Rodrigo Castelo

Chef at Ó Balcão (Santarém, Portugal)

This chef's creativity is based on his fluid relation with the local producers and fishermen round about.

This Portuguese chef studied an undergraduate course in Animal Production Engineering at the Santarém Higher School of Agriculture (ESAS), where he learned a range of food production techniques (fermentation, curing, smoking etc.).

Rodrigo decided to open a restaurant in his native town with the help of his wife, and in 2013 his dream came true with the emergence of Taberna Ó Balcão (Santarém), where the cooking has evolved on the basis of traditional Portuguese cuisine and a preference for local Ribatejo produce.

In recent years his cuisine has won both national and international acclaim with a number of awards, including the "Bib Gourmand" distinction in the Michelin Guide, among others.

In March 2022, on the strength of his continuous toil to promote and showcase the region, its products and producers, Rodrigo Castelo was appointed Santarém's Ambassador of Gastronomy.