Gil Fernandes

In Gil Fernandes’ kitchen, Portuguese produce is treated with nobility, and sustainability is the guiding thread. His dishes speak of the territory—especially the mountains and the Atlantic—while honoring memory.

Gil Vieira Fernandes was born in Ribamar, in Lourinhã, on Portugal’s western coast, a land shaped by Atlantic winds and the cycles of nature. From a very young age, he learned to respect seasonality, inspired by his grandparents. He grew up surrounded by the aroma of his grandmother’s medicinal herbs, his father’s dedication to agriculture, and his mother’s precise gestures in pastry-making.

He naturally followed the path of cooking, first studying at the Estoril Higher Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, and later training with chefs such as Luís Baena and Dieter Koschina, as well as working alongside Martín Berasategui.

His desire to learn took him to the Netherlands, where he worked with the legendary Jonnie Boer—one of the great figures in global gastronomy—and later to the Algarve, where he joined the kitchen of Hans Neuner. In 2015, he arrived at the restaurant Fortaleza do Guincho in Cascais, awarded a Michelin star since 2001, a distinction it still holds today. In 2018, he became its executive chef.