Chef António Neves Coelho passes away at 77

Portuguese Chef António Neves Coelho, a prominent figure in Portuguese and Macanese gastronomy in Macau, died Monday at age 77.

The chef established several restaurant projects, including the restaurant “António” in Taipa Village, where he dedicated most of his professional time.

Recently engaged in a new project at Angela’s Café & Lounge in Lisboa, Macau, the hotel released a statement announcing the chef’s death, noting that he “passed away peacefully.”

As noted by Lisboeta, Chef António devoted his life to promoting Macanese and Portuguese gastronomy and received wide recognition and respect across the industry.

Born in Portugal, Coelho completed his military service in 1970, partly in Macau. Many years later, in 1997, he returned to the territory to work in the restaurant business, participating in several events related to the Macau handover ceremonies.He was the head chef at the Military Club and the Portuguese restaurant Espaço Lisboa in Coloane Village for several years.
In late 2007, he started the “António” restaurant in Taipa, where he gained most of his recognition.

In addition to being a maître rotisseur of the Association Mondiale de la Gastronomie in France, he was a member of the Macanese Gastronomy Guild and the Macau Culinary Association.

In 2013, he was awarded the Macau SAR Tourism Merit Medal, and two years later, the Portuguese government awarded him the Medal of Merit of the Portuguese Communities for his services in promoting Portuguese culture, gastronomy, and identity.