Our Confreres and their guests enjoyed a welcome drink offered by the general manager of the resort and long-time member of the Chaîne Salvador de Lucena, whilst watching a beautiful sunset on the terrace of the restaurant.

Chef Rui Silvestre had prepared a true Michelin feast mixing traditional and modern Portuguese cuisine with the freshest ingredients from baby vegetables to oyster and toro tuna, to a remarkable john dory and some Iberian lamb filet, all carefully complemented by a selection of Portuguese wines chosen by Sommelier Nuno Pires. A memorable dinner in a memorable setting! The night was spent in some luxury villas of the Monte Rei resort, and some participants even find some appetite for a big breakfast served at the golf club.

On the Sunday morning, October 17 some participants chose to hit a few golf balls at Monte Rei, whilst others went strolling along the lovely beaches of Cacela Velha and Cabanas de Tavira or shopping in nearby Spain, but everybody promptly re-joined for lunch at Noélia & Jeronimo’s restaurant in Cabanas de Tavira.

Chef of the Year for the 2021 edition of the Boa Cama, Boa Mesa magazine, the bible of Portuguese restaurants, “Noélia’s” as it is usually known is always full and near impossible to book, so this was to be a very special and long-awaited lunch. The Chef of Chefs, as Noélia is known, did not disappoint! She amazed us with an incredible array of the freshest fish and shellfish straight from the local market and treated with the greatest respect to the product, being a tempura of gambas with spicy mango or a ceviche of Dourada, or a dish of rice and red local prawns (Carabinheiros) with baby asparagus… Seven courses later, all well-watered fortunately with a “Manoella” white wine, the meal finished on a killer almond and chocolate cake, and we could hardly stand up after that! An extraordinary experience, to be repeated, but maybe on a smaller scale...

And another great weekend with the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs!

Contact for information: Dr. Jean Ferran, ferran@monchique.com