The sea and travelling are Portuguese culture and identity fundamentals. Portuguese People have always sought the unknown and the adventure to transcend our limits.

This journey has cultural, political and mystical aspects, all of them human, with their lights and shadows. New paths were forged, creating a global world and a new collective destiny that also resulted in new culture, born from the many encounters by sea, between the West and the East.

It is a human expression that goes beyond literature, architecture and music. It is a culture that is imprinted in the gastronomy of travel, marked by the spice routes and many other ingredients, as well as by the unexpected encounters between fruits and flavors.

Welcome to MAPA. Here, we seek to celebrate and translate this wide gastronomic culture, born from our sea voyages, offering a new expedition each season.

David Jesus is restaurant MAPA Executive chef at L’AND Vineyards

After being Executive Chef at Belcanto and right-hand man to Chef José Avillez for twelve years, David Jesus took over as head of Mapa restaurant at L’AND Vineyards in Alentejo since the end of 2023.

Graduated from Lisbon Hospitality and Tourism School, David Jesus arrived at Belcanto at the age of 33, where he worked until August 2022, and for 12 years he was Belcanto's Executive Chef. He witnessed first-hand the restaurant's consolidation on the national and international arena with the restaurant receiving its first Michelin Star in 2012 and the second in 2014. He was also responsible for the entire operation of the restaurant including daily operation, training and organization, in addition to being responsible for supervision of the kitchens of all José Avillez Group restaurants.

 Previously, he worked at Tavares Restaurant, as Chef de Cuisine between 2007 and 2011, alongside Executive Chef José Avillez, and was an important pillar in Chef Aimé Barroyer's team at Hotel Pestana Palace between 2000 and 2007.

Meanwhile, he trained in the kitchens of some of the most prestigious restaurants worldwide, including Quique Dacosta restaurant, (3 Michelin stars) in 2014 and 2017, Celler Can Roca, (3 Michelin stars) in 2012, Mugaritz, (2 Michelin stars) in 2008 and 2013, Hotel Le Bristol Paris, (3 Michelin stars) in 2008, and Viajante (1 Michelin star) in London in 2014.

 “Since I was a child, I have always loved cooking and being in the kitchen. It was my parents’ and my family's kitchens that encouraged and awakened my love for cooking. For me, the kitchen symbolises love and comfort. It has been quite the journey since 1995 with still much to discover, learn and explore: it is fascinating to travel and be able to feel, observe and understand the essence of each cuisine, the differences and influences of each culture.

Proudly Portuguese and a cook, I feel honoured and proud to dedicate myself to promoting Portuguese gastronomy and contributing to making Portugal a gastronomic destination of excellence.” – says David Jesus

 At Mapa restaurant, new paths are explored.

Gastronomy stands out as a universal language, celebrating the meeting of cultures resulting from eras of cultural interchange.

Since 2024 the chef is managing the MAPA’s kitchen, a challenge that "he takes on with great responsibility, and where he seeks to create a unique gastronomic experience that expresses L'AND's identity, while at the same time taking solid steps to consolidate his identity in a restaurant that aspires to be a signature cuisine restaurant", he states.