- Insiders Profile -
Louise Bourrat & Marco Cossu
Founders
Gancho
Tucked away in the heart of Lisbon, Gancho is one of those rare places that immediately feel personal, the kind of restaurant born out of love, creativity, and a shared vision. Behind it are Marco and Louise, partners in life and in business, who have created a space that blends thoughtful design with honest, ingredient-led cuisine.
◆ How did Gancho come to life? What’s the story behind it?
Once upon a time in Lisbon, Sardinian-born Marco Cossu bumped into the Luso-French Louise Bourrat. It was love at first sight, as they shared the same obsession for restaurants and food. After years of solo projects, they decided to seal their love by opening Gancho together – a little joint where they combine their gastronomic heritage, as they were too immature to have kids.
◆ If you had to describe Gancho in just three words, what would they be?
Unpretentious, delicious, fun.
◆ Gancho feels both refined and relaxed. How do you balance sophistication with a sense of ease?
Gancho has always been thought to be a unpretentious and accessible neighborhood restaurant, in respect to its traditional tasca heritage, yet bringing a certain refinement in its plating, drink selection, and music curation, due to Louise Bourrat's fine dining background and Marco’s high-end bartending and hospitality experience.
◆ Louise, you’re the chef at Gancho. How would you describe your culinary style and what inspires your menus?
I am very much of a Swiss-knife, and my cooking style can vary depending on where and for whom I am cooking. With Gancho, I wanted a place where I could cook comfort food from the heart, free from the pressure of fine dining. Basically, dishes that I like to cook at home, such as Portuguese classics taught by my grandmother or out-of-the-beaten-track Italian dishes, as well as more unique and creative plates, but always with that franco-luso-italian touch, to keep coherence throughout the menu. I would say that what really elevates such simple dishes in Gancho is that we apply the exact same precision when it comes to recipes, seasoning, textures, and cooking techniques as in a gastronomic kitchen.
◆ Marco, you manage the front of house. How do you see your role in the experience?
I am the host, the soul of the place. I am there every single day, serving every single person who goes through the doors of our house. Since I was a kiddo, for my birthdays, I was always making sure that my guests were having a great time.
Today is no different; I still am this guy, reading the room to put on the best tracks, cracking the jokes with whoever is keen on having a good laugh with me, and simply making sure that everyone is happy and has everything they need. I am passionate about music, mixology, and people, so Gancho is a fantastic playground for me to spend time.
◆ You’re part of the first edition of Lisbon Insiders Restaurant Week. What made you want to join the initiative?
As we said, our favorite thing to do ever is to eat out at restaurants, already just for our own pleasure, we were delighted with that initiative, as it allows us to try even more places than we usually do! Therefore, it was a no-brainer for us to be part of it.
◆ What can guests expect from your Restaurant Week menu?
We simply put all our best-sellers within one menu to showcase what Gancho’s flavors are about! Starting with our spicy Caesar hipsy cabbage or our Porco preto tonnato, followed by our unique pasta alla zozzonna (it's a naughty pasta, like carbonara and an amatriciana making love) and a dessert of your choice (CBD crème brûlée or Frangelico Tiramisu). Basically, the perfect combination of all the dishes that have made our success since we opened!
◆ The Restaurant Week ends this Sunday, so if you had time to visit another participating restaurant, which one would it be?
We are not going to miss out on that opportunity! We visited Madam Bo for lunch and are heading to Rumu for an after-service dinner, which is awesome. As usual, it is a bit hard for restaurateurs to eat out as we all tend to have the same closing days, but we will try as many as possible!
◆ Could you walk us through your ideal day in Lisbon, from a slow morning to dinner with friends?
The day will start with a nice espresso in bed and a bowl of seasonal fruits, followed by the usual 30-minute cat cuddling session. Then one would head to yoga and the other one for a swim, meeting later for a delectable sauna and cold bath session at Hot Cold Club. Heading now to Príncipe Real for a super strong ristretto at Bettina Corallo to wash that deep relaxation with profound anxiety. The healthy part of the day being done, it is now time to waste all those efforts into a cozido, a Portuguese dish.
Depending on the day of the week, we would head to Tasquinha do Lagarto, Casa da India, or Esquina da Fé. From here, a digestive walk is necessary, and perhaps an ice cream at Niva or Nannarella to wash the pork down. Later on, we could meet for a nice glass of wine at the friendly Viagem Das Horas in Penha da França, for their great and affordable natural wine list and oysters, and their even better record selection. Dinner options are not missing in this city, but for a fun and super casual night with friends, we should head to Tasca Baldracca from our dear Pedro Monteiro, where food is always banging and rum is never missing. A few steps away, we could stop at the nearby Bartô at Chapitô for some live music, or elsewhere, depending on the mood!
◆ And finally, can you please share with us your local hangout?
Big drama for our cholesterol levels was the opening of Pausa in Alfama (the casual little brother of Ruvida), land of the fluffiest focaccia filled with the best Italian charcuterie in the city (some of those made in-house!), as well as amazing wines to ensure we will fully regret our lunch excesses heading to work. When it comes to nightlife, who says Alfama says fado and live music, therefore it is not uncommon for us to catch some amazing fado at Mesa de Frades after service when we are lucky enough to pass by when the door is opening, or simply melt in the amazing vibe of our dear neighbours of a Tipica de Alfama or Tejo Bar, until the late hours of the night.
