There is something nostalgic about crossing the doors of Maison Albar – Le Monumental Palace. Perhaps it is simply my tendency to romanticize historical buildings with Art Deco traces, or maybe it’s the hope that, behind these doors, lies a piece of a Porto that no longer exists. A Porto that still knew how to slow down and appreciate the details.
An essence that the Porto-based studio Ointoemponto captured with a singular perspective. This time, however, we weren’t mere spectators of this historical stage but participants in a celebration: the ‘Monumental’ dinner, crafted by chefs Julien Montbabut and Louise Bourrat, to celebrate the hotel’s 6th anniversary. French technique and accent, Portuguese ingredients, and just the correct dose of emotion were the promises of the evening.
For us, who already know Julien’s cuisine well — we’ll soon write about our last visit to Le Monument — this dinner was also a long-awaited opportunity to discover Louise Bourrat’s work, whose career we’ve been following closely, not only for her work in Lisbon at her restaurant Boubou’s but also for her heroic achievement in winning Top Chef France.
The Beginning: Champagne and Anticipation
The evening began in the hotel’s library, with the timeless elegance of the space serving as the backdrop for a relaxed moment of introductions and conversation among guests. The usual snacks, served with Cattier champagne, subtly whetted the appetite with technical precision and refined aesthetic care, already hinting at the rigor and creativity that would define the dinner.
With the Champagne paving the way for a special evening, we descended to the restaurant. Seeing the room full was, honestly, a relief. Porto is a city that is growing rapidly, but when it comes to fine dining, the general public still views it with suspicion. It’s not that people don’t like to eat well — we all know the “francesinha” or “tripas” dishes are institutions — but the idea of small, expensive dishes with complicated names still provokes defensive reactions. Fortunately, this evening proved otherwise: a group of people willing to experiment, converse, laugh, and especially pay attention to each chef’s unique flavors and personal touches.
The Menu: A Journey Through Ideas and Flavors
At the table, we started with Maçanita Gouveio by Joaninha 2023, a wine that beautifully expresses the Douro grape variety, awakening the palate with its minerality for food.

We began with a “folar,” a nod from Julien to Trás-os-Montes — excellent in texture and addictive in taste. The first dish, Crab, rhubarb, and geranium (Louise Bourrat), seemed like a playful game: simple to the eye but explosive to the palate— a starter to eat with our hands that played with contrasting textures and elements. The softness of the Crab found a vibrant partner in the fermented rhubarb, while the geranium brought a subtle floral and citrus touch. It was a fresh and surprising start, leaving us eager for more, knowing the dinner had just begun.

Moving on to Julien Montbabut’s creation, we stayed with chilled seafood dishes with Langoustine, passion fruit, and lemon balm. A dish that exemplarily balanced sweetness and acidity. The succulent langoustine showcased its natural sweetness, paired with the fruity acidity of the passion fruit and the aromatic freshness of the lemon balm. A magnificent dish!
After two meticulously presented dishes came the bread, which now insists on claiming its spot in the middle of the menu. Let’s be honest: I’m the kind of person who loses all composure when faced with good slow-fermented bread and artisanal butter — in this case, seaweed butter from the French producer Beillevaire. At this point, I seriously considered giving a thank-you speech to the chef for not being one of those chefs who gradually removed bread from the table.

We moved to warm dishes with an elaborate plate of Snapper, leek, and Champagne (Julien Montbabut). Delicate yet profound, as is typical of Julien’s cuisine.
The snapper arrived with impeccable texture, almost melting at the touch. At the same time, the Champagne and leek velouté enveloped the dish in luxurious smoothness, punctuated by the brininess of caviar, which found its perfect partner in the 2023 Terrantez do Pico wine.

