Anyone who has met me since I have lived in Porto Alegre knows I have been enjoying the food. Rio Grande do Sul serves up some of the best grilled meat in the world and Gaúchos take great pride in sharing this treat with guests and new arrivals. The trouble I had fitting into my suit for my wedding a few weeks ago is evidence that I have been taking full advantage of that hospitality.
If I have one problem with food here though, it is the lack of variety. Coming from Melbourne I am used to being able to go out and find virtually any cuisine on the planet without much trouble. You want Chinese food? Little Bourke Street has you covered. Vietnamese is more your taste? Victoria Street is like heaven. If you're feeling like Greek food head to Lonsdale street or Italian food go to Lygon Street.
Here in Porto Alegre is a little different. There are plenty of good restaurants, but the majority of them serve up the same kinds of food. Meat, rice, beans and salad. I've still yet to get used to Gaúchos and other Brazilians eating rice and beans every day – and often for both lunch and dinner.
That isn't to say there aren't some good restaurants in Porto Alegre offering different cuisine – you just have to look. Fortunately I have found some great options for when you want to eat something a little different.
Hooroo House
Avenida Nova York, 835
I've written about Hooroo House before, but it definitely deserves to be on this list. Run by Gaúchos who spent some years living in Australia, Hooroo House brings Australian flavours and ideas to Porto Alegre and mixes them with meals that locals will be more familiar with. Dishes like the Aussie BBQ platter, potato wedges and the old classic, Fish & Chips, make Hooroo a far more authentic Australian experience than that other restaurant that claims to be Australian (but in reality, is American).
If there was any doubt that Hooroo House was a favourite place to eat for me in Porto Alegre, just last month my wife and I had our wedding reception there, with Andre and the team providing great food, as well as a great atmosphere for our special occasion.
Lola – Bar de Tapas
Rua Castro Alves, 422
A lot of restaurants these days claim to serve tapas, but most just use that as an excuse to serve small portions of expensive food. Having spent some time in Spain (yes, I just “place dropped”) I've been forever ruined for tapas restaurants outside of Spain, as they rarely live up to expectations.
This made for a very pleasant surprise when I visited, with Lola proving to be easily one of the best tapas restaurants I've been to outside of Spain. As well as serving up individual portions, Lola serves giant platters will filled seafood, meats, breads and dips, and you'd be hard pressed to leave this tapas bar still hungry. As a bonus they serve sangria, as well as a great range of local beers, making this a place I'll be going back to soon.
Muju Restobar
Rua Coronel Bordini, 684, Auxiliadora
As an Australian, before visiting South America I thought alll South American food was much the same. Much of that comes from “Latin” restaurants in Australia serving everything from Brazilian style churrasco to Mexican tacos. While travelling through Latin America a couple of years ago before arriving in Brazil I discovered there were vast differences in Latin cuisine, and one of my favourites was Peruvian food. Specifically I fell in love with the dish, Lomo Saltado, which is kind of like a Peruvian version of a Chinese stir fry – with potato fries added. I ate this meal a lot in my weeks in Peru, so I was excited to find about about Peruvian restaurant Muju Restobar being close by.
Muju certainly didn't disappoint. It was certainly a more gourmet restaurant than I experienced in Peru in my backpacking days, but they made sure that the simple flavours that make Peruvian food so good still shine through. My lomo saltado, made with very tender file mignon along with the perfect mix of spices and vegetables, certainly satisfied the craving I was having for a genuine taste of Peru. The other highlight on the menu was their extensive list of ceviches, each with different fish and other ingredients. My wife ordered the trio of ceviches, giving us (one of the early benefits of marriage) a chance to try three different ceviches, all of which had unique flavours.
Mao Sut – Thailand Bar
Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 1374
When you first walk into Mao Sutthe first thing you notice is how beautiful the restaurant is set up. With a large outdoor area for warm days complete with a beautiful bar, it is one of the best places in Porto Alegre to enjoy outdoor dining. With a range of Thai curries and other dishes – including the signature Khao Phad Sapparot served in an entire pineapple – Mao Sut is one of the few choices in Porto Alegre for genuinely great Asian food*. Again, as a bonus, they have a good list of craft beers available by the bottle as well as some tasty and some delicious cocktails, decorated to enhance the tropical theme.
*Porto Alegre, and Brazil in general does do one type of Asian food pretty well – Japanese. Though I've had some good Japanese food so far, nothing has been incredible yet.
O Butiá, Itapuã
Rod. Frei Pacifico, 4100, Vimão, RS
While not strictly in Porto Alegre, O Butiá is a short drive away and well worth the trip. Open only on Saturdays and Sundays (as well as special events and weddings) O Butiá is surrounded by parkland and the Guaíba, making the surrounds as beautiful as the dishes.
O Butiá serves a set menu which includes two starters, a main and a dessert and uses some fine locally sourced ingredients. The menu changes regularly, and on the day we visited the focus was on seafood, with the main course being a white fish with a lime mouse sauce. Simple food, done incredibly well. Bookings are essential through their website.
Does anyone know of any other great restaurants in and around Porto Alegre that offer something a little bit different? I'm always keen to try something new, and very much accepting of recommendations, so let me know!
