◆ 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.