Carla Sousa

The Path

Portuguese cooking gives Carla Sousa a clear register: garlic, coriander, and ingredients read through the country rather than around it. In Lisbon, her early frame was set close to nature, and that shows in the way her food holds both rootedness and movement. The work lands with familiar aromas, but they are handled to keep clean and the flavors distinct. Carla Sousa served as chef at Sítio Valverde Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal from 2015 to 2023, a long tenure that placed her inside the discipline of hotel dining and gave her room to develop a steady hand. Within that setting, the details that define her cooking stayed central: the clarity of Portuguese flavors, the pull of ingredients from across the country, and the perspective shaped by a Lisbon childhood close to nature. Since 2023, she has been chef of Rio de Prata, where the same approach carries into a new room. The move extends the line of her work rather than breaking it, keeping Portuguese cooking at the center while allowing her to keep testing how travel inside Portugal can sharpen what is already familiar.

The Work Today

At Rio de Prata, Carla Sousa works in a key that favors precision over excess. The cooking stays faithful to Portuguese flavor, but it does not sit still; it takes in what travel across the country can reveal and folds that back into the plate. Garlic and coriander are part of that grammar, used as core seasoning rather than decorative finish, and the effect is direct, legible, and controlled.

Signature

Carla's signature dishes include Bacalhau “à SÍTIO, chips Valverde, and Carabineiro ao alhinho. Together, they point to a cooking style built on named references, hotel context, and a straightforward handling of flavor.

In Their Words “So, although I always end up mixing other cuisines and flavours, the traveling that inspires me the most is the one that takes place in Portugal.” “I’m very faithful to our flavors. For me, Portuguese cuisine is one of the best. Just add garlic and coriander and it makes all the difference.”