10 years of Bon Bon - What's On In Algarve

Two unforgettable gastronomic evenings to celebrate restaurant’s 10^th anniversary

Ten of Portugal’s best chefs came together for a truly unforgettable set of dinners in celebration of the 10^th anniversary of Carvoeiro’s Michelin-star restaurant Bon Bon.

Bon Bon chef José Lopes teamed up with a different team of prestigious chefs on each night. Each chef presented one dish, with José Lopes also being in charge of dessert. The dinners were limited to just 40 people per night.

Bon Bon owner Nuno Diogo and partner Bianca Salden

The first night featured Luís Brito from A Ver Tavira (one Michelin star); Gil Fernandes from Fortaleza do Guincho (one star) in Cascais; Diogo Pereira from Cascade Wellness & Lifestyle Resort in Lagos; and Óscar Geadas from G Pousada in Bragança (and a former host of Masterchef Portugal).

A mouth-watering and sumptuous menu was prepared for the opening dinner, with guests being served cuttlefish with fava beans and mint by chef Luís Brito, while Óscar Geadas left his mark on the evening with ‘Azedo de Vinhais’ (a typical smoke sausage from the north of Portugal) with lobster and rapini. Diogo Pereira’s version of a ‘surf and turf’ included turbot and piglet with cilantro, while the star of Gil Fernandes’ dish was lamprey eel served with ‘presunto’ and bread. Resident chef José Lopes was not left out of the fun, having served beef tongue and truffle for his main dish and ‘bebinca’ (an Indo-Portuguese layer cake) with yoghurt and spices for dessert.

Meanwhile, the line-up for the second night consisted of João Marreiros from Loki in Portimão; Leonel Pereira from Check-in Faro; Pedro Lemos from his self-titled restaurant (one star) in Porto; Alípio Branco from Casa Velha in Quinta do Lago; and David Jesus, formerly the resident chef at Belcanto (two stars) in Lisbon.

Guests were treated to a truly gourmet experience on the second evening. Leonel Pereira wowed gourmands with his version of mackerel and ‘carabineiro’ shrimp cooked in magnesium, sea celery and blue micro algae. Eel, cabbage and dashi was the winning combination presented by Pedro Lemos, while David Jesus served crayfish with ‘cabeça de xara’ (a type of Portuguese terrine) and ‘ervilha lágrima’ (a special type of peas) on a slice of toasted activated charcoal with crayfish stock. João Marreiros’ contribution was forkbeard, veal pancetta and wild chard, Alípio Branco served bass with algae ‘xerém’ (a type of corn porridge) with cockle sauce and ‘sand’ curry, and José Lopes unveiled a dish of wild boar, truffle and red wine before ending the experience with an Algarve orange ‘torta’ (Swiss roll).

Bon Bon owner Nuno Diogo was delighted with the ‘10 Years, 10 Chefs’ event, held on February 24 and 25, describing it as a “huge success.”

“Everyone left here very happy. I am delighted with the outcome,” he told the Resident, promising to continue bringing the country’s top chefs to Bon Bon for similar events.

“I’ve been inviting guests to come cook here for 10 years, and we have more events with guest chefs planned for later this year,” Nuno Diogo added. So, watch this space!