CHARCO: A RESTAURANT THAT TRANSPORTS YOU FROM THE HEART OF SÃO PAULO TO THE BRAZILIAN COUNTRYSIDE
The Cost -$32 per person
The Atmosphere – Set in a redone old home, Charco is a small, welcoming restaurant in the Jardins district of São Paulo. The restaurant is small with a few different seating areas, including a nice terrace with great natural light. The décor evokes feelings of the countryside with exposed brick and wood furnishings featured throughout the space. The simple furniture has a rustic vibe but unfortunately doesn’t offer much space and comfort, especially at tables for two, with there being almost no room to have more than one dish on the table at a time. Charco takes reservations, which are highly recommended due to the restaurant’s popularity. Casual attire works though athletic wear would not be appropriate.
Husband and wife duo Tuca Mezzomo and Nathalia Gonҫlaves opened Charco in 2019 and quickly made a name for themselves. The restaurant gained a lot of popularity among locals before being awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2020. It was also awarded the #35 spot on San Pelligrino’s 2022 Top 50 Restaurants in Latin America list. Charco’s menu is meat-centric though there is generally a seafood and vegetarian entrée option as well. The menu is small but well put together and features meats that are cured in-house and we went to the restaurant for a Sunday lunch to sample them.
The Order – Artisanal Sausage Selection, and a Chuleta.
The Great – The two dishes that were ordered both earned our Great rating and it was difficult to choose which one was better. The Artisanal Sausage Selection was a good-sized appetizer for two people. It was a slate board that contained a selection of three different meats, all cured in-house, with some mustard seed in one corner. The three types of meat were a pork loin, a traditional sausage, and a cantimpalo sausage. The pork loin was the most unique item on the board given that you just don’t see it served that often and while it was tasty, it wasn’t anything to write home about. The sausages, however, were excellent. The traditional sausage had strong garlic and black pepper flavors and was an absolute joy to eat. The cantimpalo sausage, a sausage that hails from the Segovia region of Spain, was made from fatty pork meat and seasoned with paprika. The sausage had an almost creamy texture and while there could have benefitted from more paprika, it was a really nice addition to the plate.
The entrée for the meal was the Chuleta, a 700g (about 24 oz) grilled bone-in prime rib that was served with grilled sweet potatoes and onions. It was ordered malpassado, which is essentially medium-rare. Though neighboring Argentina is more famous for its beef, Brazilians are quite proud of their meat, and this was a great example of why they should be. The meat was juicy and picked up some great flavor from the grill. If we rated this dish based solely on the majority of the steak, it would have received our Fantastic rating but, unfortunately, about a third of the meat was so fatty that it was essentially inedible. On the bright side, there was plenty of meat for two people to share even with the portion of the steak that was left on the plate. However, this dish was the most expensive item on the menu at about $48 and it certainly would have been a better experience to receive a chuleta that we could have enjoyed until there was nothing left but the bone.
The Verdict – The dining experience at Charco was an enjoyable one. While the restaurant should choose its meat a bit more carefully and work on creating more comfortable seating options, it truly has set itself apart from other São Paulo eateries with a thoughtfully curated menu and an ambiance that takes you from the big city to the countryside. Whether it is for lunch or for dinner, a visit to Charco is worth the trip.
Charco
instagram.com/charcorestaurante
Rua Peixoto Gomide, 1492 - Jardim Paulista, São Paulo - SP, 01409-002