João Cura

The Climb

João Cura trained at Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo de Coimbra before moving into private work in Portugal from 2016. That early foundation remains visible in the way his work is described: exacting, seasonal, and tied to produce, with an emphasis on making each choice feel deliberate. It is the sort of trajectory that tends to reward patience, and Cura’s rise has the quiet momentum of a chef who has built his reputation by refining rather than shouting. Today, João is Head Chef and co-owner of Almeja. The role places him at the center of the restaurant’s identity, where craft, ownership, and daily responsibility converge.

Today

The ownership structure is stated without ornament: "My name is João Cura, I’m currently the Head Chef and co-owner with my wife and parents in law of Almeja Restaurant in Porto, Portugal." That framing places the work inside a family enterprise, with the kitchen joined to the business by direct responsibility rather than distance. In that arrangement, Almeja reads less like a platform than a shared working place shaped by close ties and common accountability. The sourcing line is equally plain: "We are as local as we can be, without compromising the flavour, the quality, and supportive as we can be of our history and heritage." Locality here is treated as a working standard, not a claim. The balance is practical: flavor and quality remain fixed points, while history and heritage sit alongside them as part of the restaurant’s operating logic.

Signature

João's signature dishes include Pink Prawn Rice. The dish sits naturally within the broader picture of his cooking: anchored in produce, attentive to season, and shaped by a sensibility that values clarity and precision over excess.

In Their Words “My name is João Cura, I’m currently the Head Chef and co-owner with my wife and parents in law of Almeja Restaurant in Porto, Portugal.” “We are as local as we can be, without compromising the flavour, the quality, and supportive as we can be of our history and heritage.”