Portuguese chefs, and Portugal, as a food destination, are among the best in the world. According to an article published by the creators of MesaMarcada, a renowned Portuguese culinary critics blog, Portuguese chefs and Portuguese cuisine are becoming more and more praised all over the world.
Today, after years of huge success from the “The World 50 Best Restaurants” ranking, things changed a bit. “La Liste” and “Best Chef Awards” are the two yearly culinary lists that tell us who, and what is worth noting and eating. The first tells us about the best places, and the second, obviously, about the best chefs.
This year, (not) surprisingly, Portugal was in the spotlight. The country, more precisely its culinary, won the “New Destination Champion Award” attributed by La Liste. Such a prize is awarded to the best culinary destination of the year.
When it comes to the best chef awards, there are three Portuguese restaurants within the first 100 spots. José Avillez (Restaurante Belcanto) was #33, Hans Neuner (Restaurante Ocean) #71, and João Oliveira #100 (Restaurante Vista).
Moreover, apart from the international rankings, MesaMarcada has its own yearly gala. Similarly to the other two, it provides a list of who, and what is worth noting.
In this year’s edition, restaurant Prado took the top spot, and Hans Neuner’s restaurant Ocean was number two. The New Restaurant of the Year special award was attributed to the restaurant Cozinha das Flores.
When it comes to the best chef awards, the first place was attributed to João Rodrigues from the restaurant O Canalha, and the second place to Vasco Coelho dos Santos from Euskalduna.
