BouBou's
A secret patio in the middle of Principe Real, one of our favorite areas in Lisboa, invites you on a tasteful culinary voyage – welcome to BouBou's! BouBou's is a family's affair.
Alexis BOUrrat was born in Lyon but has Portuguese roots. Agnes BOUrrat was born in Budapest, but is also of English nationality. They met in London, a city where they fell in love not only with each other but also with the hotel industry. Today they live in Lisbon, but they consider themselves citizens of the world, adventurous human beings with an eternal curiosity to explore the unknown.
In Príncipe Real, they opened the Restaurant called BouBou’s, a name that represents precisely the fusion of all this: the love and friendship that unites them; the importance of the family, which in their case is strongly linked to gastronomy and accompanies them in various parts of this project; their passion for food, for fun and sharing around the table and for the excellence necessary for the art of hospitality.
Boubou's opened in the summer of 2018. Although, by choice, it doesn't have a closed gastronomic concept, if we had to define it in a few words , we could say that it is a casual fine dining restaurant, with a strong commitment to seasonality, respect for the product, the philosophy of zero waste and a special affection for the potential of vegetables, although it is not entirely vegetarian.
The menus are changeable, rotating according to the availability of the products that arrive, mostly from Portuguese producers with whom they have established trusting relationships. There are no summer or winter cards, the ingredients, with their own times, are the rulers. Afterwards, it's about opening your mind and embarking on a journey of improbable flavors and blends: from the à la carte options to the tasting menu, you can find Portuguese influences, as well as Asian, South American or even the Middle East. Accompanying is not only a vast national wine list, but also an exclusive selection of champagnes and French wine, handpicked by Charlie Bourrat (Alexis' sister), directly from Lyon to Lisbon.
Impressions of a tasting menu
And for those who share the same taste in food, you can share the lamb or octopus dish.
We were invited to taste the tasting menu and it truly was a culinary voyage through the world. I don't eat lamb and Mike doesn't eat fish. At BouBou's they'll put together a taste menu according to your taste and your allergies/intolerance. BouBou's is for people who like to experiment new tastes and food combinations, for those who like to be surprised. Louise serves you not only outstanding cuisine but also a piece of art on every plate.
Louise Bourrat, the rebel Chef
To know a chef's cuisine one must look at their path and personality. Louise doesn't like strings, but she landed her life in Lisbon to help her brother and sister-in-law open Boubou’s. After several professional experiences together in the past, the trio got together again, now to give life to the Bourrat family project. The promise of temporary help was extended, and today the cuisine of Boubou’s is a clear reflection of the DNA of this French chef: creative, focused, irreverent.
Considered a kind of ‘enfant terrible’ for her free and daring spirit, since she was a little girl Louise liked to walk around the pots, so it was not a surprise when she joined the L’École Hôtelière Savoie Léman as a teenager. However, the protocol environment and the classic philosophy of the institution made him give up after two years. It was, therefore, inside the kitchens, as an apprentice, that she became a cook. He made his professional debut at the age of 17, in Lyon, in the kitchen of the Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de la Celle, run by the famous chef Alain Ducasse. What many would consider to be a top experience was, in reality, just the start of a hard journey with immense challenges in the universe of kitchens, raised by the simple fact of being a woman. The target of multiple situations of harassment and other forms of discrimination along its path – about which it insists on being a voice as it considers it a structural problem in the sector. It was there that she heard for the first time that "this is not a job for women, they are too weak to handle”. Eight years later, their trajectory shows that they were wrong.
Louise and her team. In my opinion: Women are strong but can be sensitive and vulnerable at the same time. It's where the magic happens!
Obrigado to the whole team for the unique experience and keep being creative!
Book a table: www.boubous.com
Pictures © BouBou's