São Miguel, high-quality grill in a garden with tables

His definition is spot on. Because while Botafogo boasts fine dining establishments like the essential Lasai or Oteque, and restaurants with a decidedly expressive culinary style—such as Polvo (seafood restaurant and bar)—it's not yet a canonical gastronomic destination in the city like Ipanema. This is something he's sought to remedy with this 2,000 square meter space and 450 seats (and he tells me there are already several chefs and entrepreneurs with projects in the area) whose philosophy is unequivocal: a very open menu; Torres' signature quality (including classics from his flagship restaurant, Giuseppe Grill in Leblon, like the award-winning 'picanha supra sumo'); premium grilling (he has a display with a multitude of different woods for grilling various products); and a groundbreaking design (ceilings open to natural light—filtering 80 percent of the heat—, dining rooms that are actually gardens, and an opulent, fully open kitchen). and a price of around 280 reais (about 50 euros). And all those details that reflect Marcelo's cosmopolitan and artistic taste. Bathrooms dedicated to David Bowie, with a surprising kinetic portrait of the artist acquired in Europe and an exclusive soundtrack; angels by Alfredo Ceschiatti, Niemeyer's sculptor for the Brasília Cathedral, hanging from the beams; two splendid bars under the direction of Laura Paravato, an award-winning bartender; a gigantic aquarium…

To keep the kitchen running smoothly, Frederico Xavier, executive chef of Torres' restaurants and also a partner in this venture, is in charge. Above all else, however, are the embers (apple, peach, eucalyptus wood, and the exclusive nó de pinho, the node from which the branches of the Brazilian pine sprout), which perfectly complement all the menu items. And, well, after a 'negroni de terra' (with thyme and cachaça), the call of the table, amidst the lush greenery of the dining room, brooks no delay. We start gently, with a quail and prawn bolovo (Scottish egg), a whimsical blini of salmon and mullet roe, and a mushroom vol-au-vent with goat cheese. The embers then take center stage with the succulent pork cheek and the octopus. And an intermediate course with mussels steamed in wine and dressed with a vinaigrette.

Frederico then brings out his grilled steak tartare, very lightly seared and playing with textures and aromas. A tartare aller-retour, to be more precise. And a final curiosity from São Miguel: the surf & turf, the American version of 'surf and turf': sirloin steak and cavaquinha (spata lobster), with the addition of a superb beirnaise sauce. The desserts—cocada, sweet rice pudding with coconut milk, and Basque cake with guava paste—wouldn't be complete without Laura Paravato's final touch: the 'terraço de café a noite' cocktail, made with coffee, vodka, almond liqueur, and dulce de leche foam. And while we're at it, let's add jambú liqueur as an extra digestif, that rare Amazonian plant that causes a tingling and numbing sensation on the lips and tongue.

Botafogo resonates.