The 2015 Michelin guide awards for Spain and Portugal were held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on November 25, with a result that was a surprise for the food critics of Lisbon and a true joy for those of us who really know the Algarve food scene.

Restaurateur Nuno Diogo of Praia do Carvoeiro some years ago set his sights firmly on operating an establishment that had earned its own Michelin star.

As someone who writes about the Algarve food scene and is also a personal friend of Nuno’s, I was overjoyed when I heard the news, as was anyone in the Algarve who knows how hard he and his team have worked and how much they deserve it.

The reactions from elsewhere in Portugal may have been muted but the fact is that anyone who knows and understands what great cooking is about is not surprised.

So I salute the Michelin men for having taken a fresh look at the Algarve this year.

After taking a well-deserved break over the winter, Nuno, Chef Rui Silvestre, and the team will certainly be back with a new drive and vigour.

As the only restaurant in Portugal to have earned a new Michelin star in 2015, they now have more weight on their shoulders than ever with what will no doubt be a very busy 2016. Their guests’ expectations will be set even higher.

Congratulations to Nuno, Rui and the team, not only on their own success but on the importance of the recognition it will bring to the small town of Praia do Carvoeiro in particular and the Algarve in general.


Based on an article which first appeared in the Algarve Resident¹
by Patrick Stuart, Founding Partner & CEO, Open Media

Photos (c) Hélio Ramos


¹Algarve Resident: Published weekly since 1989 and acquired by Open Media in 2012, the Algarve Resident is the Algarve's local English-language newspaper bringing readers a vibrant mix of local and national news, community updates, events, classified ads and much more.

The daily news portal portugalresident.com is one of Portugal's most visited English-language websites.