You don’t have to go far to take a break from the São Paulo rush and have lunch in the countryside. The following three restaurants are located at most two hours from the capital, and attract with environments that are a real respite for those who want to eat well, but are tired of so much asphalt.
Quinta da Canta
25 km from the center of São Paulo.
After conquering the curves of Serra da Cantareira, visitors have the impression of having arrived at a friend’s house. They are warmly welcomed by the owner couple, Teresa and Sergio Lima, whose principle is to offer unhurried meals — this year, the place celebrated its 20th anniversary.
“Here there is no table rotation. When making the reservation, the customer becomes the owner of it, from 1 pm to 6 pm. They can arrive and leave whenever they want within that period”, warns Teresa.
They only open the farm on weekends and holidays, and they don’t have more than 30 people for lunch. The tables, spread over different environments, provide a privileged view of the forest and welcome temperatures that are always lower than those of the capital.
There are two closed menus to choose from. The Experiments, more complete, starts with a welcome broth and includes cover charge, two starters, garden salad, two main courses, dessert and coffee or tea (R$ 298 per person).
This season, cod cream with grated Portuguese bread and herbal oil is on display, and minced meat with sausage cooked in light and dark beers, accompanied by biro-biro rice.
Who chooses the reduced menu, the Aconchego, pays R$ 228 per person and chooses only a starter and a main course, but is entitled to the other stages.
On Fridays, the Limas started to open the house in the late afternoon. “Sergio doesn’t like to use foreign names, that’s why it’s our Happy Hour”, Teresa explains. From 5 pm, they serve snacks à la carte, but the movement ends promptly at 8 pm.
“We respect the neighbors and the animals of the forest, who like silence”, points out the owner.
Al. Belgium, 325, rural area of Mairiporã. Fri., from 5 pm to 8 pm. Sat., Sun. and holidays, from 1 pm to 6 pm, by reservation only. The house will be closed from the 24th of December and reopens on the 7th of January.
Origin 75
77 km from the center of São Paulo.
Inaugurated in September 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, the house has among its partners Rodrigo Rivellino, son of soccer player Roberto Rivellino. The kitchen revolves around the organic garden that the family maintains in the same city.
“My proposal is to make people discover the plant world. For those who already like it, our buffet is a Disneyland”, says Rivellino. He is referring to the counter that lines up hearty salads at lunches from Monday to Friday (R$59 per person) — for R$78, there is an option to add the protein of the day, which can be beef, pork or fish.
The regular menu, which has the signature of the consultant chef Rê Cruz, does not lack substantial options for those who prefer to stay in the vegetable kingdom. This is the case with the real quinoa salad (R$36), served with a mix of leaves, edible flowers, mustard sauce and nuts.
But the place is not natureba and also offers great fried foods typical of pubs in the list of starters, as well as meat and fish prepared on the grill. The homemade sausage with farofa and vinaigrette (R$58) might whet your appetite for a succulent 700-gram tomato hawk, grilled on parrilla (R$286).
On weekends, the highlights are the pururuca suckling pig shoulder (R$359, for two) and the wood-roasted rib for 12 hours, with farofa (R$364, for two).
There is no shortage of space for the clientele to spread out. There are 300 seats, most of them outdoors, surrounded by a vast green area, with a vegetable garden, lake and jabuticaba trees. A bar/island connects the main lounge to the deck, where the open kitchen allows you to follow the brigade’s coming and going, under the command of chef Mariela Monticelli.
Av. Aparecida Tellau Serafim, 1800, Banespa Allotment, Vineyard. Mon. and Tue., open for lunch only. Wed. the sun. and holidays, open for lunch and dinner. The house will be closed on the 24th, 25th and 31st of December, and the 1st of January.
Capril do Bosque
121 km from the center of São Paulo.
Appreciators of authorial cheeses are attracted by the double program: shopping at the factory’s emporium, where the cheeses produced by Heloísa Collins, one of the most awarded in the country, are for sale, and lunch at the restaurant run by her daughter, Ju Raposo.
Children can have fun on the playground and are invited to interact with the goats.
Neighboring the capril, the bistro has a pleasant terrace, where the owners welcome visitors with a tasting of three of the most famous cheeses in the house: Chou Chou, Pirâmide do Bosque and Dolce Bosco.
With a glass of white or rosé wine, red onion chutney and Italian bread, the order costs R$120 per person.
For those who still have an appetite, there are two three-step menus, made up of dishes that also have goat cheese as ingredients.
Choose between zucchini carpaccio with Roman goat cheese and lamb ragu with mashed potatoes and cassava (R$ 199), and the Paris salad with roll cheese and pear confit, Bahian fish with coconut rice and palm oil farofa and Mantiqueira mushroom gratin (R$189) —dessert is always blackberry ice cream with red wine.
Terra Preta Road, km 3, Joanópolis. Sat., Sun. and holidays, from 12 pm to 5 pm, by reservation only. The house will be closed on the 24th and 25th of December. Between December 28th and 30th, the bistro opens from 12:00 to 17:00 exclusively for cheese tasting and bar. It closes again on December 31st and reopens on January 7th.
I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years, and my work has been featured on many different news websites. I am also an author, and my work has been published in several books. I specialize in opinion writing, and I often write about current events and controversial topics. I am a very well-rounded writer, and I have a lot of experience in different areas of journalism. I am a very hard worker, and I am always willing to put in the extra effort to get the job done.
