Jose Avillez is Portugal’s best-known chef and the man behind Belcanto, the Lisbon restaurant that in 2014 became the first in the Portuguese capital to hold two Michelin stars. A tireless ambassador for Portuguese cuisine, he has built a whole family of restaurants in Lisbon and beyond, reinterpreting his country’s culinary heritage with modern technique, wit and imagination.
Trained in some of the world’s most influential kitchens, Avillez has done more than almost anyone to place Portuguese gastronomy on the global stage, turning Belcanto into a symbol of the country’s growing culinary confidence.
TL;DR
- Portuguese chef, born 24 October 1979 in Cascais near Lisbon
- Chef-owner of Belcanto, Lisbon’s first two-Michelin-star restaurant
- Trained with Alain Ducasse, Eric Frechon and at elBulli
- Runs a large group of restaurants across Lisbon and Porto
- Serves contemporary Portuguese cuisine rooted in tradition
Jose Avillez key facts
| Born | 24 October 1979, Cascais, Portugal |
| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Flagship | Belcanto, Lisbon (2 Michelin stars) |
| Trained with | Alain Ducasse, Eric Frechon, elBulli |
| Known for | Contemporary Portuguese cuisine |
From Cascais to the world’s best kitchens
Born in 1979 near Lisbon, Jose Avillez discovered his passion for cooking early and pursued it with unusual determination. He learned from Jose Bento dos Santos and took private lessons with Maria de Lourdes Modesto, the grande dame of traditional Portuguese cooking, before heading abroad. He interned in France with Alain Ducasse and Eric Frechon and spent time in the creativity department of Ferran Adria’s legendary elBulli – an education that combined deep Portuguese roots with the most advanced techniques in Europe.
Belcanto
In 2012 Avillez opened a fully reimagined Belcanto in Lisbon’s historic Chiado district; it won a Michelin star that same year and a second in 2014, becoming the first restaurant in Lisbon to reach two stars. Belcanto has since been ranked among The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, cementing its status as a landmark of Portuguese fine dining. There Avillez revisits the flavours and textures of Portuguese gastronomy through continuous study and playful, elegant presentation.
A restaurant empire
Beyond Belcanto, Avillez has built one of Portugal’s most extensive restaurant groups, spanning casual taverns, bistros and concept venues across Lisbon and Porto. This range lets him share Portuguese food at every level, from fine dining to street-food-inspired plates, while keeping Belcanto as the creative pinnacle of his work.
Signature style
Avillez’s cooking is unmistakably Portuguese, but reimagined with modern technique and a sense of theatre. He takes familiar dishes, ingredients and memories – seafood, pork, bacalhau, Portuguese sweets – and reinvents them with precision and surprise, always aiming to honour tradition while pushing it forward.
Jose Avillez in context
Avillez is the leading figure of a Portuguese culinary renaissance that also includes chefs featured on Pickup Table 4 such as Henrique Sa Pessoa and Hans Neuner.
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Jose Avillez FAQ
Who is Jose Avillez?
Portugal’s best-known chef and the owner of the two-Michelin-star Belcanto in Lisbon.
What is Belcanto?
His flagship restaurant, the first in Lisbon to earn two Michelin stars.
Where did he train?
With Alain Ducasse and Eric Frechon in France and at Ferran Adria’s elBulli.
What kind of food does he cook?
Contemporary Portuguese cuisine rooted in tradition.
Does he have other restaurants?
Yes – a large group of restaurants across Lisbon and Porto.
