O gambuzino

We spent our childhood looking for Gambuzinos. We searched, with sticks and sacks, behind each bush and every alley. After all these years, I’ve found their hiding place, it’s here and it’s full of them.

Its concept plays with a well-known Portuguese childhood game and expression, “caçar gambuzinos”, often used to send children on a wild chase for something that doesn’t exist. Despite being widely recognized, there’s no agreement on what a gambuzino actually looks like. Some say they resemble rabbits with horns and tiny wings; others describe them as small insects like fireflies, half a vegetable—or even Grasshopers or fish.

The design embraces this playful ambiguity, imagining all sorts of gambuzinos: a grasshopper with a kale horn, a pig with an onion body and a carrot tail, and so on.

The leaves framing some design elements are from the medronheiro tree. In the south of Portugal, children would hide behind these trees, waiting their whole lives to catch a gambuzino—never finding one. But here in Lisbon, they’re everywhere. You’ll find them on the menu, around the restaurant walls, in frames, in the toilet, and even on the business cards.

The restaurant is grounded in a respectful approach to both the environment and our bodies. It’s all about good food that explores the full potential of plants and the power of living without causing harm. So, if you find yourself in Lisbon and feel like hunting for gambuzinos, I highly recommend starting here:
Rua dos Anjos 5A, Intendente – Lisboa