Brazilian Food Made in Brazil

08 Jul, 2013

By Ari Sofianos

READ IN ENGLISH BELOW / READ IN PORTUGUESE HERE

From the green and yellow façade to the vibrant interior, with wooden tables, shuttered windows, a lush back garden and a huge collection of cachaças behind the bar, `Made in Brazil’ is an unmistakably Brazilian establishment which captures the atmosphere of a Copacabana party. Music abounds, live on most nights, from soft bossa nova to frenetic samba, and dancing by happy customers is not uncommon, especially in the late hours.

This is a versatile, jovial place where one can go for a full meal, a snack, or simply a drink, and get a taste of Brazil. It’s also perfect for parties using the cosy `Copacabana Beach Bar’ on the basement. The long cocktail list includes several variations of caipirinha (priced at around £6.75) where raspberry, passion fruit, kiwi, or even acai caipirinha (using the healthy superfruit from the Amazon rainforest) is offered alongside the traditional lime caipirinha, the less well known capeta (`devil’ in translation, made from guarana and cachaca) and batida, among others.

There is a menu of mostly fried petiscos (Brazilian tapas), priced around £4-£5 per portion or £15 for a platter of 4 different kinds, served between 12-8pm, which are rather rich, but suitable to counteract the potent cocktails; these include, among others, pastel de queijo (thin pasty filled with mozzarella cheese), bolinhos de bacalhau (cod croquettes served with lime mayonnaise), coxinha de frango (chicken pasties with aioli) and the traditional pao de queijo (mini cheese breads). I would definitely recommend the first two.

The full menu (with main course priced around £12/£13) includes Brazilian classics such as moqueca (a traditional fish and seafood dish from Bahia), picanha (rump steak), and, inevitably, feijoada (a pork and black bean stew that is considered the national dish of Brazil) alongside modern dishes like chicken with sweet potato and cachaça sauce.

The wine list features mainly wines from Chile and Portugal, but also includes a Brazilian Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon from the renowned Miolo winery in the south of Brazil. Prices are very reasonable, ranging from £14 per bottle (£3.85 per glass) for the house wines to £24.50 for the Miolos. The house rose from Chile was very refreshing, while the house white from the south of France was a bit uninteresting for me. Few people, however, come here to drink wine. Most order beer or one of the delicious cocktails, even to accompany the food. Service, by mostly Brazilian waitresses, is efficient.

To summarize, Made in Brasil is a fun place which is deservedly popular, thanks to its flexible hours, its authentic Brazilian ambiance and excellent cocktails. You will find other Brazilian places in London which serve food as well, but few can match the party atmosphere of `Made in Brasil’.

MADE IN BRASIL Restaurant and Cocktail Bar
12 Inverness Street – CamdenTown – London NW1 7HJ
Tel: 020 7482 0777
www.made-in-brasil.co.uk
Open Sunday-Thursday, 12pm-1am/