Showcasing the diversity of Portuguese cuisine, serving both regional dishes and recipes formed through its trading history with disparate countries around the world.

This project is from husband and wife restaurateurs Simon Mullins (a co-founder of the acclaimed Salt Yard dining group) and Portuguese-born Isabel Almeida Da Silva, who has worked in Marco Pierre White’s Mirabelle and The Delaunay - located in a charming double fronted Georgian town house in Covent Garden. The owners have intricately designed the interiors to reflect the lively and vibrant atmosphere of Portugal with fun decorative nods to its trading past, such as the first-floor wooden panelled Georgian dining room designed with an eccentric merchant’s house in mind with various curiosities displayed.

The name (‘turn of the sea’ or ‘return from the sea') refers to a unique sailing technique devised by intrepid Portuguese sailors during the fifteenth century. In order to return home from epic voyages across the globe, ships would turn and set sail in the opposite direction away from Portugal. Once far out into the ocean, they could catch and ride the trade winds home. 

The globally inspired menu explores the regional cuisine of Portugal, from the classic staples to the dishes born of the country’s trading past and culinary interactions with countries such as Angola, Goa, Mozambique, Brazil, Macau and beyond - overseen by Portuguese-native chef George Tannock (The Fat Duck, Zuma).

Ideal For

Culinary voyage

Signature Dishes

Smoked ham hock feijoada, a traditional bean-based stew; Iberico Pork Vindalho; Macanese Arroz Marisco, a seafood rice served tableside from a Cataplana; Pão Com Chouriço, a dish of Goan smoked chorizo served in a naan.

Signature Drinks

An exotic spirits list echo the global influences found in the food, including Cap Grogue, a sugar cane-based spirit from Cape Verdé; Gin from Angola; and Cashu from Mozambique. Cocktails, meanwhile, include an ever-evolving mix of Portuguese classics and modern interpretations of popular varieties, such as a Pumpkin Margarita or Sol de Orange, made from Goan Feni, orange and lemonade.

Highlights

Also open for breakfast throughout the week, Volta do Mar operates as a traditional Portuguese pastelaria, with an in-house baker making Pastel de Nata; Bola de Berlim, a type of Portuguese doughnut; and pão, freshly baked bread perfect to be enjoyed alongside a ‘uma bica’ - a classic Portuguese coffee.