Tasca da Esquina Restaurant reopens in Pinheiros – 03/21/2024 – Restaurants

It took just over a weekend for Tasca da Esquina to leave the address it occupied for almost 13 years in Jardins and reopen in Pinheiros. The Portuguese restaurant closed its doors on the 17th (Sunday) and reopened last Tuesday (19th) on Rua Joaquim Antunes. Finally, at a corner.

In those 48 hours, he transferred the entire operation — from induction cookers to tables — to the new room. Even partner Edrey Momo used his own car: he made nine trips to transport items such as crockery, cutlery and a coffee machine. “We are a small operation. We cannot lose cash after the pandemic and the investment in the new location,” he says.

The change of address seems to have prompted an update that has nothing to do with retrofitting — it changed the environment, but not only that.

Unlike the previous property, the new lounge is more open, all adjacent to the kitchen, which also shows customers more of its operation. With 75 seats, 20% more, it is completely flanked by windows, divided in half by a communal table and has a lighter, greenish decor, with plants hanging from the walls.

It is the rare case of a traditional restaurant that benefited from a change of address that was not in the plans, as a result of the capital’s active real estate market.

The kitchen inherited a one-meter grill from the restaurant that operated in the same spot before, Basilicata Cucina, right in front of Maní and Olea Mozzarella Bar, and on the corner opposite Mercearia do Conde.

With the equipment there, the idea came to include preparations made on the barbecue on the menu. One of the meats is one of the bets, including the secret, pork muscle with a lot of fat interspersed. The changes will be defined with the visit of the Portuguese Vitor Sobral, the founder of Tasca da Esquina, who was born in Lisbon.

Sobral will even help with the task of adding new features to the restaurant’s menu, which will be renewed after Easter. Owner of seven locations between Brazil and Portugal, the chef has worked in the sector for more than three decades, when he served a list of 15 presidents and two popes – including Francisco, for whom he did not serve cod.

Winner of the special The Best of São Paulo – Gastronomy four times in a row, the restaurant serves tasting menus and à la carte recipes that have Portuguese roots, but are not exclusively centered on cod. Examples on the menu include the alheira burger with Serra da Estrela cheese, egg and fries (R$109) and the pork cheek accompanied by cauliflower puree and asparagus (R$99).

R. Joaquim Antunes, 197, Pinheiros, western region. Tuesday to Friday: 12pm to 3pm and 7pm to 11pm. Sat., 12pm to 5pm and 7pm to 11pm. Sun., 12pm to 5pm. @tascadaesquinasp