Born and raised in Crema, Italy, Francesco Ogliari’s life is an interesting story to tell. While in acting school, he worked nights in restaurants to learn everything he could about cooking, a passion inherited from his mother. For some time he lived day and night in two parallel worlds until he was forced to choose his true calling. The aromas, flavours and textures won. We lost an actor, but a brilliant chef was born!

Still, as an acting student, Francesco won an Erasmus scholarship that brought him to Évora. It was love at first sight. Portugal and the Alentejo became a second home, and a place he knew he would later return to. In the meantime, he completed his studies, worked in a wine bar with a restaurant and learned sommelerie. He first moved to Milan and later to Berlin, to dedicate himself to modern and seasonal cuisine and to deepen his knowledge in signature vegetarian and biological cooking. In Berlin, Francesco was the junior sous-chef in the Michelin-starred Cookies Cream*, a pioneer in vegetarian fine-dining.

Francesco returned to Portugal in 2015, where he worked at several kitchens before taking over the leadership of the restaurant Santa Clara dos Cogumelos. In 2019 he finally returned to the Alentejo to pursue his passion, cooking without a carbon footprint. To discover and to work with local farmers, focusing on natural and organic ingredients, fresh pasta and farm-to-table cuisine. All with a very clear vision – to merge traditional Italian and Portuguese cuisines and to reinterpret them based on his personal experience. The outcome is truly delicious.

Additional information about the Chef

The Chef is available in the geographical areas identified in the filter panel, but can also travel to other locations (in that case, please contact us).