Austa

Austa is a restaurant, coffee shop, and community space located in Almancil, Algarve, Southern Portugal. Founded by Emma and David Campus in August 2023, it focuses on honest, sustainable, and seasonal eating and drinking, inspired by the region's resources. The space, designed by Studio Gameiro, combines modern and minimal aesthetics with local craftsmanship and tradition. Austa prioritizes low-intervention practices and highlights small, independent producers from the Atlantic and Andalusian coasts, celebrating their seasonal products and stories. Led by head chef David Barata, the kitchen offers simple, authentic dishes that emphasize the origin and quality of ingredients. The name "Austa" comes from the Latin word for "south wind," symbolizing change and fresh ideas.

The menu at austa is designed to evolve with the seasons, emphasizing simplicity and a focus on local, sustainable sourcing. Head chef David Barata, along with founders Emma and David, create a menu that highlights small, independent producers from the Algarve, Portugal, and nearby Andalusia. Their approach prioritizes low-mileage ingredients and small-batch, low-intervention wines, with a wine list that changes regularly, offering many options by the glass for guests to explore.

Breakfast
The breakfast menu currently includes poached organic eggs from a local friend and farmer, nestled in roasted Hokkaido pumpkin and toasted seeds and toasted sourdough from the small and artisanal Essência Bakery, in Loulé. Goat milk from a producer in São Brás de Alportel, just 20 minutes from the restaurant, is fermented for 16 hours to make creamy yoghurt and sour cream that goes with a house-made banana bread made with bananas from Portugal’s only mainland organic banana farm which austa found in Pechão, Algarve. Daily pastries from a selection of small and artisanal local bakeries are served with whipped butter, homemade seasonal jam or wild lavender honey from one of the Algarve’s only organic honey producers.

Lunch
A seasonal lunch menu evolves with the producers’ crop and catch but regularly brings sourdough served with olive oil from a small project of just 800 litres per annum in Évora, two hours north of austa. Whipped pork lard comes, rather than butter, to emphasise the use of ‘by-products’ that are so often seen as waste from the Algarve’s abundant pork production. Rotating artisanal cheese and charcuterie plates from breakfast continue into lunch, joined by a smoked fish plate made up of products from a small and artisanal smokery in Vila Real de Santo António. For autumn, a wild boar croquette is introduced to reference the use of invasive species in ‘sustainably led’ menus. Feta from a small Dutch producer in Monchique sits on top of roasted pumpkin while cured Amberjack, or yellowfin tuna, depending on the fisherman’s catch, comes with a tomato dashi. Pork neck from Feito no Zambujal and garden leaves or octopus from Santa Luzia, pil pil and leeks from the garden act as larger sharing plates. Service starts at 1 pm from Tuesday to Saturday.

Dinner
At dinner, in addition to plates that are also on the lunch menu, the service becomes slightly more refined and – moving into autumn – the first wild foraged mushrooms from Viseu are plated with a burnt butter hollandaise. Velvety and delicate brill, line caught off the coast of Sagres are light yet warming and, eager to source the best meat productions, austa look to both the Algarve, Alentejo and Andalusia for succulent lamb and pork. For veggies and vegans, there are options too, a grilled fermented cabbage with ‘massa de pimentão’ and chickpea, and an umami alternative to Algarvian’ xerém’ uses seaweed and algae from a small producer on the Ria Formosa in place of clams or cockles.

The Head Chef
David Barata

David Barata is the founding Head Chef at austa, known for his passion and extensive professional experience. Born in Sintra, Portugal, he developed a deep connection to food and nature from an early age, influenced by his family's farming background and summers spent in Guarda.

David began his culinary career in Lisbon, working at the farm-to-table restaurant Signatura and the Michelin-starred Eleven. He then moved to Norway to gain experience at Maemo, where he honed his skills in raw produce and innovative techniques. Upon returning to Portugal, he worked under chef João Rodrigues at Feitoria and later took over as Head Chef at Ceia, a farm-to-table restaurant, while also developing Herdade No Tempo.

After a brief return to Serra da Estrela, David settled in the Algarve, inspired by his family's holiday home in the Monchique mountains. He worked at the restaurant Bon Bon before joining Emma and David Campus as the founding head chef at austa. Outside of the restaurant, David enjoys fishing off the Sagres coast, foraging in Monchique, and caring for his sheep and chickens.

A Mediterranean Garden
The property housing austa features a Mediterranean garden designed by Emma, David, and their family to thrive in the Algarve’s unique climate. With a focus on sustainability and minimal water use, the garden maximizes crop production for the restaurant's kitchen. David Campus manages the on-site herb and vegetable garden, employing permaculture techniques learned from a course in the Monchique mountains.

The garden emphasizes companion planting, where species support each other's growth, and has attracted bees that pollinate the fruit trees and vegetables. Future plans include adding chickens for natural fertilization and fresh eggs for the breakfast menu, as well as hosting pop-up garden events, workshops, and outdoor cooking activities.

The Founders

Emma, born in London in 1988, moved to Brussels in 1998, attended the International School, and later studied Textile Design in Manchester. She pursued a career in fashion, leading PR and communications for top London brands, including luxury womenswear label ROKSANDA. Her work in multidisciplinary design influenced her taste and approach to austa. David, born in West London in 1987, studied Marketing at university in Bristol. After working at Sony in the music industry, he transitioned to financial and data technology, working on various projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Australia before returning to London.

The couple met in 2017, sharing a passion for travel. In 2019, they left their jobs and set off on an indefinite world trip through Central and South America. However, the pandemic brought them back to Portugal, where they stayed with Emma’s parents in the Algarve. During this time, they explored the region and deepened their connection with Portuguese culture. Their love for food, wine, and design eventually inspired the creation of austa, where these passions came together.

Design
Additionally, we highly recommend austa to all lovers of (Portuguese) design! The design of austa is inspired by a desire to create a modern yet familiar atmosphere that reflects its Algarvian location. It reinterprets the region’s rich history and enduring traditions while incorporating contemporary design elements.

Lisbon-based design studio Studio Gameiro, known for its focus on local craftsmanship and sustainable design, collaborated with the founders to extend storytelling beyond the food. They explored the cultural significance of the region, working with local artisans to create custom interiors, lighting, and furniture.

Together, they dove deep into the cultural significance of their region, creating bespoke solutions for interiors, lighting and furniture in collaboration with local artisans. The region’s undulating topography and geology also play an integral role in defining austa’s sensorial architecture, enhanced by natural materials and tactile finishes such as salt, stone and invasive woods. Muted hues and warm colours make their way onto walls and ceilings, creating an earthy materiality while, to cut through the neutrality of the space, copper, aluminium and stainless-steel accents are injected to add refinement and an edge of purity.

Book your table: austa.pt

Pictures © Daniel Schafer