From the Tyrol region of Austria, Hans Neuner’s earliest memories were based around food, and meeting his mentor Karlheinz Hauser at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin was a life-changing moment. Thrust into the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, Hans showed an affinity for helping to create superb food, and Hauser knew he had acquired a star pupil. Hans then spent the next nine years working alongside Hauser, interspersed with the chance to gain experience of a Michelin two-star kitchen at Restaurant Tristan in Portals Nous in Mallorca before becoming Executive Chef de Cuisine at the Michelin one-star Seven Seas Restaurant at Süllberg Karlheinz Hauser in Hamburg.

However by the age of 31, Hans wanted one thing and one thing only: the opportunity to claim a Michelin star in his own right, with his own methods, his own passions, and by recruiting and leading his own team. Within three years and in November 2009 Ocean was awarded its first Michelin Star.

The results are evident, and his passion for locally-sourced produce borders on an obsession. His mantra of ‘keep it simple’ might initially seem at odds with the normal Michelin philosophy.

However, whilst technically perfect and exacting, he does allow the food to speak for itself. A weekly changing menu features a variety of Algarve & Alentejo produce, and the exclusive link with Herdade dos Grous, the Alentejo farm and vineyard owned by Vila Vita Parc near Beja, gives him access to organic meat and vegetables not too mention the award winning wine.
In his own words, Hans says: “My cuisine is like the famous Viennese Waltz: assured, elegant and romantic. And like the waltz, classic and timeless.”