At 28 he is already one of the top chefs of his country, and is expected to lead the new generation that will bring prestige to the Portuguese cuisine, or better still, to Portuguese chefs (…) He has an uncanny sensitivity that unveils itself in the flavors of the sauces: deep and clear. He Works with ease and precision: he has wit and intelligence. And above all, he is also thorough. A dependable and accessible cuisine, always evolving, which main goal is to satisfy the customer and, in no time, amaze. (…) José Avillez: a chef to closely follow.
Rafael Garcia Santos, Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía.
José Avillez, who still is the best Portuguese chef, starkly discords with the baroque gilded decoration with huge mirrors and gigantic crystal chandeliers displayed for a century and a half in the restaurant of Rua da Misericórdia. But whereas the decoration is stuck in past history, Avillez is permanently evolving with his saucy cuisine based in Portuguese products and recipes (…) Still, the chef is doing an important work, and has been rightfully awarded a Michellin star in the last red guide: he keeps swimming against the stream in a very conservative city, concerning culinary. So much so, that most Tavares customers are not Portuguese but Spanish and Brazilian, lured by this cuisine that can match any other from any modern restaurant in Spain.
Carlos Maribona, Salsa de Chiles.
Tavares's chef, José Avillez, 30, is a big-time talent who's cooked up a new contemporary idiom for the Portuguese kitchen. Call it an exalted rusticity, which prizes the country's superb produce (happily, most small Portuguese farms haven't succumbed to industrial agriculture in the face of hygienic dictates from Brussels) and intelligently reworks local tastes and recipes to make them modern and more fun.(…) And for anyone who's interested in Avillez but doesn't want to land a thumping bill at Tavares, he's recently opened JA a Mesa, a soup-sandwich-and-salad bar in the Santos district.
Alexander Lobrano, New York Times Style Magazine.
A surprisingly high number of José Avillez's creations can be seen as a project of anamnesis: combinations of dissimilar ingredients searching harmony and not dissonance, specifically conceived for the customer to provide his own context, to give rise to far memories - proustian madeleines, let's say, but injected with sodium pentothal.
Rogério Casanova, LER.
Under his leadership, the cuisine of Tavares has become a tribute to the Portuguese landscapes and products. Perfectionist, creative and innovative, José Avillez has a very unique vision of the cuisine. A great artist!
Scoffier, Best Emerging Chefs.
Whatever side of the culinary fence you eat on, one thing is for sure, there's no denying that plenty of talent is needed to make the type of food Avillez is making, and that the heart of the food is often found in the attention and passion the chef gives to his creations.
Sandro Lisi, Examiner.