Residência sets out on third gastronomic season across seven Portuguese regions

Residência, the itinerant gastronomic project led by Portuguese chef João Rodrigues, will return for a third season that travels across seven regions of Portugal in 2026 and 2027. Beginning this September in the Algarve with Peruvian chef Pía León of Kjolle in Lima as guest chef, the aim is to explore and document the cultural, gastronomic and human characteristics of the wide-ranging Portuguese territories.

Residência operates as a travelling residency, rather than a fixed venue. Each edition relocates to a different part of the country, where the participating chefs work with regional ingredients and producers. The format is designed to place emphasis on the specific agricultural, fishing and culinary practices of the host region, and on the people who sustain them. Founder Rodrigues previously ran Feitoria in Lisbon, before shifting his focus to itinerant and producer-led work, which is highlighted in Residência’s model.

The project has run for two previous seasons that covered more than 22,000km and involved 40 Portuguese chefs, 11 international chefs and over 100 producers. The third instalment continues in the same vein, demonstrating the diversity of Portuguese gastronomy and supporting the country’s position as an international food tourism destination. The seven regions to be visited span a range of Portuguese landscapes and food cultures. Each stop will be structured around collaborations between Portuguese and visiting international chefs, alongside producers based in the area.

Food tourism has become an increasingly significant component of Portugal’s visitor economy, and projects such as Residência form part of a broader effort by chefs and regional bodies to draw attention to production outside the country’s main urban centres. The full line-up for the upcoming cycle is detailed below.

Pía León (Kjolle, Peru) – Algarve
Jaime Rodríguez (Celele, Colombia) – Central Portugal
Juan Luis Martínez (Mérito, Peru) – Madeira
Santiago Fernández (Venezuela) – Porto and the North
Tam Chudaree Debhakam (Baan Tepa, Thailand) – Lisbon
Nicolai Nørregaard (Kadeau, Denmark) – Azores
Ivan Ralston (Tuju, Brazil) – Alentejo

Food Desk

For further information about Residência 2026-2027, bookings and further announcements, visit the project’s website here.