Hugo Candeias is not the first chef to say he was inspired by his grandmother. But his new restaurant, Avó—“grandmother” in Portuguese—is a particularly lovely tribute. He says it’s an homage to grandmothers everywhere, and a response to our collective desire to return to a comforting kitchen and a table where we feel close to the ones we love.
Candeias is a serious chef, having spent 14 years in top kitchens in England, Denmark, and Spain, where he was part of Albert Adrià’s group; more recently, he made his name in Lisbon at Ofício. But Avó is not a chef-driven restaurant. Rather, he presents classic Portuguese dishes that don’t need any explanation. They’re memorable to those who grew up here and accessible to those who did not.
The plans are for a menu that will change with the seasons and customer feedback, but for now, it includes comfort food like oxtail cottage pie, razor clam xerém (similar to polenta), púcara (clay pot) chicken stew, and vinhais cuscos with beef tongue. But if you pay attention, you can see Candeia’s technique and global influences peek out. In his meia-disfeita, for instance, the cod is confited and soft rather than shredded and chewy, and it’s bathed in a luxurious pil pil sauce.
The dining room is handsome yet homey, with vintage touches like an antique Oliva sewing machine, ceramic figurines, and shelves filled with cookbooks. And like grandma’s house, Avó doesn’t close its kitchen in the middle of the afternoon. Rather, it serves continuously, from 12:30 to midnight every day.
For more information, visit the Avó Instagram page.
Avó
Rua 4 de Infantaria 29D
Lisbon
Phone: +351 914 511 441 Daily 12:30 to 24:00