Hangar-7

Much-praised and much-travelled – there are many things that speak in favour of meeting the Michelin-starred chef, who started out on his triumphant procession through the culinary world from Lisbon

When the great René Redzepi tells me about a Portuguese colleague with an impressive cooking style, I'm all ears. After all, René is head chef at the world's best restaurant "Noma" in Copenhagen. And when René then adds that this particular man was asked to cook for the winners of the top 100 restaurants on the international S.Pellegrino list, then it becomes clear that, in the form of Nuno Mendes and his London-based "Viajante" restaurant, a real gem has been unearthed. "Viajante" means traveller – and is also the nickname of the widely acclaimed chef.

And that's exactly how the globetrotter sees himself. After enjoying stints under legendary Michelin-starred chefs such as Ferran Adrià, Wolfgang Puck and Jean Georges Vongerichten, and travelling extensively throughout Asia, Nuno kick-started his career at "Bacchus" in London. But it wasn't until this project came to an end in 2008 that things started to get really interesting. On the hunt for something completely new, Nuno spent two years running an "underground eatery" in his loft apartment: twice a week, with a maximum of 12 guests, a set menu and a laid-back atmosphere. It was enough to pay the regular bills, try new ideas behind the stove and, above all, buy himself some time to perfect the concept and location for his next restaurant.

But there was one aspect of this loft project that Nuno was desperate to take with him to the "Viajante": the direct contact with the guest. Thus, the room – which offers a clear view into the kitchen – feels more like an ultra-comfortable kitchen-cum-living room. Although one can sense the spiritual proximity to his friend Redzepi, the Viajante restaurant is certainly no imitation of Noma. Although the concept may be similar, the specific characteristics are extremely individual – and, ultimately, much more fun and gag-oriented. In the thriving metropolis of London, Nuno's cuisine is pleasantly down-to-earth. Take, for instance, his bread porridge: soft-cooked rye bread with fennel juice, chanterelles, sweet corn, coriander, egg yolk and lobster. A real taste of Portugal, with a perfect acidity. And a sensational blend that is simply irresistible.

Nuno describes his cuisine as "modern European", which in his case, however, means Iberian with some mild Asian and Latin American influences. But what is perhaps even more important than his culinary approach is his intellectual one. Sure, he stays true to his Portuguese roots. But he shows his versatility by ingeniously combining them with the creative nuances of bustling East London. Nuno is not one to draw inspiration from food markets. Instead, most of his ideas come from discussions with artists and designers. This creative circle is where the often frantic-looking young dad thrives, where his network lies and where he hones his skills. And when colleagues such as René Redzepi start speaking so highly of him, it doesn't really matter that Nuno's restaurant lies somewhat off the beaten track (albeit connected to a trendy design hotel in the former town hall of Bethnal Green, London). After all, the famous Pellegrino culinary stars have still managed to find their way to his "Viajante" restaurant.

All guest chefs at a glance

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Archive

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus

Preview
Guest chefs 2012 /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/preview-guest-chefs-2012/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: February 2012

Tim Raue /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/tim-raue/

Trettl meets Tim Raue

Tim Raue
Berlin, Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/trettl-meets-tim-raue/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: January 2012

Nuno Mendes /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/nuno-mendes/

Trettl meets Nuno Mendes

Nuno Mendes
Viajante, London /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/trettl-meets-nuno-mendes/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: December 2011

Daniel Redondo &
Helena Rizzo /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/daniel-redondo-helena-rizzo/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: November 2011

Björn Frantzén &
Daniel Lindeberg /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/bjoern-frantzen-daniel-lindeberg/

Roland Trettl on tour

Helena Rizzo & Daniel Redondo, São Paulo, Brazil /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-helena-rizzo-daniel-redondo/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: October 2011

Xavier Pellicer /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/xavier-pellicer/

Roland Trettl on tour

Xavier Pellicer,
Barcelona, Spain /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-xavier-pellicer/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: September 2011

Alvin Leung /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/alvin-leung/

Roland Trettl on tour

Alvin Leung,
Hong Kong, China /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-alvin-leung/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: August 2011

Ikarus Team /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/ikarus-team/

Roland Trettl on tour

Peter Goossens,
Kruishoutem, Belgium /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-and-the-ikarus-team/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: July 2011

Peter Goossens /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/peter-goossens/

Roland Trettl on tour

Peter Goossens,
Kruishoutem, Belgium /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-peter-goossens/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: June 2011

Emmanuel Renaut /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/emmanuel-renaut/

Roland Trettl on tour

Emmanuel Renaut,
Megève, France /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-emmanuel-renaut/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: May 2011

Anatoly Komm /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/anatoly-komm/

Roland Trettl on tour

Anatoly Komm,
Moscow, Russia /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-anatoly-komm/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: April 2011

Daniel Humm /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/daniel-humm/

Roland Trettl on tour

Daniel Humm,
New York, USA /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-daniel-humm/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: March 2011

Claus-Peter Lumpp /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/claus-peter-lumpp/

Roland Trettl on tour

Claus-Peter Lumpp,
Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-claus-peter-lumpp/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: February 2011

Marcus G. Lindner /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/marcus-g-lindner/

Roland Trettl on tour

Marcus G. Lindner, Switzerland /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-marcus-g-lindner/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: January 2011

Enrico & Roberto Cerea /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/enrico-roberto-cerea/

Roland Trettl on tour

Enrico Cerea, Italy /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-enrico-cerea/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: December 2010

Mauro Colagreco /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/mauro-colagreco/

Roland Trettl on tour

Mauro Colagreco, France /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-mauro-colagreco/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: November 2010

Sven Elverfeld /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/november-2010-at-restaurant-ikarus-sven-elverfeld/

