Inspired by the country’s landscapes and produce, chef Hugo Nascimento offers an intimate culinary journey
Beyond its beautiful beach, the village of Odeceixe has a Michelin-recommended gastronomic experience.
Tucked beside the Casas do Moinho development, Näperõn has become a must-visit for those who appreciate Portuguese cuisine at its finest. Led by chef Hugo Nascimento, the restaurant delivers a tasting experience built around traditional flavours, served in seven courses with an optional pairing of national wines.
Designed to highlight the very best of Portugal, the restaurant is the creation of the Lisbon-born chef, who moved with his family to this quiet village where they used to spend their holidays.
The story began by chance. In the summer of 2012, chef Hugo offered to prepare dinner for his fellow guests at Casas do Moinho because he wanted to use the poolside grill and thought it was only fair to cook for everyone.
“My wife [Joana] and I didn’t know the owners, but we became friends that year, and from then on, every time we came on holiday, I would cook that dinner,” he recalls.
In 2019, he felt it was “time for a change” and accepted the invitation from the owners of Casas do Moinho to take over the hotel restaurant. “I usually say we came on holiday and never went back,” he laughs. At first, chef Hugo was responsible for the half-board meals and the restaurant, which soon gained popularity and opened to the public.
The following year he launched Näperõn, introducing a fine-dining concept that was met with instant success. The strong demand led to a renovation and expansion, and today the restaurant seats 30 guests and has earned its place in the Michelin Guide recommendations list.
Although over time Näperõn has developed its own distinct identity, “there was never a set menu”, chef Hugo explains. “I like to start serving dinner as soon as guests arrive and recreate the feeling of coming home, asking what’s for dinner and finding it already on the table. You arrive, sit down and eat.”
The dishes follow the seasons, ensuring the freshness and quality of the ingredients. Most are sourced locally, reflecting the chef’s ethos of creative freedom grounded in simplicity and sustainability, as well as low food waste.
Inspired by life in Odeceixe, chef Hugo says this approach allows him to “create different experiences and moments in the same place”. It also helps prevent ruts, keeping the team engaged and regular guests intrigued.
Combining refinement with warmth, he explores Portuguese cuisine in a setting that feels sophisticated whilst maintain that village charm.
The dining room mirrors this philosophy. The décor is clean and contemporary, with light tones and wooden finishings that reflect the landscape around the restaurant. From the windows, diners can see the old windmill that gives Casas do Moinho its name, just 100m away.
The food, too, is markedly inspired by the surrounding region, like the roasted Aljezur sweet potatoes with Castro Marim salt, olive oil from the Alentejo, and seafood from the nearby coast.
“You’ll probably never taste anything quite like this again, especially if you’re visiting from abroad,” says chef Hugo, adding that true luxury “is being able to enjoy where we are and the flavours of the land.”
Näperõn stands out for offering “something unique, authentic and original”, marked by both its boldness and minimalist charm. From mountain to sea, the tasting menu balances both, with fish and shellfish taking centre stage and just one meat dish completing the sequence.
Even though the experience changes every night, what remains constant is “food that tries to revive memories and challenges people to recognise flavours”, says the chef. His goal is to surprise diners and invite reflection, serving dishes that combine creativity, colour and form – sometimes in unexpected pairings, like monkfish rice with a meat sauce, or whelk feijoada with grilled pork shoulder.
The wine list is no less attentive, featuring producers from across Portugal, such as the Sociedade Vinícola de Palmela, with one French exception: Champagne. “If we’re showcasing our gastronomy, we have to present our wines, they’re part of our culture,” chef Hugo explains. The restaurant’s name, too, carries a touch of nostalgia. It comes from ‘naperons’, the embroidered doilies that once decorated and protected furniture in nearly every Portuguese home. The name evokes the ideas of home, comfort, tradition, elegance and attention to detail, values that define Näperõn’s spirit.
With an impressive professional background, chef Hugo Nascimento worked with the best chefs in the country, including chef Vítor Sobral – having been a partner in his restaurant group – and he has progressed steadily in his career, which began at Café Café in Lisbon. Here, he started by plating desserts before becoming a kitchen assistant.
To this day, he says, he enjoys the teamwork and rhythm of the kitchen. His experience also extends beyond the back of restaurants: in 2014 he published Chef Hugo Nascimento’s Sandwich Book, and in 2021 and 2022 he appeared on Hell’s Kitchen Portugal as sous-chef. His constant drive to innovate, combined with a passion for creativity, ensures that each year he returns to the kitchen with “renewed spirit and ideas”.
Originality and authenticity remain at the heart of Näperõn, a restaurant without a written menu, where every evening’s dishes are designed to surprise through their quality, providing enjoyable moments.
Näperõn is open Tuesday to Saturday for dinner.
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