As part of our continuing series of “Pandemic Diaries”, we publish situation reports from our colleagues and correspondents all over the world. In this latest diary, we hear from Sheree M. Mitchell, a native Floridian who now lives in Lisbon, Portugal. She’s the President & Founder of Immersa Global, a boutique tour operator.

*Editor’s Note — Portugal, like most countries in the European Union, remains closed to American travelers.

As someone who curates high-end culinary travel experiences in Portugal for discerning tourists, I was curious to find out what fine dining looked like during a pandemic. Even though we’re not yet hosting clients again, the idea of experiencing the new normal of “Upscale dining meets strict national health and sanitation standards during a global health crisis”, was exciting and intriguing to say the least.

The place that I selected for this unique experience was G Pousada Restaurante, located in Bragança (also Braganza) – a city in the northern region near the Spanish border. Portugal has many Michelin-starred restaurants, but this one was perfect (for me) for three main reasons: I was already scheduled to be in the area for work, I’d heard that the chef uses and promotes local products from a region that I’m still learning about (Tras-os-Montes), and, most importantly, the restaurant had its own hotel – the perfect setup for an evening of unrestricted wine tasting.

I arrived to check in around 5:00pm. The masked receptionist reviewed my reservation and reminded me that I’d be meeting the brother duo, Óscar and António Gonçalves, (chef and sommelier, respectively), for dinner at 8:30pm. Listening to her review and confirm my schedule was an automatic flashback to my pre-pandemic work life. I savored it for as long as I could, picked up my room key, thanked her, and left.

At 8:25pm a masked hotel staff member was waiting outside my room to walk me down to the restaurant. Once there, we opened the door to a vacant and lifeless room. There was absolutely no one inside. Seconds later I saw a couple of waiters darting back and forth between the kitchen and what I then noticed was a huge balcony overlooking the Bragança Castle. This was its new dining space. Smart. My escort walked me over to António, introduced us, and quietly slipped away.

In complete sommelier mode, my host was holding a bottle of wine in each hand. He and I greeted each other with the Covid-safe head nod (the 2020 replacement for kisses on the cheek) and exchanged pleasantries in Portuguese as he walked me over to my table.

My first impression as I scanned the scene was “so far so good”. I was already familiar with the new restaurant drill here in Portugal: sanitize your hands, wear a mask at all times when not seated at your table, and keep six feet away from everyone else, so everything looked and felt “normal”.

Just as I was admiring the view of the castle, António reappeared to ask if I had any food allergies or wine preferences. I answered and seconds later a gorgeous flute of bubbles appeared to my right as a masked and gloved waitress prepared the bread service to my left.

The view of Bragança Castle from my table. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell.

Regional bread and olive oil. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell.

Shortly thereafter, with the same elegance and efficiency, the amuse-bouche arrived, immediately followed by the appetizer.

Berliner with Cured Cheese and Smoked Ham. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell.’

The rest of the evening continued in the same fashion: I’d finished a dish, someone quickly removed it, the new dish arrived, then António appeared with a new wine. Michelin-starred production, precision and perfection at its finest. Check, check, check.

Veal Sweetbreads with Sorrel. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell.

Carabinero Prawns, Hart’s Pennyroyal and Wheat. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell

Sea Bass, Squid and Asparagus. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell.

Between the last main and the pre-dessert, António brought Óscar out to meet me. I was excited and there was so much that I wanted to ask. As I organized my thoughts, I realized that the main question was, “how in the world do you manage to pull all of this off, right now?”

L-R: Chef Óscar Gonçalves and António Gonçalves. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell.

The answer was straightforward and concise. António reminded me that fine dining, even before 2020, already required highly trained staff and rigorous sanitation guidelines. So when the national Directorate-General of Health implemented the new health and safety standards, the only minor adjustments the team needed to make were getting used to wearing masks all day, sanitizing hands after interacting with each guest, keeping the tables six feet apart, and controlling the flow in and out of the kitchen.

I was expecting much more. I’d recently spoken to a few hoteliers who were adjusting to the new time-consuming and rigorous room turnover procedures so I’d assumed that fine dining would be the same. Negative.

As soon as the Gonçalves brothers left, the pre-dessert and dessert arrived. I savored each bite of each one as I knew the show was nearing the end.

Strawberry with Yuzu. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell.

Mango, Coriander and Yogurt. Photo by Sheree M. Mitchell.

I glanced around at the other guests who were laughing, talking, eating, and drinking. For a brief moment, it felt like the pandemic had never happened.

Then I saw the time. Midnight. Darn!

Back to reality.

I pulled out my mask, secured it behind my ears, thanked the waitstaff, and walked back to my room.