At Largo do Paço in amarante, chef Francisco Quintas saw his restaurant named among ten new one-star additions in the latest Michelin Guide. That single listing links a small riverside place to a national moment: Portugal now has 53 starred restaurants but still no three-star house, and the gala announcement in Funchal underlined both celebration and frustration.
Largo do Paço and Francisco Quintas join the list of ten new one-star restaurants, including Amarante
Largo do Paço in Amarante appears on the guide’s roster of ten new one-star restaurants, grouped with names such as Indiferente in Porto and Kappo in Cascais. The list published this year raised the total of starred establishments in Portugal to 53, and Largo do Paço carries the attribution of chef Francisco Quintas in the printed selection.
Alongside Largo do Paço, the newcomers include Éon in Porto, DOC in Porto and Mapa in Montemor. The entry of these houses marks a tangible change in recognition across several Portuguese districts, bringing new visibility to chefs who had been noted in other guide categories before receiving stars.
Gala at Hotel Savoy in Funchal announced the new Michelin selections
The new roster was revealed at a gala at the Hotel Savoy in Funchal, Madeira, attended by an auditorium of chefs and industry figures. That night produced both applause for new honorees and comments about the missing third star: chef Pedro Pena Bastos said there are restaurants that deserve the maximum rating but that the third star did not appear this year.
Also highlighted at the event was Fifty Seconds in Lisbon, led by Rui Silvestre, which moved up to two stars and joined a group of nine two-star restaurants that now includes Belcanto and Ocean. The gala format made the guide’s choices concrete in a room of practitioners who will carry the results into their kitchens and planning.
A Cozinha do Paço, Afonso Dantas and the Alentejo rise noted by José Manuel Santos
In the Alentejo region, A Cozinha do Paço in Évora, led by Afonso Dantas, gained a Michelin star and a Green Star for sustainability, a distinction emphasized by José Manuel Santos of Turismo do Alentejo e Ribatejo. That region now counts four restaurants with Michelin stars, including MAPA in Montemor and long-standing names such as Herdade do Esporão.
José Manuel Santos framed the results as proof of an ecosystem in which identity, product and sustainability create value and attract visitors. The Alentejo and Ribatejo tally grew not only in starred houses but also in Green Star recognitions and Bib Gourmand listings, with PODA and Solar do Forcado noted in the bib selection.
Portugal’s third edition of a Michelin Guide dedicated solely to its restaurants contrasts with the combined Spain-Portugal editions of earlier years. The inspectors’ wider distribution of stars left Spain with many more top-rated houses in the broader 2026 listing, while Portuguese chefs and regions mark the new entries as steps toward greater international notice.
Back in amarante, the inclusion of Largo do Paço gives chef Francisco Quintas a new position inside that national narrative. The Michelin announcements at the Hotel Savoy in Funchal were the immediate confirmation of that change, and the guide’s return to spotlight regional kitchens is the next confirmed frame for how these restaurants will be seen and visited.
