- Insiders Profile -
Leandro Carreira & Lula Mascella
Head Chef & Head Mixologist
Barbela C. P. M.
At Barbela C. P. M., Lisbon’s first restaurant dedicated to aged fish, bold flavour and precise technique meet in a laid-back, almost elemental setting. Together, Leandro Carreira and Lula Mascella bring a fresh and deeply personal vision to Lisbon’s dining scene. We asked the new restaurant's head chef and head mixologist five questions each, to cross perspectives and pleasures.
Leandro Carreira
In the kitchen, Leandro Carreira explores the possibilities of maturation, fire, and sea.
◆ What emotion or idea guided you when envisioning Barbela’s cuisine?
Barbela's cuisine is meant to highlight Portuguese produce from either land or sea, with a sharp and precise edge to it, championing low-impact fish methods and more traditional ones, bringing overlooked species to a new light with different ageing (or not) methods.
◆ If you had to describe your cooking style in three words, what would they be?
When people talk about “my food,” they often say it's "challenging" and "cerebral." I take that as a compliment. For me, it's not about being avant-garde for the sake of it. It's about pushing myself and my team to really think about every ingredient and every technique. I want to highlight the true essence of the produce, to explore new textures and flavors in a way that respects what I've learned, but also moves it forward. A huge part of my philosophy is sustainability.
◆ What’s one local or seasonal product you always look forward to working with?
Tainha do Mar (grey mullet).
◆ Is there a dish on the menu that holds personal meaning or tells a story?
I don't like to keep doing the same dishes over and over, but this one means a lot to me. The dish, made with anchovy, pickled potato noodles, and coriander, was created when I had a project inside a coffee roastery in East London. My kitchen was a shipping container outside with almost nothing to cook with. In the UK, I first made this dish with cod instead of anchovies. It has a strong connection to my roots—specifically to the Portuguese dish batatas com bacalhau—without pushing it to be an exact copy.
◆ What’s your favorite local hangout in Lisbon?
Galeto, Sem Palavras, Tico Tico.
Lula Mascella
At the bar, Lula Mascella crafts refined, botanical cocktails with structure and soul.
◆ ◆ How do you approach designing a cocktail menu for a place like Barbela?
Barbela’s cocktail menu is being designed in two parts. The first will feature classics that you don’t often come across, and the second will walk side by side with the kitchen. We’ll be using ingredients and elements that the kitchen produces and works with, giving them a new perspective inside the glass.
◆ Is there a herb, spice, or spirit you’re currently obsessed with?
I don’t think there’s just one thing specifically. I love discovering new flavors and keeping myself open to curiosities that spark my creativity. Right now, there are some things Leo’s kitchen uses and produces that really catch my attention. Beyond oils like Koji, there are the ferments—like the black bean and dark chocolate miso. That opened up a whole new world for me. I ended up falling in love with them thanks to his cooking, and some of those elements have already found their way into the upcoming signature menu we’ll be releasing at Bela next month.
◆ How do you create harmony between a cocktail and a dish, or a mood?
For me, harmony starts with really understanding the full perception of texture, flavor, or the moment you’re trying to tune into. From there, it’s about reflecting on what can complement—or “play along” with—what you’re interpreting.
◆ Is there one ingredient or technique that defines your signature behind the bar?
Over the past nine years, I’ve been working on shaping a personal identity in my craft. For me, that comes through the use of fats, oils, and proteins to create drinks that are rich in flavor, layered in texture, and elegant in appearance.
◆ What’s your favorite local hangout in Lisbon?
Definitely Quattro Teste, Alfie and Marta’s cocktail bar. I’m a huge fan of what they do.
