Algarve misses out on top prizes, but Ocean maintains second position on the best national restaurants’ list.
Portugal’s leading gastronomy blog, Mesa Marcada, held its annual prize-giving ceremony last night, celebrating the nation’s top chefs, restaurants, bars, sommeliers and producers of 2024 in various categories.
The go-to online bible for contemporary Portuguese gastronomy hosted some 500 guests from all over the country at the Estoril Congress Centre in Cascais, confirming the status of what has been, for 16 years now, one of the most anticipated awards ceremonies in national gastronomy.
This year, João Rodrigues and his restaurant Canalha, in Lisbon’s Junqueira neighbourhood, were the big winners, earning the top Best Restaurant and Chef of the Year awards. The ex-Feitoria chef opened the tavern-style restaurant in late 2023 to offer quality Portuguese ingredients in a laidback atmosphere and at accessible prices.
The Algarve’s two Michelin-starred Ocean firmly maintained second place, and its Chef, Hans Neuner, also maintained his place on the Best Chef’s list in fourth place.
Two other Algarve restaurants made the top 20, with Vista (Praia da Rocha) in 12th place and Vila Joya in 20th.
“This year’s particularity is that the restaurant with which João Rodrigues won, Canalha, in Lisbon, is not a fine dining establishment but rather a more accessible space, which was even nominated for the Mesa Diária award (Daily Table) – a category it won last year. In fact, this trend began in 2023, when Prado – which this year reached 3rd place – became the first “non-Michelin” restaurant to win 1st place in the restaurants’ category, an unprecedented feat in the many years of history of Mesa Marcada’s “Favourites” awards”, says the event’s organisation.
“However, while there is a noticeable decline in fine dining among our jury’s preferences, it would be an exaggeration to declare its demise since this style remains well-represented in the Top 10. Cuisine that possesses personality (with varying degrees of intervention in the transformation of the product), a certain artisanal quality, and a commitment to excellence in food (prioritising rigour without necessarily demanding technical perfection), along with empathy and, importantly, the atmosphere, service, and wine, embody the main trends in our jury’s selections”.
The expanded panel, which convened a record 305 members this year, upheld its usual composition, albeit refreshed. It included chefs and other professionals associated with the restaurant and hotel industries, as well as recognised journalists, critics, communicators, and gastronomists in the field.
