The legendary Four Seasons in Lisbon reopens after extensive restoration.
Travel again. Back to Lisbon. Reconnect with her, with her past and welcome the present. That's what it's about. The pandemic has taken away many things from us, but it has also it has given us others, such as the reopening after a profound restoration of the legendary Four Seasons Ritz Lisboa.
The history of this hotel begins to be written in 1952, year in which an idea was planted in the prime minister of the country, António de Oliveira Salazar, to build a luxury hotel, of which the city would be proud. They had been difficult years and, after the Second World War, many cities wanted to make a clean slate. He was not alone, because he told this idea to Ricardo Espírito Santo, a banker and expert in art and cultural heritage. What if art was added to the hotel idea?
Lobby of the renovated Four Seasons Ritz Lisboa.
They sought financial support from SODIM, the Sociedade de Investimentos Imobiliários and in the figures of Queiroz Pereira and the architect Porfírio Pardal Monteiro. Unfortunately Ricardo passed away and could not see his work culminate, but the enthusiasm of the group managed to carry out the feat and in 1959, opened the legendary Hotel Ritz Lisboa.
The location was unbeatable and the hotel was conceived as a single modernist block, from which came balconies with views of the city and the park of Eduardo VII. The interior was no less impressive, since more than 40,000 square meters of marble were used to cover the floors and walls and an interior design project halfway between art deco and the style of geometric shapes and elegance of Louis XVI.
And it wasn't the only thing, because Sculptors, painters, designers and decorators were invited to decorate the Ritz Lisboa, including two great exponents, Almada Negreiros and Carlos Botelho, that today can be admired and discovered thanks to an interactive app. That made him a true hotel-museum, managed since 1977 by Four Seasons.
One of the rooms of the renovated hotel.
New life for a classic hotel
After so much time, The time had come to give it a new face, but always respecting that unique and eclectic style that has characterized it in its more than 60 years. in operation and the Covid-19 pandemic, it was the perfect time to carry it out.
The easy thing would have been to modernize the hotel, but who would want to erase with a stroke of the pen the history that breathes its walls? That was what Artur Miranda and Jacques Bec thought, from the Portuguese architecture studio Oitoemponto, who quickly rejected the idea and began to develop a style in which past and present coexist perfectly. And they got it.
An oasis of well-being in the Portuguese capital.
Now its renovated suites and rooms drink from that 1950 style, but exude modernity and style on all four sides. Art deco wall lights, straight lines, noble materials and details, such as the geometric shapes of the carpet, inspired by the tapestries of Almada Negreiros or new furniture based on what was always in the hotel. And of course, all the luxuries of technology for the modern traveler, such as Marshall speakers, Bvlgari amenities, integrated home automation and even the ingredients to prepare a port tonic when you get to the room.
There is more. A spa with a water area and treatments to relax from head to toe and one of the new stars of the hotel that will open in July, its solarium and outdoor pool, heated and with piped music under water.
The interior design of the rooms is luxurious as well as simple.
Cura, the gastronomic jewel of the hotel
In this new stage, they bet more if possible on gastronomy. And they do it with different spaces. Breakfast, served on the Varanda terrace, is a dream to start the day with a thousand and one different bites: waffles, eggs in all its versions, avocado toast, Portuguese cheeses and sausages and even cream cakes.
Also there, with views of the wonderful hotel garden and Eduardo VII Park, one of the essential options is served, the weekend brunch. And it's not just any brunch, because one can order traditional dishes such as eggs Benedict or pancakes, but what is truly interesting is the rest. Instead of operating as a buffet, they set up a small table full of flavors for each diner. Starting with its irresistible breads, such as a tomato focaccia, accompanied by kumquat and yuzu butter and olive oil, even small bites like the Portuguese trilogy with cod fritters or toast on cornbread with sardines.
Four Seasons Ritz, a hotel with history and personality.
The feast continues with kamut salads, Ria Formosa oysters, cured meats, a shot of peas with lime... And that's only served at the table, because they also have different seasons in which to continue enjoying, such as one of sushi and sashimi, another that prepares grilled dishes and side dishes and a theme that usually changes. In addition, of course, to the desserts and homemade ice cream.
But the real gastronomic jewel of this hotel is the new Cura restaurant. Opened in October 2020, it is a continuation of the hotel's art collection. If in the other spaces it hangs on the walls, in Cura it is exhibited on the plate. Its very name alludes to 'curadoria' in Portuguese, to those curators in charge of offering the diner a memorable artistic and gastronomical experience.
In this case, with chef Pedro Peña Bastos and his team at the helm, acting as an artist, like those who fill his color palette, but in this case, seasonal ingredients, the vast majority of which come from Lisbon itself.
Beauty comes from its kitchen seen in the room, to the plate through small bites where avant-garde, sophistication and Portuguese roots form a whole, which can be enjoyed in two tasting menus and a vegetarian option. Nothing is left to chance and what may seem simple, transcends pure complexity. From a Sado oyster with salmon caviar, cucumber and sesame seeds, to an onion marinated in miso for three days with summer truffles, almonds and citrus touches, until reaching sublime dishes such as squid ribbons, with hazelnuts and osetra caviar, accompanied by a sauce made from the squid itself and bergamot and toasted algae butter.
A good speaker (or details that make the difference in a five-star).
Special mention deserves the work of the sommelier Gabriela Marques. To pair Cura's cuisine, they opt for Portuguese wines, but for those that are out of the ordinary, with options of organic or biodynamic wines. And there is more, because there is the possibility of doing a non-alcoholic pairing of juices and cold-pressed beverages made from fruits, vegetables and herbs.
The future of the Four Seasons Ritz Lisboa is bright and it's time to meet him again.