The William restaurant, holder of one Michelin star and located at Reid’s Palace, a Belmond hotel, hosted the third dinner in the “Madeira: A Taste of The Stars” series, bringing together the house’s executive chef, José Diogo Costa, and three guests: Benoît Sinthon (Il Gallo d’Oro, two Michelin stars), Gonçalo Bita Bota (Oxalis, recommended by the Michelin Guide) and Júlio Pereira (Akua, also recommended). The evening began with a cocktail accompanied by sparkling cider from Quinta da Moscadinha and assorted canapés, before the five dishes of the collaborative menu were served.
Speaking to Essential, José Diogo Costa highlighted the challenge of continuing to innovate by the third dinner in the cycle. “It’s important that we’ve already held two spectacular dinners. Here at William, with chef Júlio Pereira, with me, with chef Benoît Sinthon and with chef Gonçalo Bita Bota, we are doing things differently from the previous two dinners,” he said.
The chef further explained that the menu was designed as a balance between styles and teams: “There is one dish from each chef, then we complement it with the dessert. There are also canapés, petit fours and a surprise at the end of the night.” The surprise was a jam that guests were able to take home, created in collaboration with the Portuguese Tea Company. “It’s inspired by Christmas, with cinnamon, cloves, very Madeiran ingredients and Ponta do Pargo pears, with a touch of almond. We tried to create maximum Madeiran terroir.” The cider served at the beginning also reinforced this connection to local production, made entirely from the Barral apple.
For Júlio Pereira of Akua, these dinners go far beyond a gastronomic event. “Today we communicate much more than perhaps happened in the previous generation. These days are special because they allow us to be among friends, share experiences and mix our teams,” he said. The chef believes that this exchange has a direct impact on daily work: “The sharing is extremely enriching. We realise that our problems are also theirs, and we are able to grow as people and as professionals. Nowadays life revolves around good relationships and good networking, and these days are very valuable in that regard.”
The evening’s menu began with squid, scallop and laksa, an aromatic, spicy dish by chef Gonçalo Bita Bota, inspired by Southeast Asia. This was followed by smoked black scabbardfish with banana and passion fruit sauce, a creation by Júlio Pereira evoking flavours typical of Madeira. The host chef then presented charuteiro with celery and fig leaf, representing the Atlantic. Benoît Sinthon brought one of Il Gallo d’Oro’s classics: pigeon with eucalyptus aroma. The dessert, created by the in-house team, offered a sweet reinterpretation of the traditional Madeiran drink pé-de-cabra, combining chocolate, lemon, dark beer and dry wine.
This dinner series also serves as preparation for the Michelin Guide Portugal 2026 Gala, which will take place in Funchal on 10 March and will feature Benoît Sinthon as gastronomic curator, further strengthening the collaborative spirit among the chefs.
