Imagine a place where you can enjoy fresh, local products with all of your senses, cooked in such a way that will transport you to distant lands … or just around the corner.
Our new project, El Bar del Mercado (San Martín), is a place just like that, and chef Mateus Mendes is at the forefront.
Read on to discover his inspiration behind the food you can try at El Bar del Mercado.
How did you start in the kitchen?
I started cooking for my family, they always enjoy eating a lot.
How did your mother cook?
My mother is vegetarian and at home she always ate very clean and healthy, but we also had the habit of enjoying good wine, cheese… thanks to my French grandfather who enjoyed being in the kitchen and cooking. My father, on the other hand, is from the northeast of Brazil and at home he ate very differently. It’s another culture – meat and more native dishes of the area were eaten.
What is your concept for this bar?
It is not so much a concept for the bar – it’s how I conceive the kitchen. The menu is my travels, what I like to eat, but with prime, local ingredients from here. It is the interpretation of my experiences.
Are you a chef by profession or vocation?
I never thought to be a cook. I always liked cooking, but I had to come to France and start working in a professional kitchen to realize that I really wanted to dedicate myself to this.
And what has been your journey leading to today?
After being in France for a year, I went to the Alps and from there, to the Basque Country.
So if you go to San Martín market, even on a Friday night, do not forget to visit our bar and let yourself be carried away by Mateus and his inspiring cuisine.
Enjoy!
San Martín Market, floor 0
