NEW HORIZONS: PORTUGAL

Driving roughly two hours south of Lisbon to Portugal’s southern region of Alentejo, I first notice its flatness compared to the Douro Valley and its terraced vineyards. In Alentejo, gently rolling hills give way to farmland and plains, while the Alqueva Dam, built on the Guadiana River near the Spanish border, has created Europe’s largest artificial lake. It is on the shores of this vast, sparkling body of water that Casa Nossa, aka “the lake farmhouse,” is situated. It is early 2023, and I’m among the first to preview this new private retreat from none other than highly lauded Portuguese chef José Avillez and his wife, Sofia Ulrich.

Since my first visit to Avillez’s two Michelin-starred restaurant Belcanto in 2016, the chef and his team have expanded with multiple casual to upscale restaurants, including Michelin-starred Encanto, a rare-in-Europe 100 percent vegetarian fine dining restaurant in a chic space that once housed Belcanto before it moved next door.

As the most well-known chef working in Portugal, Avillez has done much to spread the gospel of modern and traditional Portuguese cuisine globally. Casa Nossa is a unique step forward where dining, wine and hospitality collide with Portuguese spirit. With its modern, airy, bright design, it’s a luxury retreat with a rustic soul in a region of farmers and working men and women. Here, I could immediately see (and feel) the progression of a country I’ve been visiting for nearly a decade. This is a holistic space where Portugal’s heartwarming roots and modern day sophistication coalesce.

“The last decades have built a contemporary Lisbon,” Avillez explains. “Some investments were made to present Lisbon as a multicultural European capital and the urban environment was transformed. In recent years, we have experienced a remarkable growth in tourism; the catering and hospitality sector has developed.” He continues, “Today there are many more fine dining restaurants with Michelin stars and many more also deserving the third star. There are also smaller hotels and high-quality rural tourism units where local traditions are preserved and enhanced and customer service comes first. So there has clearly been an evolution, a step forward towards excellence.”

TOP, A VIEW OF CASA NOSSA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS, AND THE MAIN SITTING ROOM AT CASA NOSSA

 José Avillez

CHANGING TIMES

Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon, arguably had the fastest-growing food scene in Europe in the past decade, as evidenced by the massive changes I noticed since my first visit in 2016 and my recent 2023 return. More immigrants have brought more international restaurants beyond Portugal’s rightly renowned seafood, tascas (casual eateries) and beloved pastries like pastel de nata. While the pandemic slowed some of the growth, much of it stabilized. Avillez’s Belcanto and Henrique Sá Pessoa’s Alma grew to two Michelin stars, while the city’s one-Michelin pool grew to 11 restaurants. And Portugal’s second city, Porto, also now boasts a duo of two-Michelin restaurants: The Yeatman and Casa de Chá da Boa Nova.

Hotels have likewise sprouted up all over the country, including ultra-modern boutique hotels like Memmo Príncipe Real with its dramatic views over Lisbon hills and sleek, cozy rooms complete with all the accouterments to make your own port and tonic in room. Memmo also has two other chic hotels in Portugal: Memmo Baleeira Hotel Sagres on the southern coast and Memmo Alfama in Lisbon. Another stylish retreat is the Monverde Wine Experience Hotel in the Douro region, with minimalist rooms gazing over the vineyards and a swanky restaurant and spa. All are shining examples of the world-class hotels now available around the country, but each remain rooted in Portuguese traditions and local terroir.

The same can be said of Casa Nossa. Set on a private 65-hectare plot, it is reached via a bumpy dirt road past fields of sheep, ancient oak trees and lush farmland. The striking white house on the shores of shimmering Lake Alqueva was designed by Avillez and Ulrich themselves, in collaboration with Studio Astolfi.

On arrival, we spot Avillez working on the garden, as he continues to put finishing touches on the grounds and house. We are greeted by the gracious chef, his thoughtful wife and a tight, sweetheart team that includes some of his best chefs, sommeliers and managers – not just from Lisbon, but even from his Dubai restaurant, Tasca.

“Casa Nossa is uniquely Portuguese because it reflects our traditions, our history, our way of being,” says Avillez. “We take advantage, gastronomically, of the environment where it is located. The house is surrounded by centuries-old holm oaks, native plants, fruit trees, aromatic herbs and a vegetable garden where the best vegetables are grown.”

Dining here is akin to eating like royalty, enjoying nurturing, heartfelt food and modern plays on traditional Portuguese cuisine, all utilizing local ingredients. From breakfast to dinner, the spread is impeccable and detailed. On our visit, the chefs roast a tender whole lamb overnight on the outdoor fire with pineapples and vegetables, for one of our unforgettable feasts.

