‘Cucurico’ Churrasqueira in LxFactory Complex in Alcântara, Lisbon by DC.AD.

Cucurico is a new sort of Portuguese chicken grill-house, and the latest addition to the LxFactory complex in Alcântara in Lisbon. You can bet it’s a little more authentic than the piri-piri chicken burger many of us are accustomed to—and, under the guise of Lisbon-based architect Duarte Caldas and his studio DC.AD, it’s also young, fresh, and at home in a neighbourhood that’s become pretty well known for its nightlife.

Once a thriving industrial port on the Tagus River, Alcântara is now peppered with eateries, bars, boutiques, galleries and nightclubs, all set up in converted warehouses. For Cucurico, Duarte has honoured the industrial roots of the 230 square metre space, but kept it vibrant, warm, and authentic with materials, lighting, and a set of pastel painted motifs that sort of feel like futurist fragments from an Almada Negreiros painting.

Divided into three distinct areas for different dining and drinking styles, a centre volume finished in silver corrugated sheeting houses the chicken grill and main service zone. Silver stands out against the restaurant‘s exposed concrete walls, which have been painted with a thick ribbon of pistachio green and lined with planters and neon yellow hens. The front space features long, wooden tables and benches in order to stimulate chit-chat and sharing; in the main nave there are low, two-person tables, and taller bar tables run either side of the restaurant’s bar. Both the street entryway and interior entrance are guarded by large triangular timber reception counters, which help guests to navigate the open space.

[Images courtesy of DC.AD. Photography by Francisco Nogueira.]