In a luxury hotel in SP, the crowd eats and drinks well, and vibrates little

The rain that began to fall heavily in the Paulista Avenue region at the end of the first half did not bother those watching the game between Brazil and Switzerland in the Summer Tent, a space created in the luxurious Rosewood São Paulo hotel —the tent was covered, temporarily erected over the Cypress Garden.

At 5 minutes into the game, there was no tension, but the aroma of truffles already dominated the environment. Someone had ordered a portion of fries with truffled mayonnaise, for R$50.

With a ticket costing BRL 400, which included an open bar (snacks were charged separately), around one hundred people spread out in armchairs, sofas and padded chairs that were beyond comfortable, in an environment with capacity for 260 seats.

“In the opening match against Serbia, on a Friday at 4pm, it was much better, about 160 people came, today we knew there would be fewer people because of the time”, says Tessa Ferraz, the hotel’s communication manager. And she already warns that reserves are pumping for the third game of the selection, on Friday (2), at 4 pm.

The Rosewood Hotels & Resorts group has more than 30 hotels worldwide, with the São Paulo complex being one of the last to open. There will also be in Doha, land of the World Cup, but only in 2023.

And yes, there was beer in space, the Spanish Estrella Galicia. But fans preferred sipping drinks like gin and tonic, made with Sicilian lemon, or the Lillet Vive cocktail, with Lillet Blanc, tonic water, strawberries, cucumber and mint, both refreshing.

The official yellow shirt of the selection set the tone for the crowd, with a few blue ones here and there. There were the green ones too, but the brand was different. Despite the five screens, four forming a rectangle above the bar and one at the back of the space, some children preferred to be distracted by foosball.

Only the employees are more elegant than the fans, in well-tailored suits, some with a scarf around their necks and an impeccably knotted tie, or the waiters, in white dress shirts and cropped tailored pants (a little shorter than the Italian bar). Chic.

With the first warm period, the diner-fans also didn’t manifest much. Contrary to what was witnessed at the Fan Fest in the Anhangabaú valley, in the center, there were no high-pitched screams in the spikes or in the attack attempts by Tite’s men. The only bugle was played by the bartender, played only in the goals — in the annulled one, by Vinícius Jr., as well.

A menu with eight appetizers was prepared by executive chef Felipe Rodrigues, responsible for the menus of the four restaurants and two bars of the Rosewood gastronomic complex.

The delicacies made reference to World Cup countries, such as the Spanish bocadillo de jamon and tomato (for R$65), the porchetta bifanas on French mini bread, with mustard and aioli, a tribute to Portugal, for R$55, or the cheeseburger wagyu, with typically English cheddar and pickles, for R$75 —in addition to the Belgian-inspired fries mentioned at the beginning of the text.

“I did a survey of the most consumed foods in the stadiums of the top seeded countries in the World Cup”, says Rodrigues, excited about the game.

With so much food and drink on offer, the fans actually consumed much more than they vibrated — the game didn’t help either.

During the break, Alex Detter, 39, and his wife, Natália, pushed the sofa half a meter forward to escape the rain that wet the edges of the garden.

After gathering friends at home for the first game, they found the space a good option to watch the match played at 1pm.

“This time is bad for calling friends”, says Natália, adding that “we love coming here”. The couple, who watched the game with their son and nephew, already knew four of the hotel’s dining spaces, and found Summer Tent on Instagram. “The complex is very nice”, says Detter, who works in the financial market.

When the second half started, nobody gave much thought, apart from Galvão Bueno, when the Swiss made a dangerous move in the 7th minute. Men and women drank, ate and smiled in the tent.

Employees passed with squeegees and cleaned up any wet footprints when Richarlison, in the 10th minute, almost completed the cross by Vinícius Júnior.

The explosion of joy came in the 20th minute, with the goal from the Real Madrid striker. The “aahhhhh” after the annulment, through the intervention of VAR, was much more discreet.

But the Summer Tent, which can also host weddings and other celebrations, was bound to party. And it came in the 38th minute, with Casemiro’s goal, which was not annulled.

The tent would remain open until 8 pm, with the Lua Vai carnival block, but without an open bar. Even so, those present would not have to have a dry throat. Drinks are still being served, such as the Elixir da Manhã, with premium imported vodka, orange, white chocolate and coconut, for R$70, less than a beer in Qatar.