Vasco Lello
A family chef with artistic flair, cooking up meals to share in the heart of Lisbon
Vasco Lello
Flores do Bairro
Portugal
When Lello arrived in Switzerland for an internship, his French was poor, and he had to rely on his father’s cheat sheet to help him reach his destination.
VASCO LELLO is chef at the Flores do Bairro restaurant, located on the ground floor of the Bairro Alto Hotel, a 200-year-old palace, with windows looking out on to Luís de Camões Square and Rua das Flores, right at the heart of the city of Lisbon.
With plenty of dishes to choose from and to share, Lello’s is a genuine bairro kitchen. He considers himself an artist, and, in fact, he trained at art school before deciding to become a chef. His initial culinary education came from his two grandmothers, who, not all too infrequently, would cook feasts for 40 or more family members.
Lello trained in part at a small hotel in Nyon, on Lake Leman, in Switzerland. Here he had a baptism of fire, when he and a fellow intern had to take over cooking for the Spanish football team, when the head chef burnt both of his hands. Luckily, all went well, and Lello received a personal thanks and commendation from the players. Today, he looks back on this event as motivational and inspirational in helping him on his path to becoming the successful chef that he now is.
Once a week, Lello can be found at the market, keeping an eye on the produce available. He sees it as something of a ritual – above and beyond the duties of his role. Fish, cheese, baked items, vegetables – Lello enjoys a hands on approach. Unsurprisingly his restaurant has something of a personal touch, and, with just 12 tables, nearly always all full, he seems to be carrying on the family tradition.
