The Protégés of Benoît Sinthon’s Kitchen

From a chef, a team, a restaurant, and the commitment of a hotel group, a cuisine with identity and diversity was born — now present in the kitchens of various hotels and restaurants.
In the first half of the last decade, a group of people shared one kitchen. They had the responsibility of developing a concept and earning the first Michelin star ever awarded to a restaurant in Madeira, in 2009 — Il Gallo d’Oro. Leading the team was Benoît Sinthon, a Frenchman who fell in love with Madeira and helped develop the local cuisine, introducing new products and bringing chefs and producers closer together.

The rest of the team was young, very young, full of dreams and goals. The clock only served to mark dinner time. The days were made of long hours, many spent on preparation and service, but many also on research, experiments, and attempts to evolve.
This team today represents much of what PortoBay is and embodies a concept, a way of seeing cuisine, which can be found in the various hotels of the Group in Portugal, with the kitchen of Il Gallo d’Oro in Funchal as the starting point.
But it is worth going back to the year 2004. That is when Benoît Sinthon’s story with the group begins and the adventure of Il Gallo d’Oro starts. António Nascimento is from that time, when “they still didn’t talk about stars,” as he himself recalls.

Then the Michelin star arrived, in 2009, and the level was raised. Meanwhile, the work of building an identity had already begun. Refined techniques, combined with local products, ensuring a character to the cuisine that, while international, has a strong geographical terroir component.
António Nascimento became Benoît Sinthon’s sous-chef at Il Gallo d’Oro and was there at the moment of the first star, the second star in 2017, the green star for sustainability in 2022, and the first time the restaurant received the three Repsol Suns. "It was a long stay, 18 years," he recalls.
Then, another challenge, embracing leadership. He became Head Chef of PortoBay Santa Maria, which "has been a very good challenge," after nearly two decades alongside the Group’s gastronomic mentor.

 

In 2010, PortoBay launched the idea of organizing a traveling gastronomic festival at other Michelin restaurants, where chefs would visit each other and collaborate on multi-chef dinners. Thus, the Route of the Stars was born, a way to enrich teams and exchange experiences. In those early years in the Il Gallo d’Oro kitchen, besides Benoît Sinthon and António Nascimento, there were chefs like Élio Olim, Mauro Gonçalves, Pedro Spínola, João Luz, and Sara Silva. Rui Pinto also passed through: “it was an incredible experience,” says the current Head Chef of Avista Ásia at the Les Suites at Cliff Bay hotel.
And where are all these names now? The answer is simple: in different PortoBay restaurants and hotels. They have become a generation of talents who took on the task of spreading this gastronomic concept. And that is why the Il Gallo d’Oro kitchen has become, according to Benoît Sinthon, "a great school of gastronomy."

 

From the group that participated in the early years of Il Gallo d’Oro, António Nascimento was the one who most recently took on his own project. Almost ten years earlier, Mauro Gonçalves opened PortoBay Liberdade in Lisbon, in the kitchen of Bistrô4, supporting another experienced Group chef, João Espírito Santo. The restaurant concept, which was also extended to other PortoBay units, was developed together with Benoît Sinthon.
Sara Silva also moved to Lisbon to take on the kitchen at PortoBay Marquês. Today, she sees Benoît Sinthon as a mentor “who awakened in me an even greater love for cooking.” She adds, “I know I can count on him whenever I need.”

 

A few years later, Pedro Spínola took over the kitchen of the main restaurant at The Cliff Bay, the Rose Garden, before moving to Porto to lead the kitchens of the Group’s hotels in that city. First PortoBay Teatro and later PortoBay Flores. He is currently the Head Chef of the restaurant Flor de Sal, in the new PortoBay Blue Ocean, in the Algarve.
João Luz’s journey was closer. He took over the kitchen at the hotel Les Suites at The Cliff Bay, in Funchal, and especially the restaurant Avista, which has been listed as a Michelin Guide recommendation since 2020. He also speaks of “friendship and mutual trust” with Benoît Sinthon.
Élio Olim remains at The Cliff Bay and was entrusted with the task of transforming the Rose Garden kitchen. Being just a few meters from Il Gallo d’Oro, he regularly communicates with the French chef.

 

From the initial team, several teams were born that continue to train new members, seeking to maintain this identity. And so, the question to Benoît Sinthon arises: If I go to the Algarve, Porto, Lisbon, or Madeira, will I find a mix of PortoBay’s identity with that of each Chef? The answer is clear: "Yes, you will, because our idea is to have a common thread running through our restaurant lines like Il Basilico, bistros, or brasseries, with a percentage of creativity from the resident chefs."
But where does each Chef’s identity lie? Benoît Sinthon makes it clear that "each one has their own vision of cuisine." Pedro Spínola explains that "Chef Benoît believes in an environment where unity does not erase differences but values them." As a result, the Head Chef of Flor de Sal understands that the "collective comes out stronger."

 

Mauro Gonçalves adds that "all the restaurants indeed have a different identity, although the principles are the same." The sous-chef of PortoBay Liberdade believes that "each restaurant is marked by the resident chef, which makes that place unique." Explaining further, Pedro Spínola states that "each unit values local products and their specificity, thus creating a fusion between Chef Benoît’s identity and the richness of each destination, as well as the imprint of each chef." Élio Olim also acknowledges that "there is room for diversity," and João Luz draws attention to the "distinct experiences each customer has in the different restaurants."

 

In Porto, it’s São João’s turn to shine! Picture yourself walking along the Douro River, with the sky lit up by fireworks and the sound of playful hammer taps filling the air. The streets come alive with music, sardines, caldo verde, and, of course, the vibrant northern spirit that makes this night an unforgettable experience. Raise a glass of Port wine and celebrate this tradition with us!

Rui Pinto would like more meetings but admits that “whenever we meet, it feels like no time has passed.” These moments, summarizes Sara Silva, “serve as inspiration.” Élio Olim has the particularity of working side-by-side daily with Benoît Sinthon, and “the exchange of experiences serves as inspiration.” The “spirit of continuous learning and collaboration helps build cohesive kitchens with consistent quality,” argues Pedro Spínola. From Lisbon, Mauro Gonçalves adds that “work and dedication generate opportunity.” The successful careers of several chefs serve as examples for others.

This process continues. From one kitchen, one chef, one team, and the philosophy of a hotel group, other chefs and teams were born, and the concept has been expanding in a process that allows the creation of identity. It is a dynamic reality that brings geographies and experiences closer together and ensures coherence despite diversity.