Henrique Sá Pessoa was born in 1976 in Lisbon, but it was during an exchange program in the United States that he discovered his passion for cooking while attending a lecture about the Cordon Bleu Institute, an internationally recognized school of gastronomy, hospitality and management, where he would later study.

He worked in several renowned restaurants such as the Panorama restaurant at the Sheraton Hotel and Hotel da Lapa, both in Lisbon, at the Sheraton On the Park in Sydney, Australia, and at the Sheraton Park Lane in London.

Among several awards, he won the Chef of the Year 2005 competition, was considered "Figure of the Year" in 2007 by the Portuguese magazine "Intermagazine", awarded the "Art of Cooking" prize in 2007 by the Portuguese Academy of Gastronomy, and won the GQ Men Of The Year Portugal award, also in 2007. In 2008, he was awarded at the 1st edition of the Horexpo Cup.

He opened his first solo project, the Alma restaurant, in 2009, which received the Restaurant of the Year award from Revista de Vinhos (Wine Magazine).

In 2015, Alma reopened in the heart of Lisbon's Chiado district, in a larger and more sophisticated setting, finally allowing the restaurant to rank among the top in Europe. The reopening was so successful that, the following year, Alma received its first Michelin star, and its success didn't take long to increase: two years later, in 2018, Alma earned its second star.

She successfully presented the cooking show Entre Pratos on RTP2, and launched a new format – "Ingrediente Secreto" – on the same channel. Her most recent television project, "Comtradição," is a ratings leader on the 24 Kitchen channel, broadcast in 12 countries via the Disney Plus streaming platform, and has given rise to a book of the same name, now in its 4th edition.

National projects: Tapisco, Balcão El Corte Inglês Gourmet Experience, Time Out Mercado da Ribeira and Vinha Boutique Hotel.

International projects: Chiado in Macau, Arca in Amsterdam, Joia in London, and Sereia in Miami.

For Henrique, there is only good cooking and bad cooking. He defines his style as a cuisine of good taste: refined flavor, perfect technique, and excellent product. The basis of his culinary philosophy lies in his influences and references: travels around the world, a passion for Asia, knowledge of traditional Portuguese cuisine, life in Lisbon...

In September 2022, Henrique Sá Pessoa consolidated his place on the Best Chef Awards list for the second year in a row, ranking 70th.

In February 2025, it achieved 1 Michelin Star for its project in Vila Nova de Gaia at the Vinha Boutique Hotel.