São Miguel, high-quality grill in a garden with tables
São Miguel is, in the words of Marcelo Torres, “a garden with tables for democratic fine dining in the neighborhood.”
“un jardín con mesas de fine dinning democrático en el barrio”
His definition is not wrong. Because although Botafogo has fine dining restaurants like the essential Lasai or Oteque, and proposals with a decidedly gestural gastronomic style—such as Polvo (seafood restaurant and bar)—it is not yet a canonical gastronomic destination in the city like Ipanema.
Something he has sought to remedy with these 2,000 square meters with 450 seats (and he tells me that there are already several chefs and entrepreneurs with projects in the area) whose philosophy is unequivocal: a very open menu; the Torres signature quality (including classics from his star restaurant, the Giuseppe Grill in Leblon, such as the award-winning 'picanha supra sumo'); premium charcoal (he has a display with a lot of different woods to grill the different products); a groundbreaking design (ceilings open to natural light —filtering 80 percent of the heat—, rooms that are actually gardens and an opulent fully open kitchen); and a price that is 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 Brasilia Cathedral, hanging from the beams; two splendid bars under the direction of Laura Paravato, 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 woods and the exclusive nó de pinho, the node from which the branches of the Brazilian pine sprout) that gently cook 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 started 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 grill came into play with the succulent pork cheek and the octopus. An interlude followed 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 'sea and mountain': 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, made from that rare Amazonian plant that causes a tingling and numbing sensation on the lips and tongue.