Having earned its second Michelin star in 2014, after its first star in 2012, Belcanto is Chef José Avillez’s top restaurant in Lisbon, as well as the only two-starred restaurant in the city. The Chef is also the first Portuguese Chef to ever earn two Michelin stars. Renowned for keeping the classics and history of this magnificent space, here we find the innovative haute cuisine of the Mediterranean-inspired Chef, in harmony with a sophisticated yet intimate environment.
Belcanto opened in 1958 in Chiado, in the São Carlos square next to the São Carlos National Theatre. In the summer of 2011, Chef José Avillez took an interest in Belcanto and began an extensive refurbishment of the kitchen and dining areas. José Avillez’s Belcanto restaurant re-opened at the beginning of 2012, totally renewed. At Belcanto, awarded a Michelin star within a year of its opening, and two stars within three years, one can enjoy new Portuguese cuisine in an elegant atmosphere that still provides some of the former romance of the Chiado district.
José Avillez and his team look at haute cuisine as a form of expression. At Belcanto, they share their inspirations, emotions, and concerns through their culinary representations and illusions. “We value seasonality and non industrial production. We favor organic products, but we are not unyielding. Each dish tells a story and sets out to stir the emotions of those willing to try it.”, says the Chef.
Image credits: José Avillez Group courtesy
