We build each Cascais menu around what is actually in season that month, rather than serving the same list all year. In spring that means peas, broad beans and young goat's cheese; in late summer, figs, tomatoes and grilled peppers; in winter, roots, citrus and slow-cooked meats. You tell us the date and the number of guests, and we propose a menu that fits the season and the setting.
We start from the produce, not from a fixed catalogue. A week or two before your event we check what the markets and our suppliers have coming in, then finalise the dishes with you. This means a few items can shift close to the date — always with your agreement, and always as a swap of equal standing.
Between May and September most of our Cascais work is outdoors — terraces above the marina, gardens in Birre and Quinta da Marinha, houses near Guincho where the wind decides everything. Cold and room-temperature food travels and holds far better there, so we lean on canapés, ceviches, marinated vegetables and cured fish. From November the balance shifts indoors and we cook warmer: braised lamb, baked cod, roasted squash with buckwheat and sour cream.
Our own recipes sit between the two: Portuguese and Mediterranean produce treated with a Slavic hand. That looks like beetroot with horseradish cream and dill next to sardines on toast, or blinis with smoked fish served alongside local cheeses. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free versions are built into the menu from the start, not added as an afterthought.
A first draft two to three weeks before the date works well, with the final version confirmed about five days ahead once we know what the suppliers have.
Yes — winter in the Lisbon region is generous with citrus, brassicas, roots and fish, so the menu changes character rather than shrinking.
Tell us the date, the number of guests and the style — we'll send a tailored proposal.
MamaVera