Rui Silvestre was born in Valongo, in the north of Portugal, but has lived in the Algarve since the age of 10.
In search of inspiration for new dishes and new culinary techniques, to discover other cultures and flavors, Rui spent 7 years in French, Swiss and Hungarian restaurants, where he highlights his time in France, at Christophe Bacquié’s Le Castellet restaurant, with three Michelin stars.
In 2015, Rui achieved his first Michelin star, becoming the youngest Portuguese chef (at the age of 29) to win this coveted accolade.
In 2019, he repeated the feat when he won the first Michelin Star for the eastern Algarve at the wheel of Vistas Restaurant.
Although he has spent much of his career abroad, with stints at the starred Ferme Saint Simion and Christophe Bacquié, both French, and Costes, in Budapest, headed by Miguel Rocha Vieira, Rui Silvestre’s cuisine favors national flavors, inspired by the raw material that is closest to him: fish and seafood.
Using French techniques and fusing unlikely flavors, Rui loves to combine the best products from the land and the sea in an innovative way, evoking all the senses and preserving the authentic and exceptional taste of local ingredients.
He takes on the responsibility of succeeding Spain’s most awarded chef at the helm of FIFTY SECONDS, at the top of the Vasco da Gama Tower.