The Algarve welcomes Austa, an all-day kitchen in touch with its heritage
From breakfast to dinner, Austa embraces honest eating and local community
Tucked into Southern Portugal’s Algarve coastline, Austa has opened with community values at its core. From the food that is artistically created to the thought gone into the carefully designed space, the café/restaurant stays true to providing a platform for local producers and independent projects.
Pronounced ‘oss-ta,’ the name is a derivative of the word ‘auster,’ meaning ‘south wind personified’ in Latin. The underlying connotation of embracing change and new ideas is a reflection of Austa’s mission. A place to ponder, the combination of authenticity, thoughtfulness, and curiosity helps the community to be connected to the Algarvian land.
Austa unites locally sourced food and intrinsic design in the beautiful region of Algarve
Opened in August 2023, founders Emma and David Campus wanted to unite food, wine, and design by utilizing their previous experiences of travel and exploring the culinary roots and hospitality of the country. They collectively gathered an archive of inspiration and knowledge, which became Austa’s foundations based on sustainable food, wine, and craftsmanship.
Focusing on independent projects and producers of the Atlantic and Andalusian coasts, seasonal produce is celebrated and utilised in creative ways.
The minimal and modern space in Almancil was designed by Studio Gameiro, who crafted the interior to translate Austa’s concept and vision – a space proud of its location that embraces the region’s heritage, craftsmanship, and culinary traditions. Design details include a bench made with 230 million-year-old salt, cut by hand from a nearby mine.
The menu, curated by head chef David Barata, utilizes grounding dishes with authentic flavours. The menu shifts with the seasons, dishing up simplicity with truthful sourcing. By doing so, the rotating menu focuses on the producer first. Minimum mileage and local Algarvian ingredients are sought after, which elevates small businesses while they work in matrimony.
Tuck into dishes that transition from breakfast to dinner. Begin the morning with fresh pastries doused in lavender honey. The midday menu offers a selection of freshly caught fish, roasted pumpkin, and Feta from a Dutch producer, while at dinner, there is a variety of foraged wild mushrooms from Viseu to delicate Brill, line-caught off the coast of Sagres.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Tianna Williams is Wallpaper’s staff writer. When she isn’t writing extensively across varying content pillars, ranging from design and architecture to travel and art, she also helps put together the daily newsletter. She enjoys speaking to emerging artists, designers and architects, writing about gorgeously designed houses and restaurants, and day-dreaming about her next travel destination.
-
‘Seriously,’ says Sprüth Magers, art can be funny tooAt Sprüth Magers, London, group show ‘Seriously’ delves into humour in art, from the satirical to the slapstick
-
Zayed National Museum opens as a falcon-winged beacon in Abu DhabiFoster + Partners’ Zayed National Museum opens on the UAE’s 54th anniversary, paying tribute to the country's founder and its ancient, present and evolving future
-
Design Miami announces Dubai collectible design platform in collaboration with AlserkalThe new platform will honour the region’s cultural heritage while highlighting its spirit of innovation
-
Vincent Van Duysen reimagines Lisbon dining at Jncquoi FishA minimalist yet richly textural world sets the tone at a buzzy new Lisbon restaurant, where Portuguese craft, Atlantic produce and fine-tuned gastronomy meet
-
This Portuguese winery looks like it grew from the landscape itselfArchitect Sérgio Rebelo distils the essence of Portugal’s Douro Valley into a new timber-framed winery for Quinta de Adorigo
-
The Viceroy Hotel Group wants you to get on your bikeAcross properties in Santa Monica, Chicago, Washington DC and the Algarve, Viceroy guests can experience curated cycling routes and community events
-
Two new villas extend Christian Louboutin’s exuberant Portuguese hotelA pink, kasbah-inspired residence and a whitewashed boathouse join the French shoe designer’s Vermelho Hotel in Melides, Alentejo
-
Do luxury hotels need a farmer-in-residence?From Ibiza to Indonesia, hospitality brands are cultivating a new travel experience, where wellness begins in the soil and ends at the table
-
Wallpaper* checks into Quinta do Pinheiro, an easy-breezy farmhouse in the AlgarveIn this private five-casa quinta by the Ria Formosa, it’s all about blending rustic charm with modern comfort
-
Wallpaper* checks in at MACAM Hotel: a night at the museumPortugal’s first hotel-museum is home to 600 pieces of modern and contemporary art and 64 rooms for the ultimate artistic immersion
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes