Opinion – Copo Cheio: Exclusive beer with agroecological rice integrates rooftop menu in downtown SP

In the last months of 2021, São Paulo gained a new gastronomic space with a privileged view of the city center: Priceless, on the rooftop of the Light mall, right in front of the Anhangabaú valley and the Municipal Theater.

Sponsored by Mastercard, the space features an exclusive and seasonal menu, which changes every six months, with dishes, snacks, desserts, drinks and beer for lunch, as well as an evening tasting menu, all inspired by some region of the country.

To inaugurate the space, the Sertões menu has dishes created by the chef from Paraíba Onildo Rocha and new beers signed by Junior Bottura, responsible for the great labels of Cerveja Avós — the idea of ​​the project is to bring an unprecedented gastronomic experience to consumers, something that the brand already performs in different cities around the world.

To inspire the creations, those involved actually took a trip to the Northeast, in cities bathed by the São Francisco River. So Bottura went to the municipality of Ilha das Flores, in Sergipe, where he met Dona Carlinda, a woman in her 80s who has been cultivating rice for over 60 years.

Despite planting grain since she was a child, it was only in recent years that Dona Carlinda was introduced to new practices, and changed pesticides and chemical fertilizers for agroecological products, thus preserving the river.

Already accustomed to honoring his grandmothers in his creations, Bottura named the beer Dona Carlinda (R$ 22, 300 ml glass), a straw colored drink with a light sweetness, which uses the agroecological rice made by Dona Carlinda and mango, also planted at banks of the San Francisco. Refreshing and cloudy in appearance, due to the rice, the beer has 4.1% alcohol and only 21 IBU (bitterness scale that goes up to 120).

Another novelty, equally exclusive to Priceless, is Voinha Mirian, a sour with a generous amount of mangaba and 5.5% alcohol. The beer menu also features the traditional Vó Maria e Seu Lado Zen (a hoppy lager) and Vó Maria In Concert (an Indian pale lager).

Mastercard customers can make reservations through the event website (priceless.com/saopaulorestaurante). For other diners, the tip is to call ahead to check the availability of tables. To access the rooftop of Shopping Light, the entrance is only through the elevator located in the basement.

Priceless
Shopping Light (r. Formosa, 157, tel. 2853-0373, entrance through the parking lot, in the basement). Monday to Friday: 11 am to 4 pm; Sat and Sun: 12pm to 4pm; and have. to Sat.: 17:00 to 23:00. Reservation for Mastercard customers at priceless.com/saopaulorestaurante. CC: accepts all.​