Belcanto boasts a superb location in the Bairro Alto (Chiado) district popular with tourists, on a corner close to a former convent damaged by the large earthquake that devastated the city in 1755. In his culinary empire’s showcase gourmet restaurant, chef José Avillez offers a modern à la carte and a single tasting menu entitled Belcanto that takes guests on a journey of gastronomic discovery in a dining room divided into different spaces, alongside a chef’s table in the kitchen. Avillez explains that all his dishes are influenced by Lisbon’s different light, its maritime shoreline and its distinct districts: in the words of this celebrated chef, “cooking is our very own fado, and our own form of expression”. He recreates recipes that recall our childhood memories, such as the classic “grandmother’s rice pudding” (arroz-doce da nossa avó), which boasts a sublime delicacy and a truly special flavour. Interestingly, the napkin provided for dessert is in the shape of a sleeve, recalling the way the chef once wiped his mouth on his sleeve as a child!