Mr. Snarky suggested a "Yay, you got a job!" celebration dinner so I set about looking for a place to go and make reservations. Of course most of my choices didn't take reservations and I remember how many times we have struck out on a Friday night because we hadn't made reservations. I narrowed it down and Mr. Snarky and I both seemed to agree it was time for a meat feats, so Bem Brasil it was. You can make reservations online, which is incredibly handy since it shows you all the times that are available!
There is also an NCP parking garage a very short walk away from the restaurant, although a bit more expensive than our usual parking spots. When we arrived there were three hostesses to greet us, but had trouble finding our reservation. I was a bit worried, but then one of them said, "Oh here it is!" Downstairs is a bar area, but the main dining area is upstairs. We were a bit surprised at how large the dining area is... it is huge! As we were led to our table we walked by a little portable cocktail station, next to the buffet. How clever! People can watch and hear the cocktails being made and think, "Oooo, I'd like one of those!"
When we arrived, they were a bit busy, but about a half hour later, the place was packed! There were couples, families, and even some large groups... one of which looked like a Hen Night. So clearly there is something for everyone. Our drink order was taken straightaway and a basket of hot, fresh-out-of-the-fryer chips was put on our table. While they were very tasty because they were straight out of the fryer, I guess I wondered why chips and why not something a bit more Brazilian? For example another Brazilian Restaurant brings those cheese balls, rice, and plantains to the table, all hot and equally filling as chips. Oh well.
The hostess told us all about the process and told us how much dinner was for the night... £25.99 for a Friday night. The buffet... now I know it isn't the main attraction, but by far this was the best buffet at a Brazilian restaurant that I have been to. Seriously, if they allow you to just eat at the buffet for a discount, I would be happy with that. The beans next to the rice were delicious and I really enjoyed the cod in a coriander and tomato sauce. Mr. Snarky had said something similar about how impressed he was with the buffet as well and really enjoyed the beef stew. I found the cheese balls at the buffet, but they were cold so they didn't taste as nice as when they come fresh out of the oven.
It took awhile for the meat to start coming out, but when it did, we found that some of the waiters didn't take notice of the cards on the table... one kept stopping and asking even though we had turned our cards to red and another just kept passing us by even though our cards were turned to green. So a bit inconsistent, which is why I did take half a star off. There was an interesting mix of meats, including turkey, which I have never seen at one of these restaurants. It was nice and juicy, but it is turkey... this is another reason why I took another half star off. This is the second most expensive Brazilian restaurant I have been to and while I wouldn't mind the expense, the difference is that they didn't seem to have as many nice cuts of meat available. I was a bit surprised when Skirt Steak came along as it is a cheap cut of beef that is usually not very tender. We tried it and it was quite tough. At the prices they are charging, I would have expected a couple more better cuts of meat.
I think my favourite piece of meat was what the waiter called Brazilian Steak... it was the one that looked like a Palmier. It was a tad on the salty side, but it was very tender. Second favourite was the sirloin, although the second slice I had was so rare that Mr. Snarky wouldn't even touch it. The gammon and turkey came around a lot and while they were nice, it really wasn't what we were there for. The lamb (not the lamb chop) was very tender, but again it was quite salty. After we had been sitting for a little bit with our cards on red, one waiter came by with pineapple. I got excited because at one of the restaurants I went to, they grilled the pineapple, which made it so sweet. This wasn't quite grilled, but it is warm and juicy and coated on the outside with cinnamon and sugar. It was delicious and a great way to end the meal. They did get our bill wrong and tried to charge us for three meals rather than two, but they were able to correct it. Overall, a nice experience, but I do agree with some in saying that it is a bit on the expensive side. read more