Great Brazilian meat: Fogo de Chão Botafogo (5. February 2016)
A friend’s recommendation is usually a good thing, and despite having been disappointed by the Olympe the night before, I decided to give this recommendation (by another friend) a shot. The Fogo de Chão is no place you would enter if you saw it from the outside as it looks like a cheap American fast food chain – just its Brazilian version.
The picture changes entirely though, once you are inside.
For 126 BRL you get to enjoy the Churrasceria style serving – not cheap, especially not for Brazilian standards – but definitely worth it.
Obviously, the buffet is again quite exhaustive in order to make sure you stuff your belly with other things but meat – however, the selection you get here is way better than the one the day before. Starting with Jamón Iberico up to …
… fresh Parmesan cheese …
… various vegetables and salads …
… grilled vegetables …
… and some seafood …
… basically a good selection of everything a proper buffet needs – and the little extra. And the actual good thing is – the stuff is fresh and quite tasty. I obviously failed to try the whole buffet but the 7 – 8 things I tried (among them the ham, the Parmesan, and some salads) were actually quite good.
Once you have your plate, the meat rally begins. They first serve you a little paper in the shape of a cow where all the meat pieces, they generally serve, are described and the “good ones” are highlighted in red colour. So you can always ask them what they are serving and decide what you want. Interestingly, which was completely fine for us, they only seemed to serve beef this day – no sausages, no chicken, no seafood. And the meat is lovely – grill flavors, meat aromas, juicy!
For dessert I went for two “scoops of Vanilla ice cream” (24 BRL) and an “Espresso” (7.50 BRL) to make sure to get some balance to all the meat we had.
What absolutely surprised me, besides the lovely view which you have (including the Sugar Loaf), was the quality of the service. The waiters are really well orchestrated. There is always someone checking that you still have meat, that you still have beverages, that your plate is not too full of meat juicy (and they will replace it). Even when you have just sit down, there is immediately a waiter making sure you get your order placed (i.e. 0,5L water, 7.50 BRL; Caipirinha, 24.00 BRL). They are super attentive and super friendly and the level of “English” is actually way better than in many places I have been to in Brazil.
If you have time, you should definitely check out the kitchen where the meat is prepared … and if you ask friendly, they will provide you with a skewer you can hold yourself :)
Overall, the meat experience at the Fogo de Chão is a lovely one. Nice place (once you are inside), great view, great service, and good meat! Definitely very good meat! But – for Brazilian standards – at the pricier end.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Fogo de Chão Botafogo
Avenida Repórter Nestor Moreira
Botafogo
22290-210 Rio de Janeiro (BR)
Tel.: +55 21 25 42 15 45
E-Mail: rio@fogodechao.com.br
Homepage: http://www.fogodechao.com.br
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
