New menu from Paço dos Cunhas is a tribute to the summer in Santar

Located in a 17th century manor property, in the noble village of Santar, the Paço dos Cunhas restaurant is an icon of the gastronomic culture of the Dão-Lafões region, in the district of Viseu. Living up to its reputation as a fine dining space, Chef Henrique Ferreira and his team designed a letter for the summer that pays homage to Beira cuisine and the traditions of Santar, in a reinterpretation of traditional Portuguese cuisine that results in surprising dishes, where Past and present intersect unexpectedly.

«We wanted to pay homage to the people and traditions of Santar, reinterpreting some of the classics of Portuguese cuisine, as well as the regional recipes, respecting the products and local and seasonal ingredients, such as the heart of the bull tomato, the green beans, the loquats and even violets, so typical at this time. More than just an enogastronomic experience, we want the visit to Paço dos Cunhas to be a journey through the flavors and stories kept over time in this unique village», says Chef Henrique Ferreira, responsible for the cuisine of this emblematic gastronomy space in the heart of the city of the Dão.

The choices start with the starters, where the tributes to traditional dishes of this season stand out, with reinventions of the summertime Sardinhas Assadas com Pimentos, Peixinhos da Horta or Bifana no Pão, tributes to the typical snacks of popular summer gatherings. In terms of fish, you can see the Pasta Fresca de Lingueirão à Bolhão Pato, the Arroz Caldoso de Polvo, or the Fish Stew from Nossa Costa. The work of reinventing ancestral recipes is also present in meat, where dishes that revive old flavors such as Chicken from Campo de Fricassé, Pork Belly with Beetroot and Cabbage or Steak with Onion.

The desserts respect Portuguese recipes, telling stories of their own, such as “Ananás, Violetas e Moscatel, where the fruit of the Azores is worked with muscatel and finished with a crunchy violet, recalling the colors and aromas of the streets of Santar in summer; the Loquat and Chocolate Burnt Cream, with the loquats gathered in the backyard; or the Golden Soup French Toast, inspired by a Portuguese sweets classic.

There are many more options, either à la carte or in three tasting menus proposed by the Chef: the Origins menu (€27.50, or €36.50 with harmonization), the Santar menu (€35.00, or €50, €00) and the Do Chef menu (€57.50, or €82.50). The tasting menus have the option of pairing with the best wines from the 1990 Premium Wines portfolio, from the brands Casa de Santar, Vinha dos Amores, Encontro or Saturno, whose selection can be advised by the sommelier and head chef, André João.

Finally, a reference to the famous Corn Bread that is offered at the beginning of the meal, mashed and cooked in the kitchen at Paço dos Cunhas. The story goes that, in ancient times, cinnamon and sugar were added to the leftover dough and sweet breads were made for the children on their way home from school – the same Sweet Bread that is also present on the menu, accompanying the coffee, as well as such as the Farturas from Feira de S. Mateus and the Cavacas from Resende, in versions reinvented here.

«Paço dos Cunhas is one of our most charismatic wine tourism spaces, where we combine fine dining with our terroir wines, produced in the vineyards of Dão, Bairrada and Alentejo. The new menu, prepared by Chefs Henrique Ferreira and Alberto Correia, makes our enogastronomic experiences even more exclusive and special», says Vítor Castanheira, CEO of 1990 Premium Wines, the company that owns Paço dos Cunhas.

The new menu for the Paço dos Cunhas restaurant will be available until next October and reservations can be made by calling 232 945 452 or by emailing reservas.santar@1990.pt. The Paço dos Cunhas restaurant is open from Tuesday to Thursday for lunch, from 12:00 to 15:00; Fridays and Saturdays, lunch and dinner, from 12:00 to 15:00 and from 19:00 to 22:00; and Sundays for lunch, from 12:00 to 16:00.