- Insiders Profile -
Chef & Co-Founder of Disco Taco
Known for his bold creativity and playful approach to flavours, Hugo Candeias is one of the chefs redefining Lisbon’s contemporary food scene. This autumn, he launched Disco Taco, a vibrant collaboration with Ramboiage, celebrating food, music, and nightlife in equal measure. Colourful, fun, and unapologetically free-spirited, the project reflects Hugo’s own culinary personality: generous, energetic, and always surprising.
◆ For those who don’t know you yet, could you start by introducing yourself and your journey as a chef?
My name is Hugo Candeias, and I have been a chef in Lisbon since I came back from Barcelona, where I worked with Albert Adria at Hoja Santa. I've been working for the last five years in Paradigma group, where I had the opportunity to develop my own cuisine concepts, combining a high-quality service and wine offer pairing with a menu designed for sharing, as we believe the more you taste, the happier you'll be. I also created a cheese tart that became a success, and which will be coming back next year. I'm also working on new ideas for the next chapter, which I will be able to share soon.
◆ If you had to describe your culinary universe in just three words, what would they be?
Technique. Flavour. Fun food.
◆ You’ve worked in Lisbon, London, Copenhagen… How have these cities shaped your identity in the kitchen?
They made me grow in many ways, both as a chef and as a human being. I had the chance to work with some of the best chefs and absorb all the knowledge I could from them, to have the ability to one day become a good chef, with a good sense of cooking and learn what sensibility is about. I am a different professional nowadays, more mature and with more technique, as I can apply that knowledge when I work.
◆ What inspired the creation of Disco Taco, and how did the collaboration with Ramboiage come to life?
I worked at a Mexican restaurant for four years, and my ambition was to create something inspired by everything I had learned about Mexican cuisine and culture. One day, I was with Victor, a very close friend of mine, eating tacos and listening to random music, and we talked about how funny it would be to eat tacos and dance while drinking margaritas. Later, after talking about it a few more times and trying to understand what we could actually do, the name “DISCO” came up — and it sounded so cool. The idea is actually very simple: the music pairs with the food, and the cocktails immerse you in a good, free-spirited vibe, in our vision.
Disco Taco
◆ Disco Taco is playful, colourful, and loud. How does this project reflect your personal approach to food?
I am a chef who enjoys engaging with my clients’ emotions and making them feel good, free, and relaxed, while also ensuring they know – and feel – that they are enjoying high-quality food and can be surprised in some way. That’s what I love: giving, or being able to give, these sensations to my clients and enjoying the experience with them.
◆ When you’re developing a new dish or idea, what does your creative process look like?
I like to listen to house music, spend time with myself, and flip through culinary books to set my mind on what I want – thinking about ideas that might come to life later on. Eating at different places is also one of the things I find most exciting, and I like to do it alone so I can have my own conversation with the dish and with myself.
◆ Is there a Mexican influence, or did you reinterpret “tacos” completely through your own style?
I don’t have one specific influence. My experience comes from my previous work in Barcelona, where I had the chance to learn a lot about Mexico. I enjoy making traditional recipes, but I also like giving them a good Portuguese twist from time to time.
◆ Lisbon’s dining scene keeps evolving. What excites you most about the city right now?
Lisbon is full of amazing restaurants and chefs, and this makes you think better, be more rigorous, more precise, and know that you need to be better every day for the customers. They come with more expectations and more vision. Also, access to products is better and more connected.
◆ Could you walk us through your ideal day in Lisbon, the places you return to, the rituals you love?
Imperial de Campo de Ourique for sure – the ambience there is so nice. Also, Eduardo das Conquilhas, which for me it's a very fun place to go, it's very welcoming. I always have a great time there, and lunch is when I like it best. Having the chance to have a glass of bubbles at Black Sheep is part of a good routine. But there is a place where I like to go for a little trip, which is Solar dos Amigos. It makes me feel like a kid in kindergarten. Having a run and a good coffee in Belém makes all the difference too.
◆ What’s your favourite place to hang out in Lisbon?
O Velho Eurico to eat, a cocktail at Fúria and bubbles at Black Sheep.
O Velho Eurico | Black Sheep
