Grenache, Lisbon, Portugal

From Pret á porter to haute couture. An elegy, because I liked it a lot, and an applause for its first Michelin star

Please look at my brief guide on writing restaurant reviews to see what I mean by reviews and why this is not one. Raging Restaurant Reviews are usually published on Wednesdays, and this is the first and unofficial one—and Wednesdays, we know, are like smaller Fridays—so we are in the mood to go out. I may stray from my guidelines, of course, because I am a rebel. Or better, a Gastronomic Barbarian. This review is no exception to the exception: I am writing about a restaurant I like and a Chef I have greatly appreciated since their beginning.

I have a slight crush on Grenache in Lisbon since I part-time moved just a few steps away in 2018.

This is an acutely partial review.

Beware.

Hosted on the grounds of a lavish yet decadent palace just outside of the first circle of Moorish walls of Lisbon, once a boutique hotel and today a private residence - a place that reminds you of Avignon or Carcassonne, Grenache is, for me, the best terrace you can get without having to lower yourself to sit in a tourist place in the Castle’s neighbourhood in Lisbon (Patio de Dom Fradique 12, 1100-624, Lisbon).

Finally, in February 2025, Chef Philippe Gelfi convinced the Michelin guide to award his cute, tiny and yet magnificent restaurant a Michelin star.

It is hands-down the best-deserved star in Portugal this year.

Because Grenache was already there. In the Michelindome, I mean, in 2018.

Back then, I was swinging between St. Raphael and Lisbon - I had endless appointments in both cities to pick an apartment. Grenache was a small bite of Cote Cote d’Azure. But we will get there in time.

Now, let us dig into what Grenache is today and look at its bright future.