Chef Arnaldo Azevedo - “[…] we are Portuguese and we should never forget our roots.”

He first fell in love with cooking at his parents’ restaurant and today he is a Michelin-starred chef in the world of haute cuisine. In a conversation brimming with flavour, we spoke to chef Arnaldo Azevedo about memories, Portuguese products and reinvention, the ingredients of a distinctive identity that blends tradition and modernity, without ever losing touch with his roots. 

You grew up in a family-run restaurant and now manage three dining establishments, one of which has a Michelin star. Tell us a little about your professional journey.
I took my first steps in my parents’ restaurant, but I soon realised that being self-taught is very difficult these days. I focused on my training and entered the workforce as a professional. I went to the Algarve, where I spent four years, first at the Sheraton Pinecliffs and then at Amadeus, which already had a Michelin star. Between those two places, I co-founded Mesa in Oporto, went back to the Algarve and then returned to Oporto. I spent eight years at Hotel Teatro, in the city centre, owned by the same people who run Vila Foz. Then the opportunity presented itself to start a new venture from scratch in a seafront location, with the creation of the Vila Foz hotel and a firm commitment to fine dining. We created two distinct restaurants: the Vila Foz, a Michelin-starred restaurant since 2022, and the more casual Flor de Lis. About two years ago, we opened Bistrô by Vila Foz in Matosinhos Market.

Does the way you cook today remain true to those memories?
Memories are something that never fade. There’s always room for reinvention, because cuisine is constantly evolving and we have to move with the times, but we are Portuguese and we should never forget our roots. I try to incorporate this into certain dishes and flavours that are instantly recognisable as Portuguese and evoke those memories. For me, that makes perfect sense, especially in a hotel that welcomes so many foreigners, letting them discover one of Portugal’s great treasures: its cuisine.

Longevity in haute cuisine requires consistency and reinvention. How do you stay relevant and creative over the years without losing your signature style?
First and foremost, you have to really be passionate about what you do. Working in a kitchen isn’t easy: you either love it or hate it. I remain true to our roots, but I also enjoy absorbing what I can learn abroad and through sharing with other colleagues. These experiences are essential for our growth and for fuelling our creativity on a daily basis.

What did the award and subsequent renewal of a Michelin star for Vila Foz mean to you?
When you get to the point where you’re awarded a star, it means that the work put in over the years, the consistency and the teamwork are being recognised. But none of this is possible without support behind the scenes, in this case, from the company. If the company’s management doesn’t stick with us day in, day out and doesn’t help us through the difficulties, reaching this goal would be really hard. There’s a whole bunch of factors that lead to excellence, and we’ve managed to pull them all together to achieve a result that has been recognised. Being awarded the star again is undoubtedly a sign that, year after year, we’re managing to meet Michelin’s exacting standards.

“I remain true to our roots, but I also enjoy absorbing what I can learn abroad and through sharing with other colleagues.”

Vila Foz is home to a number of different dining concepts under your management – Vila Foz, Flor de Lis and Bistrô by Vila Foz. How would you describe each of these experiences, and what is the common thread that ties them together?
Starting with Flor de Lis, this restaurant showcases a fusion of traditional Portuguese cuisine and international flavours. We have a well-rounded menu that appeals to everyone thanks to the wide variety of dishes on offer. We also wanted to create a restaurant with longer opening hours, not least because we have a terrace overlooking the sea, which is something very appealing. With regard to Vila Foz, the idea was to make the most of this incredible room in which we find ourselves, the former ballroom of the family who built the house. Anyone who visits the restaurant gets the feeling that the whole team is working to provide an unforgettable evening. In addition, our menus tell a story, explaining to each customer the process behind the creation of that particular dish. We have two tasting menus: the Maresia, focused on fish and shellfish, with one meat dish, and the Novo Mundo, which is entirely vegetarian. Our idea was to create a harmony that would leave people feeling happy at the end of their meal. Expanding on this concept, we created Bistrô by Vila Foz in the Matosinhos Market, based on an approach that is still not very common in Portugal: people can go to the fish stall, choose whatever it is they want, take it to the restaurant, and the restaurant will cook it for them. We also have a menu that focuses on the market. At the same time, we’ve managed to create a circular economy. People love it and it is proving to be a success, and even has a Michelin recommendation.

Which dishes would you single out within each of these concepts?
At Flor de Lis, the sea bass and prawn rice is the restaurant’s iconic dish. At Vila Foz there are a number of dishes, but I would go for the octopus with black pork, black garlic purée and feijoada sauce, a dish that takes you on a trip down memory lane through Portuguese produce. At Bistrô, my suggestion would be the cataplana of fish and shellfish from the market. Although they are different dishes, they all share a common thread: Portuguese produce and the memories they evoke.

Fine dining customers are undergoing a transformation. What new expectations have you been seeing and how are you responding to these changes at Vila Foz?
The more Michelin-starred restaurants there are in the city, the more discerning the public becomes. The people who eat at these restaurants already have better-than-average gastronomic awareness and a greater knowledge of the ingredients. We can only make an impression through the quality of the food we serve. Good service starts the moment a booking is made, because this is when the guest feels they are being well looked after. If a guest has any dietary restrictions or issues that might cause a problem in the kitchen, it’s vital that they don’t experience any inconvenience whatsoever during the process. I think that’s what makes all the difference, because any menu ultimately boils down to personal taste. Guests come looking for an experience, and that experience has to be a memorable one.

Do you have any specific considerations when choosing your ingredients? 
The restaurant is open for dinner only because we have an entire team that arrives at around 2pm to prepare for the evening’s service. The emphasis on the product has to be of the highest calibre. As we work with fish and shellfish, we endeavour to source the finest produce in the country, which is dependent on excellent suppliers, product knowledge and delivering only the best to our guests. Portugal is renowned for having one of the finest coastlines in the world and, in my view, the finest fish too. I have seen this for myself.

Away from the kitchen, what fuels your creativity? What helps you to switch off? I tend to say that when I go on holiday, it’s only on the third or fourth day that I finally manage to switch off, and even then, I don’t switch off completely, because with mobile phones and emails these days, it’s almost impossible. Despite this, I think it’s important to travel, not only to switch off but also to soak up knowledge. Many of the stories that we tell through our dishes come from those travels. Of course, a little time off helps too. Being with your family is very important and, in my case, having become a father relatively recently, even more so. This is a new phase for me, watching him grow up, and that has helped me switch off.

What does luxury mean to you? Enjoying time with family, a few friends… and time itself, without a doubt. Time is a luxury these days.

Looking to the future, what challenges would you like to take on and what legacy would you hope to leave in Portuguese gastronomy? When it comes to Vila Foz, I’d like to make it to the next milestone: a second Michelin star. Ultimately, the legacy is about continuing what we’ve done so far. If we achieve that, it means everything is in good hands. I’m not overly ambitious; I feel I’ve managed to accomplish what I set out to do, and I like to take things one step at a time. If new, positive challenges come along that add value both personally and for the business, we’ll be here to embrace them.

“When it comes to Vila Foz, I’d like to make it to […]a second Michelin star.”

Text: Carla Martins
Photos: Ana Nogueira