EAT > Mini Bar, Lisbon

Jose Avillez is probably the most famous chef in Portugal and in 2023 he was named the best chef in Portugal in the Best Chef Top 100 Award for his incredible contribution to food and helping to make Lisbon a top global destination for fine gastronomy.

His early career was at the world famous El Bulli (3 Michelin Star) restaurant in Spain, where he mastered incredible technique and a passion for fine food. He has several restaurants in Portugal and also in Dubai and Macau. These include Belcanto which is listed at number 25 of the World Top 50 Best Restaurants and has two Michelin stars and Encanto which is also in Lisbon and has one Michelin star.

Mini Bar is hidden restaurant, in the speakeasy sense that it is hidden away in this case inside another restaurant. Across the courtyard from Bairro do Avillez is a door hidden behind a bookcase that takes you into the restaurant.

The food is designed to be a selection of small tastes to excite the palate and there are some exception options to try and the atmosphere is one of a party as the nights go long, weekends it is open to 3.30am so you can eat and drink and listen to some great music.