte, or two tasting menus (Tradition and Innovation), in both cases returning to the Portuguese gastronomic tradition from a very creative perspective.

Vineyard - Vila Nova de Gaia

The gourmet restaurant at Vinha Boutique Hotel is one of those places that is essential to visit, as it displays details of unexpected elegance at every corner. The proposal, conceived by the famous chef Henrique SÃ ¡Pessoa, and executed by Jonathan Seiller, the resident chef, is captivating both in the à la carte option and in its tasting menu (Identidade), always playing with

YÅSO â Lisbon

In this restaurant, whose name alludes to the four elements of nature (Earth, Water, Fire and Air), chef Habner Gomes introduces customers to Japanese cuisine and the kaiseki style, through a unique omakase tasting menu. The proposal, which can be enjoyed at a sushi counter or at three tables, focuses on a menu that takes gourmets on a journey through different Japanese techniques, using seasonal products.

A green star and five new Bib Gourmands

With the new Estrela Verde do Encanto in Lisbon, there are now 6 establishments that are considered a reference in terms of sustainability in Portugal. Run by the famous chef José Avillez and located next to his two-starred Belcanto, it surprises aesthetically and gastronomically, as its culinary focus, extremely technical, is entirely centered on working with seasonal organic vegetables, sourced from small local producers and from the Casa Nossa farm, which he himself owns in Alentejo. The proposal is centered on a single tasting menu, 100% vegetarian, which talks about sustainability, biodiversity, full use of the product, reuse of packaging... Eating here is a great experience!

As for the Bib Gourmand, the distinction most sought after by gastronomes around the world, recognizing the best quality/price ratio, this year presents 5 new interesting establishments (Canalha and Pigmeu, in Lisbon; Contrádio, in Bragança; OMA, in Porto; and Terruja, in Alvados), with which the total number of Bib Gourmand establishments in Portugal rises to 28 establishments.

35 new recommended restaurants

In turn, it is a pleasure to see how the selection is updated, with 35 new restaurants recommended (in total, there are 116 in this category), which gives an idea of ​​the culinary dynamism of the country and the continuous work that is being carried out to strengthen the offer.

Among them, there are options for all tastes, such as the very interesting “Cibã” (Leoa da Palmeira), the contemporary Mediterranean essence offered at Le Babachris (Guimarães) or the surprising creative cuisine with a traditional base that captivated the inspectors in the isolated Mapa (Montemor-o-Novo). On the other hand, among the new developments, the presence of several Asian-inspired restaurants stands out, which demonstrate the growing taste of Portuguese and international clientele for oriental cuisine, in many cases in fusion with local cuisine: Avista Ãsia, in Funchal; Izakaya, in Cascais; Kaigi or Tokkotai, in Porto; Omakase RI, in