Chef Rafaela Louzada

If eating is a political act, being a chef takes on a whole new meaning. Rafaela Louzada, originally from Rio de Janeiro and the daughter of a Portuguese father, arrived in Porto in 2019 after working in the kitchens of various top restaurants around the world. It was in Porto’s Rua de Santa Catarina that she opened Gruta (Bib Gourmand), a restaurant where she focusses heavily on Portuguese fish and seafood, without forgetting her Brazilian roots. With a team made up only of women – a way of drawing attention to the importance of women in professional kitchens – and where concerns about sustainability, waste and environmental impact are ever present, this is how Rafaela Louzada is making a name for herself.