As the days draw nearer, more details are emerging about the biggest-ever edition of Chefs on Fire. We already knew the where – after seven years, the fire-focused culinary festival is moving from FIARTIL, the Estoril Craft Fair, to Parque Marechal Carmona in Cascais; the when – September 20 and 21; and the who – confirmed chefs include stars like Rui Paula, Arnaldo Azevedo and André Cruz, alongside familiar names such as Noélia Jerónimo, Kiko Martins and Juliana Penteado. But there’s still plenty left to discover, from the Bites – 20 restaurants showcasing the best dishes the organisers have sampled over the past year – to the artists providing live music around the bonfire.
The latest surprise is the international guests. As in previous editions, chefs from abroad will showcase the best of their countries. On the Georgia stage, Guram Baghdoshvili, from Karater in Lisbon, will serve grilled sturgeon escalopes with narsharab on 20 September; and on the 21st, Davit Narimanishvili, of Nunuka and Persimmons in Madrid, will prepare roast suckling pig with tkemali. Meanwhile, on the Spain stage, Álvaro Castellanos and Iván Morales, from Arzábal (Madrid), will cook Coquelet chicken with citrus and herbs on the first day, while Nino Redruello, from the Fismuler restaurant recently opened in Lisbon after Madrid and Barcelona, will present smoked rice with free-range chicken and beans on the second day.
Another highlight is the full menu. While we already knew which chefs would be cooking the meat, fish, vegetarian dishes and desserts each day, we can now really start planning our meals, with the specific dishes each chef will be serving. Some of the promised specialties are already making our mouths water. Rui Paula and Catarina Correia, from Casa de Chá da Boa Nova (Leça da Palmeira), are offering an Azorean squid sandwich, while Francesco Ogliari, from Tua Madre (Évora), brings to Cascais a lamb sausage with cavatelli bread and chickpeas. Kiko Martins will serve a baguette with black pork belly, poultry livers, carrot and cucumber pickles, and mayonnaise, while Arnaldo Azevedo, of Vila Foz (Porto), is preparing an octopus feijoada with sausages.
Nelson Soares, from Sult, right by Parque Marechal Carmona in Cascais, will offer a vegetarian dish: grilled mushrooms with cheese fonduta, just like star chef Nuno Castro from Porto’s Fava Tonka, who will prepare a potato, olive, jalapeño and XO tortilla.
To end on a sweet note, Juliana Penteado (Lisbon) has created a pineapple tart with verbena, while Américo dos Santos, from Belcanto (Lisbon), surprises with a grilled Bola de Berlim served with cabidela sauce.
The full Chefs on Fire 2025 menu
Saturday, 20 September
Meat
Óscar Geadas (G Pousada) – Pork tenderloin with chestnut and mushroom stew
João Correia (Rossio Gastrobar) – Roast pork with yoghurt sauce and parata
Francesco Ogliari (Tua Madre) – Lamb sausage with cavatelli bread and chickpeas
Hugo Candeias (Ofício) – Stuffed potato with beef rib
Kiko Martins (O Talho) – Baguette with black pork belly, poultry livers, carrot and cucumber pickles, and mayonnaise
Massimiliano Delle Vedove (Smoked Room) – Iberian pork rice with grilled mussels and nduja
Fish
Diogo Caetano (Terruja) – Bola de Berlim with sole, pak choi and wasabi
Mónica Gomes (Olaias) – Baixo Mondego rice with sea bass, smoked clam sauce and lemon
Filipe Rodrigues (Taberna do Mar) – Grilled tuna with soy butter and sushi rice
Ana Moura (Lamelas) – John Dory with lettuce hearts, roasted peppers and pickled red onion
Nikita Polido (Celmar) – Cuttlefish with pineapple salad and cauliflower tempura
Vegetarian
José Neves (O Ciclo) – Sweet potato, leek, codium and green curry
Nelson Soares (Sult) – Grilled mushrooms with cheese fonduta
Nuno Castro (Fava Tonka) – Potato, olive, jalapeño and XO tortilla
Desserts
Juliana Penteado (Juliana) – Pineapple tart with verbena
Sara Soares (Caos Vegetal) – Corn cake with chilli, lime mousse, roasted corn, popcorn and chilli crunch
Sunday, 21 September
Meat
Carlos Teixeira (Herdade do Esporão) – “Chickens from beyond” with toasted rice
Ana Leão (Babel) – Lamb pita burger
Rodolfo Lavrador (Cura) – Coriander-spiced black pork with oyster and grilled sweet potato
Fernando Cardoso (Grupo Monda) – Grilled rabbit with pitau sauce
Hari Chapagain (Oven) – Lamb chops with tomato and sesame sauce
Fish
Rui Paula and Catarina Correia (Casa de Chá da Boa Nova) – Azorean squid sandwich
David Barata (Austa) – Albacore tuna with green sauce and Rogil-style peanuts
André Cruz (Feitoria) – Prawn “alistado” with chickpeas
Noélia Jerónimo (Noélia) – Tomato xerém with Algarve-style tuna belly
Arnaldo Azevedo (Vila Foz) – Octopus stew with cured sausages
Vegetarian
Diogo Formiga (Encanto) – Trás-os-Montes-style couscous with seaweed, pine, mushrooms and coriander
Nuno Mendes (Santa Joana) – Chickpea taco with walnut stew, grilled cauliflower and homemade pickles
António Galapito (Prado) – Tomato, watermelon and fresh herbs
Desserts
Fábio Quiraz (Vista) – Coconut sago with coalho cheese and shiso
Américo dos Santos (Belcanto) – Grilled Bola de Berlim with cabidela sauce
To enjoy these dishes – and to enter, exit, or purchase products and merchandise on site – all you need is your phone. Once you buy your digital ticket via 3cket, you’ll receive an SMS with a link to your ticket, which contains a QR code to use throughout the festival.
Tickets for this edition are already on sale, with prices ranging from €50 (daily festival access without drinks or food portions) to €200 (two-day pass including 15 dishes and 10 drinks). There are also two daily ticket options: €85 (five dishes and two drinks) or €100 (seven dishes and four drinks). Children pay €20, which grants access to the kids’ zone with tailored activities and mini-portions.
Chefs on Fire, Sat-Sun 20-21 September, 12.00-00.00. €50-€200