Louise Bourrat presented the most seasonal and vegetarian moment of the meal with Chanterelles, smoked cream, fresh yeast, and consommé. Here, Louise brought autumn to the table with a comforting consommé served like coffee. It was an almost meditative dish, though perhaps too meditative. We missed an element that would wake us from the calm — or maybe Louise was asking for absolute silence at this moment?
Paired with this dish was Crosta Calcária dos Profetas, a wine from Porto Santo Island, whose iodized and slightly gunpowdery notes reminded us of the best whites from the Canary Islands.

Fine dining has its share of trends, and beef, once the queen of tasting menus, has been relegated to the status of a boring cousin, especially in menus featuring wagyu loin or entrecôte. Pigeon is the new star, and Louise Bourrat gave it a worthy stage. I often see skepticism around this bird — but I admit I don’t see much harm in eating an animal that might have spent summer on my balcony (with due irony)!
Thus, Louise convinced skeptics with Pigeon, sakura leaf, beetroot, and celeriac— a dish of audacity and precision. The pigeon, perfectly cooked at a low temperature, was balanced by the aromatic lightness of the sakura leaf wrapping it and the sweetness of the beetroot. The celeriac added freshness and a vegetal touch to complete the composition. Everything culminated in the sauce, an essential link connecting the elements with precision. Very good!

The final savory dish was in Julien’s hands, with Bísaro pork, cabbage, and chestnuts for the closing act, accompanied by a surprising sauce. The pork was perfectly cooked, even giving my often-dreaded Brussels sprouts a deserving place. It was a testament to the chef’s commitment to understanding and valuing local products and traditions, which has marked his journey since arriving in Portugal in 2018.
The wines concluded here with another side of Alentejo: a 100% Tinta Carvalha, open, with good acidity, elegant, and free from the region’s typical excesses.

The evening concluded with a final touch from Joana Thöny Montbabut, the hotel’s pastry chef and Julien’s wife, who presented her Grand Dessert. The dessert, or rather the desserts, explored contrasting textures with a remarkable balance between sweetness and freshness. It demonstrated her technical rigor and aesthetic sensitivity, whether working with quince and pear, the freshness of lemon and cardamom, or the inevitable chocolate. The name truly suits the dessert!

It was evident that Julien and Louise shared great synergy, having recently collaborated at Boubou’s. Their hurried visits to the dining room, knowing smiles, and exchanging jokes broke the seriousness of a usually formal space, adding lightness to an experience that can often become dull. It was a reminder that, even in a starred restaurant, food should connect rather than intimidate.

Conclusion: A Dinner to Remember
This dinner wasn’t just a celebration of Le Monumental Palace’s 6th anniversary. It was a reminder of what makes fine dining special: the courage to explore, the willingness to step out of the comfort zone, and the connection among people who, despite distinct approaches, found common ground in respecting the essence of ingredients and a coherent thread in menu organization.
Fine dining isn’t for everyone — not because the public doesn’t understand it or want to, but because it often forgets who’s on the other side. This evening was different: Julien and Louise managed to create something that was both technical and relaxed, accessible and sophisticated. Perhaps this is what Portuguese fine dining needs: less pedestal, more curiosity, and, above all, more moments like this.
Julien Montbabut reaffirmed not only the maturity of his cuisine, once again showing the delicacy and balance of his compositions, but also his commitment to understanding Portugal, its products, and its producers — something he could have bypassed in favor of purely French cuisine.
Every dish he serves shows respect for the country that welcomed him.
Louise Bourrat, on the other hand, confirmed her talent and showed us why she’s one of the most interesting figures of her generation in Portugal. Her humor, boldness, and ability to turn simplicity into fine dining left us even more eager to visit Boubou’s and explore her creative universe in Lisbon.
It was inspiring to see a full house, proof that, with well-organized events and intriguing menus, fine dining can find its place in a Porto that increasingly discovers and values experiences that challenge, inspire, and create memories.
Perhaps even Porto, with its practical and skeptical soul, can learn to embrace (and adore) the beauty of a monumental dinner like this.
Prices from 180€ (without wines)
Maison Albar – Le Monumental Palace
Avenida dos Aliados 151, 4000-067 Porto – Portugal