Chef Filipe Reis welcomes us with the friendliness of someone who, having already achieved a lot for someone just over thirty, has not lost track of the simplicity and hospitality of country culture. When, more than ten years ago, he was about to finish his degree in Food Production and Catering, a challenge from friends led him to take over a ‘petiscos’ restaurant in the charming Aldeia da Mata Pequena, in Mafra, which had already gone through some unsuccessful experiences. With him, he carried the experience accumulated in restaurants such as The Oitavos hotel, in Cascais, and the 1300 Taberna, in the Lisbon neighborhood of Alcântara, to definitively revive Tasquinha do Gil.
Surrounded by nature and with the constant company of cats and farm animals – donkeys, sheep, turkeys, pigs, chickens, so many that the village could be called a ‘pedagogical farm’ – Tasquinha do Gil allows the presence of pets in the restaurant , with the natural exception that they will not disturb the other animals.
Filipe Reis' cuisine is inspired by that of the rest of the world – he learned techniques from French, Mexican and Asian cuisines – but, by incorporating his own ingredients, he turned them into a personal creative product. The ‘petiscos’ menu changes every year, so the gastronomic experiences at Tasquinha do Gil are often unrepeatable. In 2023, visitors can enjoy, among many other delicacies, a varied selection of cheese-based dishes, tuck into pork tenderloin with old-fashioned mustard, or, if your palate pulls you towards the sweet, a serra cheese with sweet eggs and almonds.