Roland Trettl on tour

Sven Elverfeld, Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-sven-elverfeld/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
August 2010

Hans Välimäki /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/hans-vaelimaeki/

Roland Trettl on tour

Hans Välimäki, Finland /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-hans-vaelimaeki/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
September 2010

Sergio Herman /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/sergio-herman/

Roland Trettl on tour

Sergio Herman, Netherlands /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-sergio-herman/

Roland Trettl on tour

Heinz Reitbauer & Thomas Dorfer, Austria /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/heinz-reitbauer-thomas-dorfer/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
August 2010

Heinz Reitbauer, Thomas Dorfer & Ikarus Team /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/roland-trettl-team/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
July 2010

Joan & Jordi Roca /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/joan-jordi-roca/

Roland Trettl on tour

Joan & Jordi Roca, Spain /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-joan-jordi-roca/

Roland Trettl on tour

Nicolas Schneller & Supanut Khanarak, Thailand /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-nicolas-schneller-supanut-khanarak/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
June 2010

Nicolas Schneller & Supanut Khanarak /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/nicolas-schneller-supanut-khanarak/

Roland Trettl on tour

Cornelia Poletto, Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-cornelia-poletto/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
May 2010

Cornelia Poletto /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/cornelia-poletto/

Roland Trettl on tour

David Higgs, South Africa /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-david-higgs/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
April 2010

David Higgs /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/david-higgs/

Roland Trettl on tour

Heiko Nieder, Switzerland /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-heiko-nieder/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
March 2010

Heiko Nieder /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/heiko-nieder/

Roland Trettl on tour

Marcelo Tejedor, Spain /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-marcelo-tejedor/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
February 2010

Marcelo Tejedor /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/marcelo-tejedor/

Roland Trettl on tour

Baiocco Stefano, Italy /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2010/roland-trettl-meets-stefano-baiocco/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
January 2010

Stefano Baiocco /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2010/stefano-baiocco/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
December 2009

Paul Pairet /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/paul-pairet/

Roland Trettl on tour

Paul Pairet, China /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-paul-pairet/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
November 2009

Grant Achatz /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/grant-achatz/

Roland Trettl on tour

Grant Achatz, USA /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-grant-achatz/

A visit to the Ikarus:
October 2009

René Redzepi /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/rene-redzepi/

Roland Trettl on tour

René Redzepi, Denmark /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-rene-redzepi/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
September 2009

Didier Corlou /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/didier-corlou/

Roland Trettl on tour

Didier Corlou, Vietnam /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-didier-corlou/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
August 2009

Roland Trettl & Team /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/roland-trettl-team/

Roland Trettl on tour

Roland Trettl & Team, Salzburg /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-team/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
July 2009

Antonino Cannavacciuolo /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/antonino-cannavacciuolo/

Roland Trettl on tour

Antonino Cannavacciuolo, Italy /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-antonino-cannavacciuolo/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
June 2009

Joachim Koerper /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/joachim-koerper/

Roland Trettl on tour

Joachim Koerper, Lisbon /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-joachim-koerper/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
May 2009

Thierry Marx /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/thierry-marx/

Roland Trettl on tour

Thierry Marx, France /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-thierry-marx/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
April 2009

Ian Chalermkittichai /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/ian-chalermkittichai/

Roland Trettl on tour

Ian Chalermkittichai, Spain /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-ian-chalermkittichai/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
March 2009

Andreas Caminada /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/andreas-caminada/

Roland Trettl on tour

Andreas Caminada, Switzerland /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-andreas-caminada/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
February 2009

Dani Garcia /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/dani-garcia/

Roland Trettl on tour

Dani García, Málaga /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-dani-garcia/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
January 2009

Kenneth Oringer /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2009/kenneth-oringer/

Roland Trettl on tour

Kenneth Oringer, USA /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2009/roland-trettl-meets-kenneth-oringer/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
December 2008

Danyel Couet & Paul Svensson /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/danyel-couet-paul-svensson/

Roland Trettl on tour

Danyel Couet & Paul Svensson, Stockholm /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-danyel-couet/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
November 2008

Normand Laprise /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/normand-laprise/

Roland Trettl on tour

Normand Laprise, Canada /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-normand-laprise/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
In October

Stefan Mörth & Kenichiro Ooe /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/stefan-moerth-and-kenichiro-ooe/

Roland Trettl on tour

Kenichiro Ooe and Stefan Mörth, Japan /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-stefan-moerth-kenichiro-ooe/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
September 2008

Gastón Acurio /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/gaston-acurio/

Roland Trettl on tour

Gastón Acurio, Peru /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-gaston-acurio/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
August 2008

Gérard Depardieu /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/gerard-depardieu/

Roland Trettl on tour

Gérard Depardieu, France /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-gerard-depardieu/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
July 2008

Joël Antunes /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/joel-antunes/

Roland Trettl on tour

Joël Antunes, USA /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-joel-antunes/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
June 2008

Horst Petermann /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/horst-petermann/

Roland Trettl on tour

Horst Petermann, Switzerland /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-horst-petermann/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
May 2008

Norbert Kostner /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/norbert-kostner/

Roland Trettl on tour

Norbert Kostner , Thailand /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-norbert-kostner/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
April 2008

Massimo Bottura /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/massimo-bottura/

Roland Trettl on tour

Massimo Bottura, Italy /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-massimo-bottura/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
March 2008

Margot Janse /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/margot-janse/

Roland Trettl on tour

Margot Janse, South Africa /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-margot-janse/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
February 2008

Christian Jürgens /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/christian-juergens/

Roland Trettl on tour

Christian Jürgens, Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-christian-juergens/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus:
January 2008

Sam Leong /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2008/sam-leong/

Roland Trettl on tour

Sam Leong, Singapore /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2008/roland-trettl-meets-sam-leong/