Chef Henrique Alexander

Chef Henrique did an amazing job the whole way through the process. We initially chose him because of the flexibility with the menu and how engaged he was. Our group of 4 adults and 4 kids between 6 and 9 have been fortunate enough to enjoy some exceptional meals across the globe and I can confidently say this lands in the top 3. The thought, care, preparation and quality was amazing. We’ve never had these combinations of flavors and truly appreciate his unique take. Beyond the food, Henrique is a genuine person and we enjoyed his company throughout the night. He handled our kids well and he was able to easily accommodate a special meal for them as well that everyone enjoyed. Beyond that, there were loads of leftovers that we made into an additional 3 meals for everyone. I’d highly recommend Henrique to anyone looking for a special evening, and would book him again in a heartbeat.

Wat een kwalitatief geweldige gerechten. Er was heel veel liefde en aandacht besteedt aan alles. We zijn verbaasd wat de chef allemaal klaargemaakt had en hoe lekker alles smaakte.

Henrique was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. We had asked for traditional dishes, and he brought those to life in such a special way, drawing on his own passion, experiences and creativity to put his personal touch on every dish. What made the experience even more wonderful was how much effort Henrique put into getting to know my family and understanding what we enjoy. He took the time to tailor the menu specifically to us and even created dishes that felt incredibly personal. Every course was absolutely incredible — beautifully prepared, full of flavour and clearly made with so much care and passion. Beyond the food, Henrique himself was truly a wonderful person. He was warm, personable and a pleasure to have in our villa, and his presence made the entire evening feel relaxed, special and memorable. The food was exceptional, but it was Henrique himself who made the evening perfect. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and would wholeheartedly recommend him.

We couldn’t have asked for a better chef than Henrique. Feeding 22 people over two days is no easy task, yet he handled everything brilliantly, creating an incredible atmosphere from start to finish. Beyond being an excellent chef, Henrique is genuinely a pleasure to have around: always smiling, good-humoured, friendly and, above all, a natural problem solver. Whatever challenge came up, he found a solution without ever letting it affect the experience. But the real highlight was, of course, the food. The fusion of flavours was outstanding, and Henrique showed incredible resourcefulness in creating a genuinely special culinary experience while respecting the budget we had agreed on. We ate exceptionally well, with creativity, variety and attention to detail throughout the entire weekend. From 0 to 100, Henrique gets a 100. We couldn’t recommend him highly enough and would absolutely book him again.

Henrique cooked for our company team of nine near Azeitão and it was the highlight of our week. We had a difficult brief: four vegetarians and a long list of allergies and dislikes. He rebuilt the whole menu around us and made it better in the process. He even makes his own za'atar, and when he realised traditional blends contain two ingredients on our avoid list, he remade the mix from scratch. That level of care ran through the entire evening. The mezze were outstanding, each one a proper dish in its own right, all shared in the middle of the table. The vegetarian moussaka wasn't an alternative, it was a dish in its own right, and several of the meat eaters preferred it to the lamb. Portions were generous throughout. On top of the food, Henrique brought real passion to the table, explaining the dishes and the stories behind them. Five stars, and highly recommended.

We had such an exceptional experience with Henrique. The food was absolutely delicious and so beautifully presented. Everyone in our group was very happy with their meal including adults and children. Henrique communicated well ahead of the event and was a pleasure to have around. He also left the kitchen cleaner than how he found it. I would highly recommend Henrique for any occasion. Thank you Henrique for making my birthday so special!

O jantar não só correu muito bem, como superou as nossas expectativas. O Chef Henrique foi pontual, extremamente simpático e muito profissional desde o primeiro momento. Esteve sempre disponível para ajudar e mostrou uma grande flexibilidade ao trabalhar comigo na construção do menu, adaptando-o aos gostos dos convidados e à situação específica do jantar. Todos os pratos estavam muito saborosos e com uma apresentação impecável. Os convidados ficaram muito impressionados com a qualidade da comida e também com a experiência de ver alguns dos pratos a serem confeccionados. O Chef Henrique foi também muito atencioso durante toda a noite e ainda preparou algumas pequenas surpresas muito agradáveis para a mesa, o que tornou o jantar ainda mais especial. No final, deixou a cozinha limpa e organizada, como se nada tivesse acontecido. Foi uma experiência fantástica e recomendo sem qualquer dúvida. Muito obrigada por ter ajudado a tornar o aniversário da minha mãe num momento tão memorável.

TL;DR - Imagine being welcomed home by a cousin you didn't know you had. It's like that. Hadi put in a proposal for my brother's birthday, which was a small affair for my immediate family, that I was organising at a friend's house because he has more space than I do. From the start, Hadi was responsive, attentive, professional and clear. He was open to ideas, he was respectful, he seemed like he knew what he was doing. I felt like we were in good hands. On the day of the event, he was punctual, friendly, calm, an excellent host, and had done a huge amount of preparation. He engaged my entire family in conversation while simultaneously serving us generous amounts of absolutely fantastic food, including extra dishes he knew we'd like. His specialities are Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes, and although I'm quite familiar with them, he had some excellent interpretations of them which elevated the flavours and textures. He was unobtrusive, charming, respectful and knowledgeable. To be honest, we all felt like we'd somehow stumbled into a long-lost cousin who'd invited us into his home. That's how convivial it felt. And then after the meal, after he'd tidied up and hung out with us a bit, he left. We got a load of leftovers to take home, a full stomach, and a warm feeling like we'd been in the presence of a friend and a true professional. If you are lucky enough to find him available, book him without a second's hesitation. I promise you won't regret it.

We booked Hadi Henrique for our first night in Portugal on a group holiday, and it was the perfect start to our trip. He prepared a fantastic three-course meal featuring local dishes, all beautifully presented and full of flavour. Even suggesting wine pairings. Highly recommended!