The New York Times even listed it among the world’s best pizza destinations— for both the food and the setting.
River Journal publisher Alain Begun recently returned from a trip to Portugal. If you’d like to share an off-the-beaten-path gem you’ve discovered during your travels, email us at publisher@rivertownsmedia.com with a brief description of your find.
Nómade Comida Sustentável is the kind of place you’d never stumble upon unless someone who knew your travel plans wanted to share a hidden treasure. Perched on a cliff near Nazaré, Portugal, it serves a small, carefully curated menu of wood-fired sourdough pizzas made from locally sourced ingredients. There are no walls, no roof, no electric lights—just tables and benches pieced together from driftwood and reclaimed materials.
To reach it, you follow a barren road, then a sandy path toward a modest entrance marked by two wooden posts and a strand of nautical rope. Beyond that, a tiny hut houses the wood-fired oven and a minimalist drink station, while scattered seating stretches toward the Atlantic.
Think of it as your favorite neighborhood pizza joint’s distant, windswept, wildly unconventional cousin. If delivery to Westchester were possible, nothing else would compete.
Gustavo Bello and Sarah Macedo
The land Nómade occupies was relatively inexpensive for its owners, Gustavo Bello and Sarah Macedo, precisely because nothing permanent can be built there — no plumbing, no electricity, no infrastructure of any kind. But that limitation perfectly suited Gustavo, a former fine-dining chef who had long imagined an elevated, off-grid version of a food truck. He made that vision a reality, and since Nómade opened in 2023, it has earned international attention. The New York Times even listed it among the world’s best pizza destinations—for both the food and the setting.
Gustavo was born in Latvia and raised in Fátima, Portugal. “I started working in my mother’s coffee restaurant when I was 16. From very young, I was serving people and learning about hospitality—it became part of who I am,” he told River Journal. In his twenties, he ran a coffee shop, bought a restaurant in Leiria, and later opened a gourmet burger spot. “We made everything from scratch—the meat, the bread, the sauces. I wanted every detail to be our own,” he recalled. After managing multiple restaurants, burnout eventually pushed him to sell everything and live in a motorhome, working seasonally up and down Portugal’s coast.
Sarah, originally from Brazil, never imagined herself owning a pizza place while earning her college degree in animal science. At age 26, she moved to Portugal and worked as a makeup artist and retail manager. She met Gustavo before a pandemic-era move to Madrid, then returned and reconnected with him in 2021.
A view from my pizza.
During that pandemic, Gustavo searched for ways to earn money and, inspired by the 2014 film Chef, decided to finally launch his food truck. He bought an old motorhome and rebuilt it from scratch. He later invited Sarah to join him, and together they invested all their savings into what would become Nómade: a fully off-grid dining experience where everything—from cocktails to tomato sauce to the wood-fired pizzas themselves—is made by hand.
Their goal is to preserve the land while working entirely off the grid. The kitchen is tiny, built just large enough for the two of them to work shoulder-to-shoulder. Dough ferments for 48 hours, and once the day’s supply is gone, the menu is finished. A day of rain can wipe out that day’s production entirely. Tables dot the sand and hand-painted signs, mismatched benches, and stretched shade cloth give the place the feel of a tiny beach festival that appeared overnight.
The food is exceptionally crafted—sourdough pizzas topped with local vegetables, cheeses, and Portuguese sausages. The “Bacon” pie pairs crème fraîche with sautéed onions, jalapeños, chimichurri, and bacon. The “Crudo Veggie” layers pesto, mozzarella, dried tomato, rocket, tapenade, almonds, and island cheese. The “Sueca” brings crème fraîche, smoked salmon, radish, dill, and caviar. The “Chouriço:” beetroot hummus, mozzarella, chorizo, roasted pepper, red onion, coriander, capers, and gorgonzola. Even the humble Margherita—topped with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, or pepperoni—delivers.
Cocktails are just as thoughtful: wine, sangria, a passionfruit mojito, and the Nómade Mule.
Mismatched benches, and stretched shade cloth give the place the feel of a tiny beach festival that appeared overnight.
But the experience is as much about the setting as the food. At sunset, a hush settles over the sand, and guests linger long after their plates are cleared. Many might order from the short dessert menu—a Basque cheesecake with red fruit jelly or a homemade chocolate brownie—if only to savor the setting for a few minutes more.
Nómade is open only two-three days a week, weather permitting, and reservations are made through Instagram.
Dec-Jan: Closed Feb-May/Oct-Nov: Saturday, Sunday June-Sept: Friday to Sunday
