Summer Menu challenge 2025

About the Restaurant Vibe

The Lisbon Hideaway Turning Memory Into Menu

Tucked behind a discreet doorway on Rua da Horta Seca, a short stroll from Praça Luís de Camões, Vibe is the kind of address that Lisbon insiders whisper about: a 22-seat, open-kitchen sanctuary where polished teak walls glow amber and every diner climbs the same staircase that once led the chef from daydream to reality. A small wooden box of story-cards arrives first, and a golden key—Vibe’s emblem—rests beside your cutlery, signalling that what follows is more than dinner; it is an unlocked memory.
Michelin inspectors agree, awarding Vibe a coveted Michelin Guide Recommendation for 2025 and praising its “intimate, carefully curated interior” and seasonally shifting menus that showcase Portuguese produce through an ever-changing cultural lens.(guide.michelin.com)

About the Chef

Italy’s Quiet Visionary of Culinary Storytelling

Italian-born, 34-year-old Chef Mattia Stanchieri spent the better part of two decades chasing excellence across three-star flagships—Geranium* (Copenhagen), Da Vittorio* (Bergamo) and Belcanto (Lisbon)—before sailing into private-chef waters in the Bahamas and, finally, anchoring his own vision in Chiado.(vibe-chiado.com, reportergourmet.com)
His cuisine is less about borders than about moments: a late-night Bangkok street stall, a São Jorge sunrise, a grandmother’s Sunday ragù.

“Food has always been an integral part of my life, a means to connect with the culture of a place and a way to create memories with different people. That’s why I base every menu of Vibe on my experiences. When I travel to a new place, I take the time to immerse myself in its culture and cuisine,” he explains.

“My greatest motivation as a chef is to witness and feel the pure joy in the eyes of my guests as they taste my food. That connection, seeing their happiness, is truly what drives me. It’s also completely normal to feel scared of failure—in fact, it’s an amazing thing to overcome that fear. Pushing past those doubts, traveling the world, being endlessly curious, and exposing myself to the sheer beauty of life are all essential ingredients in my journey, both in and out of the kitchen. They inspire my creations and fuel my desire to bring that joy to every plate.”

“More than a chef, more than a restaurant owner: I’m a culinary storyteller. I love to serve good food, but I prefer food that carries symbolic meaning.”

Chef’s Summer Menu Inspiration

For Vibe’s 2025 summer tasting menu—featured in the All4Chefs Summer Menu Challenge 2025—Stanchieri turns the spotlight on the honeymoon that changed everything. He and his wife roamed Thailand from Krabi to Chiang Mai, falling for creamy southern curries, Bangkok’s electric alleys and the quiet hum of northern temples. Back in Lisbon, those memories became Love, Laughter & Lemongrass—a 12-moment tasting mapped like a travel diary in flavours: the crunch of Gung Foi Tort prawn cake; the smoke of charcoal pork neck; the perfume of Phuket pineapple.

“This Thai menu is inspired by my honeymoon. With my wife, we traveled to Thailand for our honeymoon, and I became obsessed with the creamy southern curries, the elegance of Bangkok, and the serenity of Chiang Mai. Every dish has the perfect blend of sweet, spicy, zesty, and savory, bringing something special to the table, making it a part of a love story.”

“Food is how I collect cultures,” & “Every plate carries a stamp from the journey.”

Signature Selections

• “BKK” Squid Pad Thai – Atlantic squid ribbons tangle with lacto-fermented bean sprouts in a smoked-squid broth that swings sweet-salty-sour like a tuk-tuk down Yaowarat Road.
• Massaman Curry Stingray – Poached Portuguese stingray wings, buttery clams and sweet-potato purée under a gloss of Massaman hollandaise—Persian spice meeting Atlantic swell.
• Pork Express “From North to South” – Charcoal-grilled Alentejo pork neck rides shotgun with Chiang Mai sausage, fermented beetroot and lime gel, served beside crab-fried rice for a Portuguese-Thai handshake.
• Phuket Pineapple Salad – BBQ pineapple sorbet and fish-sauce caramel dance with smoked cashew cream and puffed rice—dessert as beach bonfire flicker.

Ingredient Spotlights

• Ria Formosa Clams – Harvested at dawn in the Algarve lagoon, lending ocean sweetness to Massaman hollandaise.
• Azores Passion Fruit – Volcanic-island perfume folded into mango sticky-rice finale.
• Cashew Nuts from Trás-os-Montes – Lightly smoked and creamed for a nutty counterpoint in the pineapple salad.
• Thai Palm Sugar & Makrut Lime – Imported via trusted Bangkok growers, a fragrant bridge between Lisbon and the Land of Smiles.

Crafted On

• Studio Neves Ceramics – Lisbon-made, hand-glazed plates echoing river-stone textures.
• Cutipol Cutlery – Sleek Portuguese stainless steel balanced by the restaurant’s signature golden key.
• Sebastião Lobo Wooden Elements – Sculpted service pieces that nod to Portugal’s seafaring past.

The Experience

Dining at Vibe is part theatre, part voyage. Guests watch the brigade plate each course beneath a bronze pendant glow, while a playlist drifts from bossa nova to Thai khim strings. Between courses, servers slide handwritten cards that reveal the dish’s origin story—a practice Michelin inspectors called “curious and delightful”.(guide.michelin.com)

photo credits to @gabriellvieirafotografia