The traditionally balmy weather of St. Martin’s Day was in evidence with the unveiling of new dishes at the Bougain Restaurant & Garden Bar, but, sooner or later, the cold and rain will arrive – and the restaurant that opened in April on the Avenida Valbom, at The Pérgola Boutique Hotel, is all set to welcome guests with comfort food and ingredients that taste best in wintertime.
From 25 November, the menu will be much warmer with dishes such as cardinal prawn bisque (€14), seared grouper with cauliflower purée and dill-flavoured olive oil (€27), Beef Wellington with potato mille-feuille (€64/two people), and profiteroles with vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate and pistachios (€12) – the four dishes that were served on the sunny day of the tasting.
These aren't the only novelties to mark the start of the winter season: for starters you'll find onion soup au gratin (€13) and vegetable tatin with burrata (€15); mains include a wonderfully creamy duck and cured sausage rice (€25); and for dessert there is torija, a Spanish-style eggy bread with jelly and orange mascarpone (€10).
“This isn’t about inventing whole new dishes,” says Miguel Garcia, the owner, who wants to continue reviving the classics of Mediterranean cuisine at the Bougain, and has been involved in the process of making the new creations with chef Diana Roque. “For example, we took out the gazpacho and the oysters, which are very summery, but we kept the entrecôte, the sole à meunière and the cardinal prawn rice, our star dish,” he continues.
It’s not only the menu at the “baby brother of the Café de São Bento”, also owned by Miguel Garcia, that’s been adapted to the winter season: on the terrace, the mushroom heaters and blankets are already in place to take the chill off the colder days and nights, as are the awnings for covering the tables when it rains. The dining room inside seats 30 people and is cosy all year round.
The Bougain is closed over Christmas (only serving lunches on 24 December), but is preparing a special New Year's Eve menu: it starts with champagne, an amuse bouche and smoked amberjack, continues with cardinal prawn rice and rack of lamb with potato mille-feuille, and ends with tiramisu. It costs €190 per person and includes wine pairing – this rises to €260 if you stay overnight at The Pergola Boutique Hotel. On New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will be open until 2 a.m. and the dress code is black tie.
Avenida Valbom, 13 (Cascais). 91 476 8826. Mon-Sun 12.30pm to 3pm, 7pm to midnight