Executive Chefs: José Avillez

The true nature of Portuguese cuisine is maintained with the appearance of new, young, active and innovative Chefs, that dedicate their working lives to creating a better environment at the Portuguese table. This is the case of José Avillez, who believes that to sit at a table is much more than just eating, it is a social and a familiarising activity. Through his project, “Life style cooking”, José Avillez aimed at improving the Portuguese gastronomic culture by producing dishes that enhance the flavours of Portuguese traditional cooking and by teaching people how to cook through classes and cook-books. To experience José Avillez’s art best, visit his famous Tavares restaurant in the centre of Lisbon. Who is José Avillez? He was raised in the area of Cascais, and being just a young graduate from a Marketing and Communications degree, José Avillez decided to start exploring his passion for cooking in a more serious way. A series of courses and internships from around the world fill his curriculum, including working with some of the greatest international chefs, such as Alain Ducasse, Ferran Adriá , Claude trois Gros and Eric Frechon. He opened the “100 Maneiras” restaurant in 2004, which became an immediate success in his home town. Not yet thirty years of age, José Avillez is invited to be the main chef at the old Tavares Rico, Portugal’s oldest and most exclusive restaurant. He has managed to revive this restaurant, which fell lost into the ashes of history, with a new sophisticated cuisine, still loyal to the natural tastes and styles of Portuguese cooking. After only over a year of heading this epic restaurant, José Avillez and his team have managed to obtain a Michelin star in the most recent guide. Apart from his restaurant business, this young and dynamic cook writes cooking books and has his own space in Cascais that gives cooking classes, caters for private events, and has a take away section. Tavares With around 220 years of existence, the now called Tavares restaurant is not only the oldest restaurant in Portugal, but the second oldest in the Iberian Peninsula. Its decoration and facade evoke other times and transport us to the years when the Portuguese political and social elites would make this restaurant their second home. Many important world-wide figures have wined and dined here, including Gulbenkian and President Eisenhower. However, in the last decades Tavares lost its fame and its quality stamp. It needed a young and talented chef to revive the brilliant cuisine, the sophisticated ambience and call back the new lively and motivated generation. That happened with José Avillez and his team. Such is the outstanding achievement, that Tavares is now part of the Michelin guide with one star allocated to it. This guide evaluates five characteristics of each restaurant: the quality of the products, the technique of the confection of the dishes and the tastes, the personality of the kitchen, the value for money and the consistency of visitors. Tavares is definitely worth the first star and aims to continue bettering their food and service to achieve a few more in the years to come. Apart from the renewed cuisine, the decoration was bettered too. It has maintained the elegance and glamour that characterised it, but with a recuperated bright and new look. The mirrors, chandeliers and the golden paint over the wood evoke a sophistication that is no longer common in modern restaurants. The light predominates within these four walls, with the shining chandeliers reflected in the tall large mirrors. Once you sit at the table and allow yourself to be treated to the wonderfully prepared dishes, you will not have regretted the choice. Visit Tavares: ADDRESS Rua da Misericórdia 37 , 1200-270  PHONE +351 213421112 TIME Tuesday to Saturday: 12h30 - 14h30, 19h30 - 23h00 TRANSPORT M: Baixa-Chiado  AVERAGE PRICE 75€ SMOKING AREA Yes What they say about José Avillez “Very eloquent, fun and dedicated to his art, José Avillez grasps you with his speech. He tells things with simplicity and, although he is very young, he has admirable memories. He says a good cuisine needs a lot of knowledge and many books have to be read.” Laurinda Alves (Portuguese writer and journalist) in “A Substância da Vida” “This young Chef, stubborn for excellence, promises to not stop here and continue his course, always with the help of his team, the vital and fundamental part of everything he has achieved until today.” Câmara Municipal de Casacais in “Chefe sem Datas”