Pedro Pena Bastos

Where They Are Now

At Herdade do Esporão in Alentejo, Portugal, the scale of the place placed Pedro Pena Bastos in direct contact with patience, breadth, and context. At Ceia at Santa Clara 1728 Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal, the rhythm changed, and so did the terms of the work: the same developing voice had to hold up inside a more urban pace. Across those two addresses, the learning stayed practical—how setting changes the language of a plate, and how precision, calm, and intention still have to survive that change. Pedro Pena Bastos was the chef at CURA until February 2025.

Signature

Squid with brown butter and caviar is one of Pedro Pena Bastos’s signature dishes, and it points to a style built on restraint, confidence, and strong ingredients. The construction is direct: texture, richness, and contrast are allowed to do the work without crowding the plate. That kind of composition aligns with the broader through-line in his cooking—clear, measured, and attentive to what each element needs to contribute.

In Their Words “I try to make the connection between the kitchen and the dining room stronger, not like in the old days. There has to be a flow of information in both directions, a connection between the two. Dining room service is crucial.” The restaurant works best, in this view, when the dining room is treated as part of the craft rather than as an endpoint. Pedro Pena Bastos frames service as active labor: information moves both ways, and the experience depends on that exchange. The point is not theory but coordination, with the meal taking shape through what is communicated as much as what is cooked. “I am the same person. I am very transparent, organised, conscientious… I organise my personal life around my professional life.” Structure carries beyond service and into routine. In this self-description, Pedro Pena Bastos treats organisation as a working method, not a performance. Transparent, organised, conscientious: the terms are plain, and they describe a chef who builds consistency into both the kitchen and the life around it.