Opinion – Marcelo Katsuki: Terraço Capibaribe offers pleasant moments by the river

While São Paulo is surfing the wave of rooftops like Cora, Priceless and the brand new Penthouse, in Recife, restaurants spring up in the coolest backyards in the city – as is the case of the already veterans Cá-já, Arvo and Reteteu. Each location with its terroir and ‘it’s all right.

The newest undertaking in the capital of Pernambuco is Terraço Capibaribe, installed in a large house in the Poço da Panela neighborhood, north of the city. Its large and wooded backyard on the banks of the Capibaribe River is an irresistible invitation to moments of delight accompanied by good cuisine.

The house features modern Brazilian cuisine with the menu divided into six sections: for starters, for eating with your hands, for snacking, for lunch or dinner, for the little ones and to sweeten life. And so we started with the two broths available: beans (R$ 10) and shrimp (R$ 12), which fulfill the role of alleviating hunger on arrival.

Next, we ordered the mini smoked potatoes (R$32) topped with oxtail ragu and mustard pickles. Small bits of flavor that gain an extra enchantment with the breeze that comes from the river, where you can see the sky reflected, a painting.

The menu is right with a short but varied menu, full of vegetarian options, but the kitchen could have small adjustments to make this experience even more stimulating. I say this because of the termite croqueta (R$ 32), which is a little salty and could have been a more moderate size. Two acorns and we’re already satiated, with no desire to get to the main course.

I still insisted on asking for a separate item (R$ 45), an item on the “for lunch” menu. The dish is a version of the traditional tidy dish and features green beans sautéed in bottled butter with bacon and finished with cream. They come with shredded beef jerky, pickled red onion, plantain tartare, vinaigrette and garlic farofinha. The result is quite distinct: tasty, with a more intense flavor but without the freshness of the original recipe.

“To sweeten life” has three dessert options: ice cream and strawberry sigh, banana verrine with dulce de leche and chocolate tartlet with passion fruit and toffee caramel, at R$25 each.

The house is already a success and fills up quickly. Arrive early if you want to guarantee a privileged view, but the surroundings are breathtakingly beautiful. There is also an undisputed air-conditioned lounge and the outdoor sidewalk (photo), which houses a shaded table by the river. To eat and sigh.

Capibaribe Terrace – little map here
R. Antônio Vitruvio, 113, Poço da Panela, Recife/PE