Octávio Freitas is a Madeira-born chef who has dedicated his career to celebrating the products and gastronomic culture of his homeland. With more than 25 years of experience and numerous awards, including a Michelin star for his restaurant Desarma in 2024, Freitas is a central figure in contemporary Portuguese cuisine, recognized for his creativity and appreciation of local resources.
Born in Câmara de Lobos, Octávio Freitas showed a great passion for Madeira's gastronomy from an early age. At the age of 16, he began his training at the Madeira Professional School of Hospitality and Tourism, with the intention of promoting the products of his homeland. Instead of seeking inspiration abroad, he decided to build his career in his native island, transforming local flavors into haute cuisine dishes.
In 2009, at the age of 27, he was appointed Executive Chef of the three hotels of The Views Group (formerly known as Four Views), which he successfully managed. In 2020, he opened his own hotel, Socalco Nature Calheta, a project that combines hospitality and gastronomy, producing local wines such as Galatrixa, Cagarra and Massaroco Rosé.
The highlight of his career was the opening of Desarma in 2023, a restaurant located at The Views Baía in Funchal, Madeira. Here, Freitas created a haute cuisine concept based on the exclusive use of local products, respecting seasonality and working closely with small local producers. His approach is based on three pillars: products, passion and technique. Each dish at Desarma aims to enhance the natural quality of the ingredients, with a maximum of three different flavors per dish.
The Michelin star, awarded a year after Desarma opened, is recognition of Freitas' work in taking Madeira cuisine to a new level, combining tradition and innovation, with a particular focus on smoked seafood, a technique Freitas introduced to the island.
Freitas continues to lead a passionate young team with the goal of maintaining and expanding the reputation of Desarma and Madeira cuisine throughout the world.
