The list of the chefs was announced during a press conference in Bragança in Trás-os-Montes, in the North of Portugal.

In a statement by Michelin Guide, the chefs will be preparing a menu “that combines tradition and culinary innovation.” Being the main ones responsible for the task Rui Paula, Ricardo Costa and Vítor Matos, who will work with: António Loureiro, Vasco Coelho Santos, Óscar Geadas, Julien Montbabut, Pedro Lemos and Arnaldo Azevedo.

In the same document, it is mentioned that the selected “team reflects the diversity and creativity of Portuguese gastronomy, emphasising the value of local products through innovative techniques and culinary narratives that link tradition and the avant-garde.” The chefs aim to “reinterpret local ingredients” trying to “evoke the country’s rich cultural heritage.”

The Gala will be hosted by Marta Leite Castro, an experienced TV host now being the face of one of CNN Portugal’s shows. The pastry chef Juliana Penteado will be receiving the guests on the red carpet of the Gala. The responsibility of playing music in the event was given to the Portuguese band Expresso Atlântico.

To promote the gala, Michelin Guide will organise the debate “Gastronomy and Wine”, which will happen on 18 February in Braga. The debate will be moderated by the journalist Luís Castro, and will have the participation of: Pedro Lemos, Chef at Restaurante Pedro Lemos, Dirk Niepoort, producer of Niepoort Wines, Luis Sottomayor, winemaker, Elisabete Fernandes, Sommelière, Lídia Monteiro, Member of the Board of Directors of Turismo de Portugal, Manuel Carvalho, Journalist, Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker Wine Advocate for Spain, Portugal and the Jura region in France and Marcos Lagoa, Oenophile. The debate will be broadcast on the TV Channel RTP2, during the programme “Sociedade Civil”.

The promotion of the Michelin Guide Portugal 2025 Gala will continue with “digital activities designed to involve chefs, personalities and the general public.” Challenges will be developed on social media, as the Michelin Guide mentioned in a statement. “In addition, a Facebook challenge will be launched that will allow participants to win double tickets to the Gala and gastronomic experiences in restaurants recommended by the MICHELIN Portugal 2025 Guide.”

The event pretends to “not only celebrate the gastronomic excellence of the Porto and Northern Portugal region”, but also, “provide a unique opportunity to project the region's cultural and culinary wealth internationally.”

The Gala is supported by Turismo de Portugal and Turismo do Porto e Norte, as well as Makro, Delta, Balfego, San Miguel, Royal Bliss, Blancpain, Alardo and The Fork. The Michelin Guide Portugal 2025 Gala will take place on 25 February, at the Alfândega do Porto Congress Centre.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos