Cuia Café presents the multicultural cuisine of chef Bel Coelho

Cuia Café is another good reason for us to go around the city center and spend pleasant moments, enjoying revitalized spaces and great cuisine. About to turn one year old, the house located on the ground floor of the Copan building features the consistent cuisine of chef Bel Coelho, who explores Brazilian ingredients from small producers with remarkable results.

The menu is quite diverse, with recipes from various cuisines, and versatile, offering options that work well throughout the day, from brunch to dinner. You’ll find everything from Serra da Canastra cheese bread (R$ 9) to ramen with spicy broth and pork belly (R$ 57).

Among the starters, a highlight is the squid tempura in tapioca (R$ 39) which has the rings in a crispy frying, accompanied by a curious ponzu, a Japanese sauce normally made with citrus fruits but here prepared with cashew, with a more delicate result. Angus tartare (R$ 58) comes with Baniwa mayonnaise, pepper produced in the Alto Rio Negro Indigenous Territory (AM) and a mix of toasted seeds, which add power and crunch to the dish.

To accompany it, order the Apoena signature drink, which uses St. Verger brandy, made with Asian pear. It also takes lemon, syrup and orange bitter and receives dehydrated pear and umburana seed powder at the end. An aromatic and sweet cocktail where the scent of the pear stands out.

The fish of the day (R$ 65) is perfectly cooked and brings yellow tucupi sauce to moisten the water flour, which is accompanied by the butter bean salad. Pure Umami! Another dish that deserves to be ordered is the pork ribs in a cane molasses sauce (R$ 68) with Creole corn canjiquinha, mushrooms and black horse.

For dessert, go for a chocolate mousse (R$ 30) with bacuri jam, cumaru cream and Brazil nut farofa, an Amazon trip in a spoonful. If you prefer something light, there’s a yogurt pannacotta (R$23) with fruit tartare, granola and honey that will surely delight you.

Cuia Café shares space with the Megafauna Bookstore, another good reason to visit the house, and has tables that open onto the sidewalk of a private street, offering security and even a breeze. Rare jewel.

Cuia Coffee

Av. Ipiranga, 200, store 48, República, São Paulo – Tel.: (11) 93100-7700