1. WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR OPENING VINTAGE?
At a time when, in addition to the fact that I had been away from the restaurant/hospitality business for a few years, two of my youngest daughters (Matilde and Sofia), who are studying Hospitality and Tourism at EHTA (Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo do Algarve), we saw the possibility of creating a space, in which we could share with others, what is one of our family’s common passions: the restaurant industry.
We decided to go ahead with the idea, and when we found the space, we didn’t think twice.
António, my eldest son, the firstborn, has been a Chef for over a decade. Having been recognised as promising since the 1st year of his training, he won a “Da Vinci” Scholarship, which allowed him to train in Cork (Ireland) at the age of 17.
In July 2012 the logistics of family life changed hugely when I accepted an invitation to join the Food and Beverage team at Pine Cliffs, Sheraton in Olhos de Água, At that time, both António and Carolina (our eldest daughter, also married to a Chef), had the opportunity to join work teams at this resort having just finished their training/courses.
After this start, I went to Conrad, in Quinta do Lago, in October 2012, with Carolina and António also joining the Food and Beverage team of this hotel unit later on.
António continued his journey in London but returned to Quinta do Lago and Loulé until he was invited to be part of this family project.
Bringing the family together is what any parent wants most. Vintage is precisely that: a family project where the main objective is to work on what you love without wanting to create comparisons.
2. WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE RESTAURANT DESIGN?
For some years now, what started out as a hobby involving antique furniture in solid wood, restoration and transformation, has become an activity that stimulates the creative part and sets the tone for the restaurant’s decoration and even the name.
“Alma com cor” has already been sharing pieces and work for some years now, but it was with this integral project that it became something more serious and promising.
Colours and flavours go hand in hand, in which the senses, emotions and experiences are stimulated to create memories that last in time.
Our aim is to convey the message that being in an environment that many already consider “demode”, the so-called out-of-fashion, may not correspond to reality because when entering Vintage, we feel welcomed… We feel like we are at home.
3. WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR VINTAGE?
It is a view of privileges.
Being privileged for being able to share experiences, for being able to serve those who seek us, but also those who come, understand that it is a privilege to be served by those who open the doors of “your home”.
It’s a symbiosis.
Before being considered as “just another restaurant”, it is important to understand that, like each person, each space also has its foundation, its basis and the basis of Vintage, which is, without a doubt, liking what one does, liking to be as one is, with no terms of comparison.
All spaces must have a soul… Vintage, without a doubt, really does!
4. WHAT ARE YOUR SIGNATURE DISHES AND WHY?
Our main attention to fresh, regional products, especially from small producers, is one of the factors that make all the difference.
Some of the products come from Alentejo, such as sweet potatoes, octopus, wild boar, and cherry tomatoes, among others.
Does it make a difference?
Yes, it does and a lot, because we know who produces them, and who captures them.
In the plating, we use edible flowers and plants, some of which are harvested from our own garden.
On the menu, as “signature” dishes, Cheeks with Port wine and Turbot with Linguine stand out and are considered our Best Sellers.
5. YOUR BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE/RELEVANCE BEFORE VINTAGE?
Experience is something that can be subjective when the will to want to do it can be decisive.
Of course, if allied with the will to do it is the experience, everything is more accessible and there is an added value.
This project is based on my experience as a link between the family, between mother and children, and between siblings, all with their own experiences and opinions to be taken into account and as a whole.
Something that a mother most desires is to see union, harmony and complicity between her children; even if there are differences, at the end of the day, they remain family.
Matilde is “headlining” this project, being the eldest of the three youngest daughters and already knows how to value the efforts and presence of each one, just like Sofia and Margarida, who, in addition to investing their time in teamwork, were fundamental for the initial execution of the project, with each one of them investing equal initial capital.
In the difficult times we live in, all experience is useful, but more than that is willpower and resilience.
That’s what I want to demonstrate to my children: life is not easy, but it only depends on us and our commitment and willpower so that what is less good is changed for the better.
I know that I have children who recognise some of my qualities, despite my flaws. Still, I hope that they can appreciate a positive result in the future when they remember the beginning of the project and feel proud of everything they managed to experience.
6. EXPLAIN THE CHARACTERISTICS AND ATMOSPHERE OF VINTAGE
Vintage is a very personalised space with its own character.
The details were thought, created or integrated to convey a rustic, homely atmosphere, with glamour, without pretentiousness, in which whoever enters the space feels good …. feels at home.
Many works were carried out so that the space became what it is today without losing what enchanted it from the beginning: the history of the property itself.
It was a deteriorated space, due to use and time, that deserved to be pampered… and it was.
The original space itself was also the motto for many pieces to be integrated and customised.
Old furniture in solid wood was used, recycled, and transformed by “Alma com Cor” (it has a page on Facebook and Instagram).
Old decoration pieces combined with modern ones, respecting a balance and vintage retro style.
The exterior colour was chosen also thinking about the glamour that the vintage style has, such as the gold tone present in the personalised and unique sign, created from a bed headboard, with letters covered in gold leaf.
Many unique pieces make perfect sense in “Vintage”.
