The restaurant at Casa Velha do Palheiro has opened its kitchen and changed its concept, launching Oxalis, inspired by a flower that decorates the property's lawn
On the lawn in front of Casa Velha do Palheiro, there's a plant that stubbornly overtakes the grass. In spring and early summer, it displays its flowers, some of which are yellow, but most of which are pink. These plants belong to the Oxalis botanical genus and the name was used for the renovated restaurant of Madeira's only Relais & Chateaux hotel.
The open kitchen is the showcase for the new concept. It's where the team finalises the dishes and interacts with customers. It was the gift to mark the 220th anniversary of the construction of the original house, then a hunting lodge at Quinta do Palheiro, the property of João Sá Machado, who would become the 1st Count of Carvalhal and the richest man in Portugal.
At the end of the 20th century, the hotel was built on the site of the original house by the Blandy family. And the restaurant, with its classic décor, now has a contemporary cuisine. That's why the name is new, to justify the concept, developed by chef Gonçalo Bita Bota: a fine dining restaurant, sustainable, with a markedly French technique, with influences from Spain and the UK, but which is committed to using as much local produce from Madeira as possible.
The new kitchen even has a chef's table, actually a counter, where up to four customers can try an inspired menu, based on their tastes and the chef's inspiration.
But Oxalis is not the only flower in the restaurant. Each of the menus is only used on two days of the week and all have floral names and a set of 13 dishes: five starters, five main courses and three desserts. The idea is for customers to choose one option from each.
The Camellia menu is served on Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the kitchen prepares the Agapanthus menu. On Saturday and Sunday, there is room for the Wisteria menu. The difference is on Friday, the day reserved for the tasting menu, a seven-course experience with the chef's signature.
On any given day, the team tries to innovate. Whether it is with squid that takes on a gelatinous form, or a tuna terrine, or even Madeira trout with fennel ice cream, or Gonçalo Bita Bota's very special signature dish, a version of beef Wellington, in this case without ham or mustard and wrapped in cabbage.
But creativity can also be found in the naturally leavened bread and above all in the seaweed brioche, a creation from the Oxalis kitchen, or in a dessert that mixes chocolate and eucalyptus and pine flavours.
There is no shortage of options. And they vary with the seasons or inspiration. The open kitchen is an advantage, a theatre stage where actors move around and an extra spectacle for customers, with the added bonus of the chef coming to the table from time to time to explain a technique or make a finishing touch.
In fact, Oxalis is the heir to the Casa Velha Dining Room, a classic restaurant, with service that pays attention to detail and a lot of warmth. That remains the case. In the dining room, friendliness is a hallmark, not least because it becomes necessary to help understand the dishes or to chat about the wines, which can be served paired with the dishes, with the particularity of being a combination that adapts to the customer's taste.
