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Chef Alessandra Montagne has a quiet confidence about her as she moves through a new role as the head chef in the kitchen of Cícero in November 2024. Montagne is the first Afro-Brazilian chef to take the helm at the dining parlor, which is part restaurant and part enclave for journalists, artists, locals, ambassadors, and the like who enjoy elevated yet relatable cuisine.
Love of art, people and hospitality all converge at the tables of Cícero, founded by art collector Paulo Dalla Nora Macêdo and co-founder Ana Carolina Silva. The dining parlor of this bustling neighborhood in Lisbon’s Campo de Ourique is surrounded by Macêdo’s private collection of modernist art from Brazil’s famed painter Cícero Dias.
Chef Montagne says detailed curation and a love of art make this Brazilian restaurant in Lisbon different. Sharing inspiration for the newly crafted menu at Cícero, she says, “The challenge was (and is) to create a menu inspired by the work of Cícero Dias, a Brazilian modernist artist who was born in Brazil but lived most of his life in Paris.”
She continues, “As well as being inspired by his work, which is also on display on the restaurant walls, making it a very special place since it offers an immersion in art (not only by Cícero Dias but also by other artists). What I try to translate at the table is the journey of my own history and that of Cícero, who, for different reasons, took us from Brazil to France, but also with a strong connection to Portugal. As well as the art itself, I’m inspired by the colours, the local products and the nuances that Lisbon brings in order to create a unique experience for those who visit us.”
Inspiration and Culinary Journey in Europe
Montagne grew up in Poté, a municipality in the northeast state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Her upbringing fuels her drive to dream big and reach her goals. She moved to France at 22 with hopes of mastering the language.
Her culinary career, which spans two decades, includes successful endeavors as a chef and restaurant owner in France, garnering the support of French culinary giants in the industry—a compliment that few can lay claim to or brag about.
The Brazilian chef describes herself as resilient, determined and gentle. These qualities are evident when you dine at her table. Whether you are in Paris at one of her two restaurants, Nosso and Tempero, or Lisbon, her dishes are crafted with “love.”
“I’d say that more than the influence of my culinary career, it’s my own life journey that inspires me in everything. I am one person. My personal story blends with my professional life; they are inseparable,” she says excitedly.
“I left Brazil for personal reasons, and it was in France that I discovered cookery as a professional affirmation. It was cooking that saved me. It was cooking that allowed me to get back on my feet as a woman, a mum, a professional, and it was this strength that led me to set goals, that encouraged me to discover my own creativity.”
She is aware of her talent and understands that having a professional team supporting her gives life to her projects. “So I would say that my success starts with my discovery, and obviously, all of this ends up being reflected in all the projects I get involved in. I dedicate myself, body and soul to any of my projects.”
She continues, “Resilience is one of the tools in my life and, above all, love is central to everything I do. Without it, it’s just a menu of techniques without expression and I don’t believe in that. Love, dedication and a lot of research, that’s what comes through in what I do. Just as important, if not more important than all this, which is a reflection of my career, my life and even my personality, is the importance I attach to my team (or teams). There is no Chef Alessandra Montagne without a team.”
Cícero’s First Afro-Brazilian Woman Head Chef
As the first Afro-Brazilian woman to lead the kitchen at Cícero, Montagne says, “Firstly, I’m honored to have received this invitation. The proposal was immediately very tempting for several reasons. I love art and designing this menu made me put my creativity to the test. It also made me discover more Portuguese flavors so that I could integrate them in a harmonious way.”
She is also candid about how this venture forced her out of her comfort zone. “I’m very monochromatic in the way I dress, for example, and black, white, and grey dominate my choices when I get dressed. But by having a palette of colors available through the works of Cícero Dias, it was inevitable to bring color to the menu. It was, therefore a very interesting challenge.”
In a rich culinary city as vibrant Lisbon, the restauranteur and head chef draws inspiration from her culinary career living, working and traveling from Brazil to France and now Portugal.
“Then there’s Lisbon, which is a city I really like and where I feel at home. As I often say, Portugal is the closest thing to Brazil. It’s true that I made Paris my home more than two decades ago, but to arrive in Lisbon and hear Portuguese, to be so close culturally? There was no doubt that this was where I wanted to be too! It was the invitation and the project at the right time in my life.”
Curating Flavors at the Louvre Museum Paris
Montagne’s dedication and love of creating moments through food certainly have not gone unnoticed. Always humble, when in France, she received high praise from renowned Michelin-star chef Alain Ducasse and was selected to curate the menu for a new project at the Louvre Museum Paris. The menu will celebrate French gastronomy and the details of this much-anticipated project will be revealed in the near future.
“There were several moments when I said to myself, ‘This whole endeavor is worth it!’ But the most incredible was undoubtedly when Alain Ducasse invited me to join the Louvre team. I was stunned. It took me a long time to believe it, and to understand it, and for me to really accept it!”
Sharing more, she says, “To this day, as I said before, I can hardly believe that the great Alain Ducasse came to my restaurant, that we sat at the same table. Can you imagine the feeling? As if that weren’t enough, to receive this invitation and great challenge and be able to be part of this small selection chosen by him to head up one of the restaurants in the Louvre? It’s crazy.
“Proud, yes, but very, very grateful. If I think back to the young Alessandra in Brazil, who sold chicken coxinha in order to survive, and see the film of my life and where I am today, I could never have imagined it. A Black, foreign woman in the Louvre? Not in my wildest dreams.”
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What to Expect at Cícero, a Brazilian Restaurant in Lisbon
Guests can expect elevated Brazilian cuisine with a touch of Mediterranean and Portuguese influences when they enter the art-decorated walls of Cícero.
Chef Montagne teases, “An immersive experience that not only tells my story. There’s no shortage of flavors that transport us to Brazil, such as chicken coxinha or cheese bread (pão de queijo), which I make a point of having on my menus, but also the Portuguese flavors present, for example in bread, cod or octopus and, of course, much of what Paris is to me is also present in the dishes created for this project.”
Cícero opened in August 2022. Sommelier Rodolfo Tristão curated the wine list, which includes French and Portuguese wines. “It’s a journey into the flavors that link Brazil, Portugal and France, just like the life of Cícero Dias and mine, but also a lot of color, flavor, delicacy. The challenge is to come and find out by yourself.”
Whether you enjoy art, food or wine, the team at Cícero led by Chef Montagne, are eager to showcase the intentionality of their newly curated menu. Prepare for your visit to Cícero by visiting the website and following along on social media.
