I often get asked to recommend places to enjoy a traditional Sunday lunch in the City centre. The more I try to think of suggestions, the less spring to mind. Thereâs Grado, of course, offering an excellent deal on Sunday roast with a Spanish flavour, but why not think a little further afield in your search for meat and two veg? A couple of weeks ago I found myself outside Pau Brasil on a cold and miserable Sunday afternoon. Iâm pleased to say that, once inside, the atmosphere was considerably warmer; manager Ariane Linnsâ sunny disposition, the wide ranging clientele and the genuinely friendly staff saw to that.
Pau Brasil is a Brasilian Churrascaria serving around fifteen cuts of different meats, grilled and skewered in traditional style. Service follows the Rodizio concept, meaning continuous service. Each diner has a green and a red counter, show the green side to continue being served, turn the disc to take a break. The menu is a fixed price one, at £19.50 per head, so you can always choose to go green again later.
In the centre of the restaurant a large buffet features cold salads, a selection of vegetables and a variety of hot dishes including Feijoada, a delicious stew of black beans slow cooked with chunks of pork. Other specialities include Moqueca (salmon and potatoes cooked in coconut milk with coriander and sweetcorn) and Guizado, a meat stew with potatoes and carrots.
The meat on offer was of exceptional quality, and expertly seasoned, with the skirt, garlic studded leg of lamb and cap of rump particularly outstanding; the pork sausage some of the best ever. The only disappointment was the chicken breast skewer, despite being wrapped in pancetta the meat was very much on the dry side. Chicken hearts are a delicacy among Brasilians and the spears of this particular offal, doing the rounds of the restaurantâs increasingly busy tables, were disappearing at an amazing rate. Having carved myself a few morsels I personally found them a little bitter, with a texture similar to beef kidney: my dining partner declined the offer of a taste! Where appropriate, each meat is cooked in such a way that you can choose how rare or well-done youâd like it to be, depending on where on the skewer it is carved from.
Pau Brasil has an excellent bar in its own right. Ex Obsidian mixologist Martin Taylor presides over a cocktail list that features many interesting creations, in addition to numerous twists on the Caipirinha, Brasilâs signature drink. Cachaca, a spirit made from sugar cane, is the main ingredient of this Classic and is becoming increasingly popular in the UK; you can find seven different varieties at Pau Brasil including Sagatiba, generally acknowledged as one of the best available.
Other favourites include the Campinhas (£6); vodka and Cointreau shaken with condensed milk and cinnamon, and the Capeta (£6) another amazing drink that also features similar ingredients; here condensed milk and vodka are shaken with honey, cinnamon and chocolate then topped with Guarana.
Checking out the wine menu reveals a couple of quality, high ABV (13.4 and 13.5%) Brasilian Reds, with more reasonably priced offerings, mainly from Chile and South Africa, also listed.
Pau Brasil has been an almost instant success on the Manchester food and drink scene, so much so that youâll need to book well in advance for weekend nights; on Fridays and Saturdays a two sitting plan operates. But if you fancy enjoying your Sunday afternoon in a relaxing fashion, with plenty of good food and drink, pop down to Pau Brasil and take a big appetite with you, youâll need it!
Russ Otterwell
Pau Brasil
58 Lever Street,
Northern Quarter,
Manchester,
M1 1FJ.
Tel 0161 923 6888