LOCAL HERO

Casa Nossa richly melds modern design and rustic style, and features all the luxury essentials, from an infinity pool to to a movie theater. A particular highlight is the lofty, narrow basement wine cellar, flanked by a tasting table and stocked with an extensive selection of wines from Portugal and the world.

I revel in ever-underrated Portuguese sparkling wines, a long-beloved Arinto – a white grape that can age so beautifully for decades like Riesling or White Burgundy – and a winning collection of local Alentejo wines, from fascinating natural wines to earthy reds. You can learn much of the region just tasting through a range of its wines, many within a few miles of the house.

Avillez notes: “The core of Portuguese cuisine and hospitality continues to be our history as a country, our traditions, the mix of influences, our geography and our way of being as a people: authentic, resilient and open to the world and other cultures. In addition to that, our geography: Portugal has a wide variety of landforms, climates and soil types and a long coastline.

“Each region has different, yet amazing products: wines, cheese varieties, bread types, olive oils, produce, spices, herbs, meat, fish and shellfish. And then our way of being. We are resilient and creative. In times of great scarcity, we have shown we can create unique dishes from simple foods such as, for example, bread. See the gastronomy of the Alentejo and how bread is used in original ways in migas, soups, açordas and stews.”

A WARM WELCOME

Across the country, I sink deeper into a culture that is as Avillez describes: open, humble, warm, offering gently restorative hospitality. At Monverde, I revel in direct contact with the vineyards of the Douro region. At Memmo Príncipe, the cozy, sumptuous gaze over Lisbon is a welcome retreat in the walkable heart of the city.

As well as Michelin-starred meals at Belcanto and Encanto, I also delighted in tiny taverns with long waits to get in, like divey O Velho Eurico in Lisbon, run by twenty-somethings continuing their parents’ tasca tradition they grew up on in the Minho region. With Eurico’s soulful, traditional foods cooked with care and cheeky messages carved into tables and walls, the range and contrast between these restaurants encapsulates current-day Portugal.

The ultimate moment, bringing me to tears, is at Casa Nossa when the Vinho Cantado choral group comes to sing at the house. This group of 12 men sings in a two-part, polyphonic style preserved on the Unesco cultural heritage list as historic, regional Alentejo vocals. They sing raw, soaring songs of the working(wo)man, of heartbreak, hard lives and love. In these songs, I hear the heartbeat of Portugal. Avillez confirms: “As a people, we are also open to the world. We like to know, to receive, to care. And those who visit us feel very welcome.”

The Camille room, swimming pool and a garden-fresh dish at the Auberge du Paradis in Saint-Amour. The five-star Château de Bagnols hotel and spa comes with a moat and manicured gardens

Auberge du Paradis, Saint-Amour   

Located in the heart of the village, this auberge has 12 beautifully decorated rooms and one well-appointed apartment. Cyril Laugier and his wife Valérie run the beautiful boutique hotel, which comes with a swimming pool and two restaurants (see below).

Château de Bagnols, Pierres Dorées 

This Relais & Châteaux property and restaurant (see below) is set in a restored 13th-century fortress built out of the golden stones which give the area its name. Stay in one of the castle suites, or more fittingly for your journey, the Chai (wine cellar) Suite.

Vergisson 

The Auberge des 2 Roches has great food – think homemade pâté, salade Vigneronne with eggs poached in wine, crême brûlée – and a beautiful terrace for a stop along your ride.

Fuissé  

L'O des Vignes by local chef Sébastien Chambru is a Michelin-starred restaurant and bistro with an adjoining wine bar serving wine by the glass.

Fleurie

A Beaujolais institution founded over 50 years ago by Chantal Chagny, the Auberge du Cep is a one-Michelin-starred restaurant located on the main square of this famed Cru village.

Chiroubles 

La Terrasse du Beaujolais has panoramic views on the hillside overlooking the vineyards. It serves simple French food and delicious cakes.

Saint-Amour-Bellevue

The Auberge du Paradis' casual wine bar Joséphine à Table and restaurant Lucienne Fait des Siennes share a patio in the beautiful village of Saint-Amour.

Pierres Dorées  

La Ferme du Chapi is a family-run restaurant with meals cooked entirely of products from their farm. Meanwhile the Château de Bagnols’ 1217 restaurant benefits from a spectacular historic setting, with a monumental fireplace inside, and sweeping views in the garden.

For route options and bike rental, see destination-beaujolais.com and Bourgogne Randonées in Beaune.

Photography ©iStock by Getty images, Auberge du Paradis, Château de Bagnols