There wasn't any other concept possible because this is who we are—me and Cláudia. This has been the concept since the beginning. We didn't have to think too much or do research because we're simply putting ourselves on the plate.

We're dealing with our guests exactly the way we are. We're not trying to be something we're not.

Again, it's the way we try to live our own lives.

This is what we do at home. We don't wake up every day trying to achieve zero waste because it's fashionable or because it's our identity. We simply look at things that are difficult to use on a daily basis and save them for months.

Just like these orange peels here.

Then, maybe a year later—or ten months, or a year and a half—we finally have enough to make something beautiful out of them.

Today it's orange peel. Tomorrow it could be strawberry tops or something completely different.

We always try to look at things for their potential.

Sometimes it's difficult to see that potential, but it's always there. Sometimes it simply needs time.

It's a bit like artists or actors. Many spend years unnoticed, but they were artists all along—they just needed their moment.

Ingredients are exactly the same.

A lot of what we do here comes from that idea.

For example, we use oranges throughout the season. Every orange that comes into the restaurant—we peel it, save the peels, and keep adding to the collection. We repeat that throughout the season, and once we have enough, we transform it into orange curry powder.

No. It's completely the opposite. Every time we throw an ingredient away, we're throwing away future flavour. By keeping it and trying to do something with it, we're giving creativity a chance. And when you give creativity a chance, creative things happen.

If your first instinct is always to throw something in the bin, you'll never discover anything new. Maybe your first attempt won't be good. Maybe not even the second.

But by the third, you might find something really special. Nobody gets everything right on the first try. You have to keep trying to discover the potential.

Of course.

What we do today follows exactly the same line as in the beginning, but today it's more confident. More creative. More... us. As chefs, we also need time to find ourselves. Two years ago, when we opened Ciclo, we were already cooking well. We were creating interesting dishes.

But I honestly believe what we do today is much better because we've had the time to evolve.

To mature.

To marinate, in a way.

And simply become ourselves.

Confidence.

In the end, it's really about confidence. Opening a restaurant is already incredibly challenging. Now imagine opening one while being completely inside the operation every single day. And having a child at home. There are so many nights when you don't sleep—or you only sleep a few hours. All of those emotions and all that stress are very challenging.

But they also made Ciclo what it is today. We always knew it would be difficult.

At the same time, we always wanted Ciclo to feel like a family because that's exactly how we work. I'm in the kitchen. Cláudia is in the dining room.

For us, it made perfect sense to let people see that instead of hiding it. Otherwise we'd be hiding ourselves.

First of all, the name Ciclo means cycle. We love working with the whole product—from nose to tail, whether it's an animal or a vegetable. That's why we make so many of our own fermentations, vinegars and oils, and use them throughout the menu.

Everything starts with Portuguese produce from small, mostly organic producers. We divide the experience into two formats.

There's the tasting menu—eight small moments, eight little dishes. Some are on the à la carte menu, others are surprises. Or you can order à la carte. If you're two people, we usually recommend sharing five or six dishes, depending on your appetite.

As for one dish that really represents us…I'd probably say the sardines.

It was one of the first dishes that really became recognisable. Visually it's very Portuguese—the colours, the presentation. It has technique, but it also has our approach.

What we're trying to do is keep a strong Portuguese identity while playing with the seasons. I think that's what makes Ciclo a little special.

People often ask me what the concept is, and it's actually a difficult question because... I'm simply cooking what I like to cook. So I think it's less about having a concept and more about having principles.

Personally, it's easier for me to describe it as Portuguese cuisine with a modern twist. Sometimes I have no problem cooking something completely traditional, like a lamb shoulder roasted in the oven.

I use a lot of clay cookware because those little details bring traditional flavours into the final dish. We can modernise many things, but if the cooking process stays true to tradition, you can still taste it. I like finding that middle ground.

In the beginning we changed the menu far too often. It was stressful, and I think I was still trying to find myself. Today we're much more confident. We know who we are, we know what we want to cook, and because of that, creating has become much easier.

I've also learned to wait. Every Wednesday the vegetables arrive, and that's really where everything starts for me. The moment they arrive, my mind starts working. Sometimes I create something that same day, sometimes it's for the following day. Sometimes I simply pick up a beautiful zucchini or an incredible orange, walk over to the shelves, open one of the jars, and start combining flavours. That's honestly the fun part.

For example, these preserved clementine peels with horse mackerel have been here since March. I know I'll probably start using them in September. Maybe I won't even remember them by then, but then October or November comes, I open the jar and suddenly think, "Ah... this." By then maybe scarlet prawns are in season, and the question becomes: "What would work beautifully with preserved clementine peels and scarlet prawns?" That's how ideas happen.

Exactly. There's no strict schedule, but there is planning. Sometimes we prepare something knowing it won't appear on a plate for six, seven or even eight months. Then we wait. We smell it, we taste it, we let it breathe. It's a bit like a winemaker tasting wine throughout its development. We're constantly checking whether a flavour is ready. When it finally tells us it's ready, that's when it goes to the market and eventually onto the plate. It's exactly the same feeling.

I see Ciclo as a reflection of the farmers we work with. If they tell us, "This is what we have at its best right now," then that's what I'm going to cook. The menu is simply built around what's at its peak today, combined with the flavours we've been developing over time.

We don't go looking for the best green beans somewhere else if our farmers tell us theirs are beautiful today. We listen. We need to know how to listen to the wisdom of the people who know better than we do. The farmers understand their products better than anyone. They know what's in its best shape at any given moment.

In the beginning we worked almost exclusively with one farm, and at that time it was more than enough for the volume we had. Today we work with two farms—one about an hour south of Lisbon and another about an hour north.

That gives us two different climates at the same moment. One farm may already have zucchini while the other doesn't. One has figs earlier, the other later. Each farmer also chooses different crops throughout the year, so together they bring us much more diversity.

For us it's about trusting them, because they also trust us to use their products well. That relationship is built on mutual respect. If they respect what we do with their ingredients, we're also in a better position to receive products they only have in very limited quantities. That trust is incredibly important.

For me, we're a family restaurant. We welcome children. We welcome dogs. We welcome everybody.

Going out for dinner is about spending time with people you love and people you enjoy being with. Those little decisions make people feel comfortable.

I'm a dog lover myself. I've always taken my dog everywhere. If I can't bring my dog to a restaurant, I'll probably choose another one that welcomes him. There are many people who feel the same way.

For me, Ciclo should be a place for everyone. You don't need a special occasion to come here. Going out for dinner can simply be something you do every week or once a month. It doesn't have to be reserved for celebrations.

We like offering both because it's entirely up to the guest. Some people enjoy sharing plates, while others prefer the tasting menu.

With the tasting menu, we always include a few surprises that aren't available à la carte. That's where we can introduce some very special ingredients and flavours that we've been developing for one, two, sometimes even three years.

So it's a combination of dishes from the à la carte menu and a few secret flavours that we've been patiently saving.

Thank you. Thank you for coming.