Christian Louboutin's guide to Melides, Portugal: Chez Daniel, speedos and a party tower
Where is your favourite destination and why?
Definitely Melides in Portugal — it’s a charming village. I used to own a place nearby in Comporta and while sketching a new collection I cut myself quite badly. On the way back from the hospital, after a few stitches, I spotted a sand path alongside a lagoon and decided to drive in to have a look. We got stuck in the sand and while waiting for the tow truck I fell in love with this landscape of smooth dunes, umbrella pines and traditional fishermen’s shacks. After some research I found one to buy and year after year I extended the compound. Now it’s like a summer camp made of a few huts facing the lagoon: the kitchen here, two bedrooms this way, a living room there... And meals outside on the terrace. It’s very relaxed.
When was the last time you were there, and who were you with?
Last August for two weeks, as every year. Usually, it’s a time for a huge friends and family reunion.
Where do you like to stay there?
At my place. But when it’s too busy, I send my friends to Vermelho, the hotel I opened last year in the centre of the village. Originally, I was going to open a restaurant — until the mayor convinced me the plot of land was big enough to open a hotel. It was my first hospitality project and it was quite clear to me I didn’t want a hotel with standardised rooms, etc. It had to be more like a big maison de famille, where friends and family from all over the world would feel like they were at home. Each room is different and decorated with artworks from my own collection or tailor-made by local artists and artisans.
What has been your favourite meal there?
The migas (a dish made from stale bread), a very Portuguese speciality, cooked differently according to the region where it’s made. My favourite version is from Chez Daniel, a restaurant a few kilometres away from Melides. If the name makes you think it’s a French place, it’s not. They do very good classical Portuguese cooking, lots of fresh fish and seafood.
Where would you go for fresh fish in Melides?
Fishing is a very important part of Portuguese culture. Wherever you go on the coast you can be sure you’ll have some of the best fish you will ever eat. Melides is no longer a fishing hub, but it is full of reminders of its past, with all the little white houses built around the lagoon which used to be home to all the fishermen. To find good fish, just go to the local market in the centre of the village, there is a fish shop where they receive fresh produce every morning.
What is the one unmissable thing you recommend doing?
A long morning walk by the ocean.
Is there a hidden gem you are willing to share?
The alfarroba cake from Chez Daniel, I love this place!
Where do you like to let your hair down?
I don’t have any hair.
Who do you call to have a good time there?
I’m pretty chill while I’m here. I’m quite bad at entertaining people and organising activities for everyone — basically, all the guests are free to do whatever they want during the day. I’m just very keen on all having lunches and dinners together.
What would you do if you only had 24 hours there?
I do sometimes do just 24 hours in Melides but then it’s a very hectic day. Although I never compromise on my daily morning swim or a run by the ocean and a light breakfast. That’s followed by construction meetings, because we’re working on a second hotel project close to the ocean this time, something very laid-back with a huge pool, frescos celebrating Portuguese fishermen and a cocktail bar on the roof. For lunch I like to go to Xtian, the restaurant hosted within Vermelho hotel, and then either meet friends or stroll around looking for craft shops. No day here can end without a Melides Mule, my spin on the Moscow Mule that substitutes port for vodka and includes Pedras sparkling water and pomegranate juice.
Favourite shops?
Vida Dura, a very charming little artisan’s shop offering tablecloths, ceramics and flowers which is located on a piazza in the middle of the village. This boutique gathers the best of Portuguese craftmanship, with a bit of extra inspiration from other countries such as India or Egypt. Rui Freitas, the manager, travels all over the country looking for artisans with beautiful savoir faire, so what you end up with is a huge mix of amazing products. There are typical ceramics from Alentejo, tablecloths from the north of the country, but also flowers and hand-blown glasses.
The one thing you would bring home as a souvenir?
Ceramics from Vida Dura store.
A song that reminds you of the place?
The latest album by Mariza, the famous Portuguese fado singer.
Your dress code for the destination?
Very relaxed. Casual shorts and polo, with goggles and Speedos for the 9am daily swim, along with sunglasses, flip flops and a hat. A bucket hat is my favourite.
Building you would like to live in?
I’m very lucky because Melides has been a testing ground for me in term of architecture experiments. In the recent years I’ve worked with architect Tarek Shamma to imagine two places I had been dreaming about for a very long time. The first one, named La Salvada, is a pink, brutalist-inspired house built around a massive cactus and fig tree, overlooking the lagoon. The other is a place which I own on the lagoon, it’s a round cemented tower called La Folie with no other purpose than being a contemplative place for reading or partying. I love taking friends here at sunset — the view over the rice fields and the ocean in the distance is sensational. We play a little music and serve Melides Mules. I’m very committed to the lagoon, which is an extraordinary reserve of biodiversity; a unique ecosystem which hosts hundreds of birds, creating a spectacular landscape.
Where’s your favourite beach?
The one right next to the house, which is actually a sand beach running for dozens of kilometres. It’s wild and quite unspoilt. As it’s the Atlantic ocean, the water is freezing and the waves are quite strong so it’s more of a place you go for a walk or a run rather than swimming — I don’t even risk taking my kids in the water here. In a way, the wildness keeps the beaches protected from over-population. It’s very beautiful at sunset when the fading sunlight catches the foam of the waves.
As told to Joe Bromley
