On the heights of the Algarve, an Atlantic blue room suspended above the water attracts gourmets from all over the world. At each service, guests follow an itinerary that goes from Lisbon to Goa, via Brazil or Mozambique. However, it is impossible to guess, upon arrival, who is orchestrating this trip.
At the helm of Ocean, the gourmet restaurant at Vila Vita Parc in Porches, Austrian Hans Neuner has established himself as one of the most influential chefs in Portugal. Double-starred in the MICHELIN Guide since 2011, he creates menus that revisit the. The name of this chef, sometimes written Hans Neuer, is often associated with Portuguese haute cuisine.
Hans Neuner, an Austrian chef who chose Portugal
Born in Austria, Hans Neuner worked in several European kitchens before joining the five-star resort Vila Vita Parc in 2007 as executive chef of Ocean. Very quickly, he immersed himself in Atlantic products and the markets of the Algarve, until he adopted the flavors of everyday Portuguese life as the basis of his culinary identity.
Two years after his arrival, Ocean won his first MICHELIN star in 2009, then a second in 2011, which the house has retained ever since. At the same time, Hans Neuner was elected in Portugal in 2009 and then in 2012, a double recognition for this chef from elsewhere who chooses to highlight local flavors rather than reproducing continental classics.
Ocean, a balcony on the Atlantic for Portuguese haute cuisine
Located on the edge of the ocean, in the heart of Vila Vita Parc in Porches, Ocean offers a panoramic view of the Atlantic and a bright room in blue and sand tones. The MICHELIN Guide Portugal, published in 2024 in a dedicated edition, sees it as one of the rare restaurants to hold 2 stars in a country which does not yet have a 3-star restaurant.
In the dining room, the work of Nelson Marreiros, dining room manager, was recognized with the Service Award from the MICHELIN Guide Portugal 2025. This kitchen-dining duo structures the experience: precise rhythms, very careful gestures, detailed explanations of the dishes and the influences of each stage of the menu. And then, in this resort setting, dinner often becomes the highlight of a stay in the Algarve.
Hans Neuner’s Tastes of Discovery menus in Portugal
For several years, Hans Neuner has devoted his menus to the era of the Great Portuguese Discoveries. The common thread of or: following the maritime routes of navigators, from Africa to India, from Asia to the Americas, linking these influences to peaches, vegetables, citrus fruits and spices that we find today in Portugal. Because ultimately, his project is to tell the story of the country through the table.
On the plate, this translates into associations that highlight the terroir rather than the gratuitous surprise effect. The Repsol guide distinguished this bias by awarding 3 Suns to Ocean, highlighting a cuisine that highlights:
- Atlantic fish, from the Vicentine coast to the Azores;
- products from small producers, from Alentejo to Minho;
- touches of spices, seaweed or tropical fruits linked to ancient maritime routes.
Who is Hans Neuner?
A double-starred Austrian chef at the Ocean restaurant.
Where is Ocean located?
The restaurant is located in Porches, in the Portuguese Algarve.
What is the concept of the menus?
They are inspired by the Great Discoveries to connect Portugal and ancient maritime routes.
