Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

Four Seasons Tenure

• Originally 2015; now since 2020
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Intern, Varanda Restaurant, Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

Employment History

• Escola Professional Gustave Eiffel, Entroncamento, Santarém, Portugal; Silent Living, Lisbon; Comer O Mundo, Lisbon; Comer O Mundo, Lisbon; Padaste Manor, Muhu Vald, Saaremaa, Estonia; Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal; Associação Nacional de Empreiteiros de Obras Públicas, Lisbon

Education

• Degree, Culinary Arts, Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; Postgraduate Degree, Basic Economic Studies, Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Postgraduate Degree, Political Science and International Relations, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; Degree, Urban and Regional Planning, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

Birthplace

• Entroncamento, Portugal

Languages Spoken

• Portuguese, English, some Spanish and German

Like the dishes she reviews and refines before they make their way to the table, Marina Garcia is always evolving as Sous Chef of CURA at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. “We are in a state of continuous development to meet the expectations of customers and maintain our leadership in the city,” she says, recollecting what the signature Portuguese restaurant has done for the Hotel and the dining scene in Portugal’s capital. “CURA gave people a reason to dine in hotels again, and now we’re tempting a new generation to experience creative fine dining for the first time.”

As a member of CURA’s kitchen since the restaurant’s 2020 debut, Marina has seen the talent she works with evolve as well. The current cast is distinctly younger than the first, she says, but just as passionate to learn and grow under a new Head Chef who is intent upon using new ingredients and refining skills to reimagine the cuisine in unexpected ways.

As Sous Chef, Marina is the quality check for the menu and supervisor of the culinary operation and its myriad bureaucratic requirements from scheduling to ordering and more. She tastes “everything” and eyeballs it too, ensuring full flavours and artful presentation on the plate. She also curates non-alcoholic pairings, working closely with the Sommelier to build unexpected options for palates of all types. “We try to play around a bit,” she says, noting, for instance, her selection of a zero-alcohol infusion to stand in for a wine from a volcanic island that complements the ocean essence of a squid dish. “It’s a lot of fun, and it can be very creative.”

With her senior position, well-practiced perspective and teaching background, Marina likens her management style to that of a den mother, opening a door for people to confide in her and trust her judgement and experience. When the Head Chef asks her opinion, she is sure to draw on those of the whole team. “I want to give everyone a voice, so they have incentive to know the food and dream up ways to enhance it.”

While her heart and soul have always been in cooking, Marina travelled an unusual route to CURA. Growing up in a small city in the countryside that is renowned for railways, she lived with her parents, siblings, and both sets of grandparents. One set raised goats, the other a vegetable garden, and “everybody joined in cooking meals and making traditional breads together.”

Though food was her “happy place,” she was also intrigued by the idea of shaping cities, leading her to study urban planning, first in Portugal, then in Germany, and to earn postgraduate degrees in political science and economics while working in the field. She contributed to various projects, including an airport, a high-speed railway, and a dam for the largest artificial lake in Europe.

While the planning was fascinating, she realized that with political considerations the projects would never end. “I like to see my work accomplished. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy culinary: When the plates come back clean from the guests, it’s very satisfying.”

Marina initially found her way to Four Seasons via an internship at Varanda Restaurant. She always thought she would return, but first she travelled to Estonia to hone her skills with a Michelin-starred German chef and learn the art of foraging for wild and seasonal ingredients. “It’s a skill all Estonians have,” she says, and one she still practices professionally and personally, searching for wild plants while keeping in touch with local suppliers to ensure a more sustainable way of working and living.

Upon returning to Lisbon, a colleague recommended her to a creative Portuguese restaurant concept overseen by the eventual founder of CURA. When the founder was offered an opportunity with Four Seasons, he asked Marina to be part of the team. “I took a chance. It was the best decision I ever made.”

Though in a groove at CURA, Marina isn’t one to sit still. She enjoys spending time hiking with her family and travelling to wherever her spirit moves her. “I’ll visit another country just for lunch, and I will do it again,” she says with a laugh, noting that she has crossed the borders of 49 countries and lived in five. “For me, going to a restaurant or exploring another land is like investing in education. I learn from what others bring to the table.”