i. Biography
Cozinha in São Paulo is where Ygor Lopes’s current work lands: a weekday lunch menu that changes with the hour, artisanal charcuterie, and photographed plates built to hold light before service. The cooking shows what a long apprenticeship can do — keep the line moving, keep the details intact, and carry different kitchen tempos without flattening them into one style.
The Climb
Senac sits at the base of Ygor Lopes’s training, before a career that moved through kitchens with different scales and demands. The early work in Brazil ran from estagiário at Pajuçara Praia Hotel in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil to chef at Picuí (Wanderson Medeiros) in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, then on to chef at La Mar in São Paulo, Brazil, chef at Beato in São Paulo, Brazil, and chef at D.O.M. in São Paulo, Brazil. The throughline is technique under repetition: a professional vocabulary built kitchen by kitchen. The next stretch widened that vocabulary further. Ygor Lopes joined the food team at Google, then moved to Europe as chef at Westin Palace in Madrid, Spain, chef at Nerua in Spain, and chef at Quique Dacosta in Spain. Hotel service, restaurant precision, and work in settings where timing and finish matter at every pass are all part of the record. Today, Ygor is chef of AE! Café & Cozinha.
Today
At AE! Cozinha, lunch is treated as active service rather than filler, with a weekday menu that changes and keeps the kitchen moving. The plates sit between comfort and control: picadinho de carne with vegetables, saffron rice, beans, and brioche farofa with herbs; fish of the day with curry sauce; and other photographed dishes that show range without leaving the plate overworked. The menu also includes peixe do dia grelhado ao molho de mexilhão e açafrão espanhol with arroz de coco and farofa de dendê, a composition built from briny, fragrant, and textural elements; tortelli de beterraba com queijo de cabra, where earthiness meets tang; and musse de cumaru with compota de cupuaçu and bolo de castanha-do-pará, a finish built on perfume, fruit, and nut. Taken together, these dishes point to a kitchen that keeps an eye on seasonality, presentation, and comfort.
Signature
Artisanal charcuterie is the clearest signature in Ygor Lopes’s work. It suits a method that depends on patience, repetition, and exact handling rather than speed. Across a path that runs from Maceió to São Paulo, through Google and into Madrid and Spain’s kitchens, the craft reads as consistent: handheld, exacting, and built on transformation.
Recognition
Ygor's honors include Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ygor
Where did Ygor Lopes train or study?
Ygor Lopes trained at Senac.
What recognition has Ygor Lopes received?
Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024).
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