Macondo is the name of a fictional town, a mythical place isolated from the world, punished by catastrophes and plagues, where the story of “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, a classic by Gabriel García Márquez, takes place. It is also the name of the restaurant by Colombian Jair Abril Rojas in Pinheiros, in the west of São Paulo, named in honor of the Nobel Prize-winning work in literature.
The address is one of the places in the capital of São Paulo that are inspired by the world of literature and that are an option to visit on World Book Day, celebrated this Saturday, the 23rd. References to the work and country of origin of the writer and chef even appear in details in the decoration.
The façade immediately attracts attention: painted yellow, it is decorated with large colored birds — birds whose songs guided the arrival of a group of gypsies to the village of the book. Engraved on the walls of the restaurant are excerpts from the work, a symbol of magical realism, and photos with landscapes of Colombia.
Each wall tells a story, says the owner. One of them is decorated with cages, flowers and butterflies. Another is filled with images of coffee beans and coffee farms, connecting with a passage in the book, and a third illustrates palenqueras, women who carry fruit in a basket on their heads —already portrayed by García Márquez.
Don’t forget about the food, of course. At the restaurant, it is possible to taste typical Colombian recipes, such as arepas, patacones, empanadas, lulo juice, a typical fruit from that country, and the paisa tray, a kind of prepared dish that combines nine items.
Tributes to writers also appear at Macabéa, a café in the central region of the city. Starting with the name of the place: Macabéa is the protagonist of “A Hora Estrela”, the last book by Clarice Lispector, published in 1977, a poor young woman from Alagoas who tries her luck in Rio de Janeiro.
Attentive visitors can observe, scattered around the hall, excerpts from a letter by Caio Fernando Abreu and collages with photos by various authors of Brazilian literature, such as Cecília Meireles, Jorge Amado, Milton Hatoum and Daniel Galera, as well as foreign writers, such as José Saramago and Charles Bukowski.
But literature is not just about decoration: a shelf displays around 300 books that can be borrowed by any customer: just choose a title, leave another in its place and, after reading, take it back. In the kind of collaborative library there are several authors, among them, of course, Clarice Lispector.
The Brazilian writer who was born in Ukraine was the main inspiration for the place, says Ricardo Silva, one of the partners. “I really like Clarice’s work. I worked in the publishing market, so I already had this strong connection with literature. When I decided to open the cafe, one of the first ideas that came to my mind was to have a bookcase, even before the machine. to get coffee”, he says. “It’s a space to encourage reading.”
The name of the character of “A Hora da Estrela” also baptizes one of the drinks on the menu, which is prepared with rapadura, a sweet that satiated Macabéa’s hunger. It costs R$14 and combines cumaru, milk and espresso — in the cold version, it is made with cold brew and the sweet syrup is at the bottom of the glass, to be mixed.
Great authors also name the drinks at Mena Gastrobar, a restaurant and bar in Tatuapé, on the east side of the capital, led by chef Jessica Teixeira, another lover of literature. The cocktails are signed by bartender Stephanie Marinkovic, from Espaço 13.
When developing the drinks, Marinkovic looked for a distillate from each writer’s country of origin. In the case of Oscar Wilde, author of the classic “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, the bartender used Jameson whiskey, created in Ireland. It is combined with a syrup of spices, ginger, nutmeg and pickled radish. On top, there are drops of olive oil — it costs R$ 27.30.
Cora Coralina from Goiás is represented by cachaça, in a cocktail prepared with a floral pinch of elderberry syrup, lemon concentrate with ginger and tonka. The final touch is the clay mug where the recipe is served. The drink costs R$ 25.30.
Other suggestions dedicate the name to William Shakespeare and Sarah Westphal from Santa Catarina. In the letter, the description of the drinks is accompanied by excerpts from books. Anyone who asks for a Cora Coralina, for example, can take a few sips and reflect on the verse that says: “I climbed the mountain of life removing stones and planting flowers”.
Macabéa Café
R. Jesuíno Pascoal, 36, Vila Buarque, central region, WhatsApp (11) 96323-6753, Instagram @macabeacafe
Macondo Colombian Roots
R. Cardeal Arcoverde, 1361, Pinheiros, west region, tel. (11) 98616-4184, Instagram @macondo_raizes_colombianas
Mena Gastrobar
piece Ituzaingo, 42, Vila Regente Feijó, east region, tel. (11) 2672-2011 and WhatsApp (11) 94707-4381, Instagram @menagastrobar
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
