Algarve chef João Oliveira shines at the Best Chef Awards in Dubai, achieving “World-Class” status

chef João Oliveira © Kayley Kelsing - VISTA Restaurant Portimão

Photo: Chef João Oliveira © Kayley Kelsing

The chef at Portimão’s VISTA restaurant chef won two knives at the awards which recognise the best gastronomic experiences around the world

Chef João Oliveira, of the acclaimed VISTA restaurant at the Bela Vista Hotel & Spa in Portimão, was awarded two knives at the Best Chef Awards, an international prize that honours chefs responsible for the best gastronomic experiences around the world.

Menu 2 © Kayley Kelsing - VISTA Restaurant Portimão

The annual Best Chef Awards, which took place in Dubai from November 4 to 6, brought together global talent, influencers, and industry leaders, honouring the industry’s best chefs and recognising their outstanding contributions to the culinary arts.

VISTA Restaurant Portimão © Kayley Kelsing

This is not the first time that the chef who heads the kitchen of the Algarve’s first hotel has made the list of the world’s best, with this year’s competition even bigger: “The most important thing for me is the evolution of Portuguese cuisine because last year there were only three chefs in the ranking and this year there are now 13. This means that there has been great growth for Portugal, which is what makes me most proud about this award,” explains the chef.

VISTA Restaurant Portimão Menu 1 © Kayley Kelsing

“The growth of the Portuguese gastronomic scene, which I’m part of, at world level is to be commended. I’m very proud of it,” João Oliveira added.

The award system is organised by one, two or three knives. Three Knives (The Best) are awarded to chefs achieving 80% or more of the maximum possible points, indicating top-tier culinary mastery. The Two Knives (World Class) award recognises world-class status, awarded to those achieving 40% or more of the maximum points. Finally, One Knife (Excellent) is attributed to chefs who achieve 20% or more of the maximum points, representing excellent culinary skills.

Created by Polish neuroscientist Joanna Slusarczyk and Italian gastronome Cristian Gadu, the awards have already honoured 550 chefs from 61 countries, and have put VISTA on the map of the best in world haute cuisine.

VISTA’s growth

João Oliveira moved to Portimão in 2015 and was tasked with developing a new gastronomic project at Bela Vista, a member of Relais & Châteaux, where he devoted months of research into the best products, developed relationships with suppliers, and worked hard to find consistency.

A year later, local fish took centre stage, especially the less noble species, and VISTA gained ground as a gastronomic destination focused on sustainability and identity. The team’s dedication and resilience paid off and, at the end of 2017, they won their first Michelin star when the chef was only 30 years old.

Today VISTA serves two tasting menus, one with fish and seafood only, and the other vegetarian.