A Pastorinha remains one of the enduring classics of Avenida Marginal. Located on Carcavelos Beach since 1983, the restaurant traces its roots to an earlier venue of the same name (owned by the original proprietor), which operated in Monte Estoril from 1976. In recent months, while retaining its identity, signature dishes, and elegant service, it has undergone subtle updates.
This isn’t a revolution but rather a quiet, understated revamp led from within by Chef Mauro Álison, who has helmed the kitchen since May. At 38 years old, he arrived from Hotel Casa Palmela in Setúbal, having also worked at Bastardo in Lisbon, among other restaurants. A lecturer at the Setúbal hospitality school, a board member of the Portuguese branch of the international organisation Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, and a judge for various gastronomic competitions, Álison has been charting a path towards contemporary cuisine.
“But it was precisely because this is such a huge challenge – the responsibility of reinventing a classic – that I decided to take up the proposal to come to A Pastorinha”, he explains to Time Out. “That was my biggest motivation, knowing all the constraints I’d face”.
Since arriving at the Carcavelos restaurant, Mauro Álison has introduced changes to working methods and certain cooking techniques, as well as the way some ingredients are stored. While the menu remains largely the same, nearly all dishes have undergone slight modifications, he explains. “For example, we’ve changed the steak sauce, the seafood rice broth is different, and the curry has also been updated. We’ve brought back red mullet, which was part of the menu but had disappeared”, he lists.
The chef emphasises that while “keeping the classic”, he aims to implement “more contemporary approaches”. “I believe this type of service will be a trend in the restaurant industry. Building on this foundation, with so many years of experience, we need to stay ahead. We’re already doing it, so now we must take the next step forward”.
It’s on the executive menu – served Monday to Friday at lunchtime – that Mauro Álison has more freedom to experiment with main courses. Semi-cured cod with açorda of turnip greens, yellow grouper from the Azores with turnip purée, black pork trotter with mashed potatoes, sea bass with tomato açorda, fragateira-style monkfish with prawns, or creamy duck rice with mushrooms are some of the rotating dishes he has been serving daily. For €30, diners can enjoy a main course, couvert, soup of the day or seafood bisque, dessert of choice, coffee, and a drink.
The idea is that dishes with the “greatest acceptance” can be promoted to the main menu, while the executive menu serves as a kind of laboratory – a space for experimenting with distinctive dishes, albeit without taking too many risks. Mauro Álison also reveals that vegetarian options will soon be included on the executive menu.
“Change can’t be too radical, as we don’t want to break ties with our existing customers. On the contrary, we aim to strengthen those bonds while also attracting new clientele”, he concludes.
Avenida Marginal, Praia de Carcavelos. 214 571 892. Mon–Sat 12.00–00.00; Sun 12.00–17.00