Located on Praia de Manguinhos along a flat span of beach known for its windsurfing schools, Quintal isn't your typical Brazilian restaurant with unlisted address and cut-throat reservation calendar that makes same-month booking almost non-existent in high-season. But a hotspot it most definitely is, a home-style Brazilian eatery located in the personal home of chef Nelson Filho, who offers twice-nightly dinner service for a picturesque hillside home located within a grove of coastal evergreens. The space looks much like a restaurant on the inside, with dramatic dining room of floor-to-ceiling windows and pitched thatch ceiling facing a large outdoor terrace and swimming pool that's for looking only.
The Food
Having cooked for Brazilian Presidents and visiting aristocracy, Filho dominates this one-room kitchen so astutely that it seems an insult to call his legendary gnocchi homemade. An intricate menu is heavy on the Italian staples like pasta and sauces with notable Brazilian grilled meats and poultry dishes rounding out the hearty menu that changes from week to week and sometimes even daily. The chef aims to serve local ingredients derived from local produce growers and fisherman in the nearby harbor, culminating in one grand feast that isn’t easily forgotten or attained.
Last Word
Well-known Brazilian chef brings new meaning to home-cooking from his own private residence in Buzios.
