Glasgow’s Bothwell Street came over all Copacabana last night as samba dancers celebrated the launch of the Viva Brazil restaurant.
Converted from a former post office, the 240 cover restaurant is based on Brazilian churrascaria or barbecue restaurants.
The main showpiece is a 120 sq ft charcoal barbecue area, where diners can watch their cuts of meat including lamb, pork, beef and chicken being slow roasted. A troop of Passadors (carvers) then expertly carve it at the table.
Each diner has a red and green sign to indicate whether or not they want the Passadors to visit their table again.
If you are feeling full then display the red sign and they will pass you by. If you think you could manage just one more slice of marinated sirloin or perhaps another morsel of chicken wrapped in bacon then fly the green flag.
There is also a selection of traditional home cooked Brazilian stews and side dishes, gourmet salads and vegetables, antipasto, breads and sauces to accompany the meat. Favourites include garlic mashed potato, polenta and fried banana.
Specialities include Moqueca De Peixe, a fish stew, and Bife Acebolado, a rump steak dish along with the traditional Brazilian Caipirinha cocktail, made with lime, sugar, ice and cachaca spirit.
The restaurant is the second Viva Brazil venture for business duo Jaf Siddiqi and Andy Aldrich who opened a Viva Brazil in Liverpool in 2010.
Andy Aldrich, managing director said: ‘Glasgow was an obvious choice for the next Viva Brazil. Glaswegians have the same party spirit as the Brazilians and I’m confident the Latin American style of dining will be a big hit in the city.’
Andy and Jaf are currently looking for a site in Edinburgh.