The Anfitriã Cooking Experience

Adelaide doesn’t do compromise. When she decided to fuse traditional Portuguese gastronomy with vegetarian cuisine, friends raised eyebrows. “Portuguese food without meat or fish? Impossible!” they said. But Adelaide had spent twenty years immersed in natural cooking and macrobiotic philosophy. She knew something they didn’t: flavor doesn’t live in the protein. It lives in the soul of the dish.

That’s how Anfitriã cooking super-private masterclasses were born. Not as rebellion, but as love letter. “My inspiration comes from the fusion of natural food with Portuguese gastronomy and its legacy of stories, memories, and unique flavors,” Adelaide explains. “It was with this genuine love for our culture that I created these gastronomic experiences.”

The location is perfect. Her place is nestled between two of Lisbon’s most iconic neighborhoods. Central, accessible, steeped in history. Here, around a well-worn kitchen counter, Adelaide transforms centuries-old recipes into something entirely new while keeping everything gloriously familiar.

The experience begins at 10:30. No rush. No pretense. Adelaide welcomes her guests – eight to twelve for the group sessions, four to six for the private ones– and immediately the atmosphere shifts. This isn’t a demonstration. It’s collaboration.

“There is no distance between those who cook and those who visit,” Adelaide insists. “Everything happens in an atmosphere of complicity, curiosity and discovery.” Hands dive into bowls of organic vegetables. Knives slice through seasonal produce. Stories emerge naturally, woven between recipe instructions.

Each menu changes twice yearly, following Portugal’s agricultural rhythm. Spring brings different treasures than autumn. Adelaide sources everything locally, organically. The ingredients dictate the dishes, not the other way around.

And here’s the magic: these are Portuguese dishes. Recognizable. Beloved. But reimagined entirely without animal products. The seasoning stays authentic. The flavors remain Portuguese to their core. “We honor traditional Portuguese seasoning and flavor with a special touch,” Adelaide notes, “keeping the soul of Portugal, enriched with the freshness and flavor of plant-based ingredients.”

By 12:30, the kitchen work is done. The table is set. Everyone sits down together. This is when Adelaide’s philosophy crystallizes. “What makes a meal really special is, above all, the people – the shared moments, the laughs, the satisfaction of spending time at the table, and enjoying each plate of food as if it were a piece of Portuguese culture.”

The meal unfolds over ninety minutes. Organic Portuguese wine flows. Conversation deepens. That initial awkwardness of strangers cooking together has evaporated completely. Now there’s only warmth, satisfaction, discovery.

For the private experiences, Adelaide customizes everything. Dietary restrictions? No problem. Food intolerances? Easily adapted. She’s been doing this long enough to know that hospitality means flexibility. “Here, flavors tell stories”, she says. “Stories of ancestral recipes, with seasonal ingredients, hands that cook with dedication and respect for the land.”

At 1:30, the experience ends. But guests don’t leave empty-handed. Adelaide provides all the recipes. Every dish they’ve cooked, they can recreate. That’s deliberate. “More than a meal, it’s an experience,” she explains. “A moment to enjoy, celebrate and not just take away new recipes, but also memories that will last over time.”

It’s ambitious, this project of Adelaide’s. Convincing the world that Portuguese cuisine can thrive without codfish or piglet requires both confidence and skill. But she’s not asking anyone to abandon tradition. She’s offering an expansion of it.

“One of Portugal’s greatest treasures is undoubtedly its rich and diverse cuisine,” Adelaide reflects. “This is our proposal: a hands-on cooking workshop where tradition meets modernity in an authentic and unforgettable experience.”

The space accommodates groups easily, intimacy intact. And Adelaide? She’s there for all of it, guiding, teaching, laughing, sharing.

Twenty years of natural cooking led her here. To this kitchen. To these guests. To this beautiful collision of past and present, where Portugal’s culinary heritage gets honored through transformation rather than preservation.

Go meet her. Bring your appetite and your curiosity. Leave with full stomach, new skills, and something else entirely: the knowledge that tradition isn’t fragile. It’s endlessly adaptable. Just ask Adelaide.