Young chef Pedro Pena Bastos made his name at inventive restaurants like the dinner-party-style Ceia experience at the Santa Clara 1728 hotel, and the destination-dining winery Esporão. But his new signature project, CURA, at the Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon, is his most audacious move yet.
Although Pena Bastos has a reputation for highly technical cooking, the plates are un-fussy and the pleasure level is high. As with any self-respecting chef these days, he starts off with the best ingredients he can find. In his case, that means whatever is freshest from his purveyors, of course, but also staples like aged butter from Ilha das Flores in the Azores and a green “early harvest” olive oil from his own family estate in Tomar, in the center of Portugal.
His menu is divided into just 12 selections, each of them centered on a single, special ingredient. Examples have included freshly caught sea bass garnished with cabbages, parsley and saffron; squid with hazelnuts, roasted seaweed butter and caviar; and Hokkaido pumpkin with chanterelles, pistachios and Indian cress.
There is a dedicated vegetarian menu, and set menus with 7 or 13 moments, in addition to the a la carte options. The restaurant offers a juice pairing as well as a wine pairing. The latter is the work of smart sommelier Gabriela Marques.
The dining room, which has its own entrance from the street and feels separate from the hotel, is elegant, with floor-to-ceiling windows, Madeira wood paneling, beveled mirrors on the walls, and Bahia blue granite. For now, it’s just 28 seats, making for an especially intimate and memorable experience.
For more information, visit CURA webpage.
CURA
Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon
Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca 88
Lisbon
Phone: +351 213 811 401
Email: cura.lis@fourseasons.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday – 19:30 to 23:00
