i. Biography
Owner-chef Tiago Sabarigo’s MICHELIN-star recognition sits inside a cooking practice built between Portuguese and Hungarian reference points. At Essência Restaurant - Tiago & Éva, opened with Éva Sabarigo in 2020, modern gastronomy is used to hold those two food cultures in clear relation: balanced dishes, recognizable memory, and menus that move across borders without flattening the source material.
The Route
Formal hotel-school training gave the first frame for the craft: Tiago Sabarigo trained at Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo de Lisboa before working at Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay in Knightsbridge. The next stage of the line ran through Budapest, where he worked as chef at Costes in Budapest and later at Costes Downtown in Budapest. The current table is the consolidation of that route. Since 2020, Tiago Sabarigo has been owner-chef of Essência Restaurant - Tiago & Éva, using Portuguese grounding, London discipline, and Budapest experience to shape the restaurant’s range.
The Work Today
The restaurant format at Essência Restaurant - Tiago & Éva in Budapest is built around authorship shared with Éva Sabarigo and service led by Sabarigo as chef and owner. Since 2020, its offer has included Portuguese and Hungarian menus, alongside a tasting menu that combines the two through balanced, elegant dishes. The cooking is described as Portuguese-Hungarian fusion cuisine, with Portuguese and Hungarian childhood flavours worked through modern gastronomy. It also sits within Modern Cuisine and Portuguese cuisine, with fusion, Hungarian, and Mediterranean elements running through the menu. The dish set shows how the language is applied. Octopus with leek and ink is described as his signature, noted for tenderness, a perfect snap, and a vivid taste of the sea. Pastel de Nata | Rákóczi cottage cheese makes the bridge explicit between Portuguese pastry and a Hungarian reference, while Flavors of Alentejo points back to Portugal. Gazpacho | Watermelon | Tuna Ham brings another Mediterranean register into the dining room. The restaurant’s stated intent is direct in Sabarigo’s own line: “We are bringing back memories, Remembering old stories and… Creating new ones. With our food, wine and flavours, We make an experience that we call Essência.”
Signature
Signature dishes include Flavors of Alentejo and Gazpacho | Watermelon | Tuna Ham.
Honors
MICHELIN-star recognition is part of Tiago Sabarigo’s record.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Tiago
What is Tiago Sabarigo's current role?
Tiago Sabarigo is owner-chef of Essência.
Where did Tiago Sabarigo train or study?
Tiago Sabarigo trained at Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo de Lisboa.
What recognition has Tiago Sabarigo received?
MICHELIN star.
