Chef George Mendes Will Lead Culinary Tour of Portugal

Foodies can experience the cuisine of Portugal, dine at Michelin-star restaurants and sample some European wine with celebrity chef George Mendes on a Sagres Vacations Culinary Tour of Portugal. From September 14-24, 2019, travelers will visit the cities of Porto and Lisbon, tour wineries of the Douro River Valley and make stops in historic towns accompanied by Mendes, a chef of Portuguese decent and author of the cookbook, My Portugal: Recipes and Stories. Throughout the tour, travelers will have opportunities to sample local cuisine and dine at some of Portugal’s top dining destinations.

George Mendes/Sagres Vacations
Mendes gained knowledge and honed his technique for years working under chefs including Alain Passard, Martín Berasategui, Roger Vergé, Alain Ducasse and his most influential mentor, David Bouley. In 2009, Mendes brought refined Portuguese-inspired dishes to New York City when he opened his first restaurant, Aldea, where his cooking has earned the restaurant a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide every year since 2010. Mendes has been named a “Best New Chef” by Food & Wine magazine, and has made numerous television appearances, including on NBC's "TODAY Show," CBS's "This Morning," and Bravo's "Top Chef Masters.”

The tour departs from JFK Airport and begins in the wine city of Porto, where travelers stay at The Yeatman, a luxury five-star wine hotel and spa overlooking the city. There, travelers will tour the city’s historic sites and have a dinner with chef Pedro Lemos, the first chef in Porto to receive a Michelin star. It is then on to the Quinta do Vallado Hotel in the Douro River Valley where guests can visit one of Douro’s wineries, or go to the hotel infinity pool and take in the view.

As the tour heads on to Lisbon, travelers will also visit the historic towns of Aveiro and Obidos. Once checked into the five-star luxury PortoBay Liberdade hotel, there will be an opportunity to sample local flavors, including dining at ALMA, a Michelin-star rated fine-dining restaurant headed by chef Henrique Sá Pessoa. Other excursions from Lisbon include visiting the historic town of Sintra and the cliffs at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of continental Europe.

All tours are accompanied by an English-speaking guide.

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