And it was in the Cabana next to the main square of Arronches that we fell in love with the delicacies served by Chef Luís Figueira, owner of Restaurante a Cabana. To the sound of a beautiful playlist We began with a starter of sliced Alentejo ham, accompanied by excellent regional bread and the house wine. This was soon followed by cod cheeks with bolhão pato on a bed of toasted Alentejo bread, stewed donkeys accompanied by crispy chips and a mix of green salads (two of the restaurant's best-selling dishes) and there was still time to savour a delicious encharcada accompanied by a Franciscan ginjinha.
This place opened its doors 11 years ago with Luís and his wife Andreia, two people from Alentejo, Luís from Arronches and Andreia from São Vicente. We had a relaxed chat with this friendly couple, in a relaxed atmosphere where time passed without us noticing, we got to know this place a little better and we even had the chance to listen to Chef Luís playing the house instrument, a beautiful set of pebbles!
DF: How did you decide to bring this project to life?
LF: We decided to create a different space. We idealised a place where you could eat good snacks, listen to good music and chat with friends. The initial idea was to only do tapas, but in recent years we've had to change the menu due to crises, the pandemic and, more recently, the war!
DF: What steps did you take to get to "Cabana"?
LF: I worked in the night from a very early age (15/16) and before I took my degree in tourism I had the intention of opening a bar in Arronches, but I ended up working in the area for others for a while. After graduating, I gained experience in a few restaurants and at the age of 27 I decided to start Cabana, together with Andreia.
DF: Is this an old dream or did it just happen?
LF: It wasn't always a dream, but it ended up gaining expression in the professional experiences I've had throughout my life and it became a dream by chance.
DF: What is your main source of inspiration for preparing your dishes?
LF: Inspiration comes from my family, especially from my maternal grandmother, who didn't like cooking very much but made many unrepeatable and extraordinarily tasty things, and also from my mother, who cooks very well. I can truly say that the greatest inspiration came from the women in my family. As an observer, I kept an eye on the preparation of dishes and ended up developing a taste for this area, adding my own special touch.
DF: With regard to the menu, you mentioned that it has changed over time. What are the most emblematic dishes of this house at the moment?
LF: We worked with tapas and cocktails for a long time, but over time we've come up with some dishes that make a lot of people come here, travelling many kilometres. I'd like to highlight them:
- Burras are pork cheeks, a tender and succulent meat widely used in Alentejo cuisine.
- Cod Wellington, a dish with fresh cod loins.
- Real black pork
- The francesinha, which was our salvation during the pandemic and ended up staying. Although it's not a typical dish from the Alto Alentejo region, we managed to give it a twist with our regional flavours.
DF: What can never be missing at the Cabana?
LF: We favour all regional products, so you can never go without raw materials from our area. I'm talking about sausages, cheeses, wines, craft beers, Alentejo gins and now we even have a new Franciscan gin for our customers. We like to work with fixed partners whose products are of high quality. We believe that these partnerships make our customers more loyal to our space.
DF: Are there any plans for the future?
LF: Our main concern at the moment and in the coming years is to maintain quality and continue to welcome people from all over the world who visit us on recommendation. That's our main goal today and tomorrow, to serve the best we can and provide a relaxed atmosphere for our customers.
DF: Would you like to leave a message for our readers and followers of The Franciscan Pantry?
LF: Our Cabana is a place where everyone is welcome to get to know our gastronomy, stories and traditions a little better. It will be a pleasure to welcome you.
Cabana Restaurant
R. de Olivença, 20
7340-019 Arronches
