Tuga Restaurante — Restaurant in Região Imediata de São Paulo

Let me start by stating that (1) servers were really nice and kind, (2) food was good, (3) the wine bottle we drank was very good.

However, the experience was weird and inconsistent mostly due to the manager's way of handling guests. We were really put off and somewhat uncomfortable at times. We were expectating to be in a wine shop / cellar that is also a restaurant - offering good wine paired with good food and service - but right from the start the manager made sure to brake that expectation by: (1) not giving us any explanation about the wines they had available, actually he told us that there is no "wine menu" because Empório is rather a wine shop and then he just pointed us to the shelf where the wine bottles were (not wanting to know which kind we liked, which bottles they would recommend at a certain price point, nothing) - good thing we got Vivino for that, (2) there was some technical problem with the music (the sound was cutting for a long while and getting really annoying), so I asked about that and instead of a simple appology I was told that the problem was with the wifi and it was getting fixed (with a somewhat don't-bother-me attitude), (3) after having our lunch (getting two bottles of Douro red wine), there was no interest in knowing if we liked the wine, if we wanted to know more about bottles / options they had, again, nothing!

It got even funny!, we watched another guest who arrived after us sitting down and right away asking for a wine list or suggestion (the place calls for it, right?) for which he also got lectured by the manager in the same way we had been ("this is a shop, not a restaurant, you need to go inside and choose from the shelf, etc"). So the guest said, "oh, never mind then, bring me some Guaraná!". I mean, the communication strategy there seems not to be helping to sell wine, right?! But it may be serving some other (psychological?) purpose, is that what it is?

Finallly, it's a pitty. We went to Douro valley last October and we live nearby Empório do Tuga. We loved wine from Douro (and from other Portugues regions as well), so we were really looking for a good experience - tasting different wine, getting to know more about the Quintas you import wine from and (sure) buying bottles as well. We would be glad to explore what the Empório has to offer and even become a regular customer. But not with that attitude, you guys need to make some more effort. There are so many restaurants, emporiums and wine tasting options in São Paulo that I wouldn't go back to a place that made me feel like I was a burden. Like any other customer that loves wine and wants to invest time/money in that type of experience, I want to be well served and treated like a guest through...

Nothing special to rave about if you like wine and a bite to eat. The one time I went, my partner asked for a steak and was given not a nice piece of meat which should have been noticed at the time of cooking. I believe that people who like to eat steak, know about cuts of meat and what it should be like even when they like it well done. My partner complained that it was too tough, 'well done' does not mean 'tough' and inedible. If this was not bad enough, the chef or the owner, not sure who said it was my partner's fault for asking a steak to be 'well done'. It was because of the attitude that we will not be returning and judging other reviews, it seems we are not the only ones who have been through this type of experience. It is a shame to have such a nice establishment and good staff, if the person at the top spoils and his security guard has...

I was really disappointed with my experience at Empório do Tuga. The food is overpriced for the quality they offer—definitely not worth it.

We ordered the “Camarão do Tuga” as a starter, and the shrimp were small, tasteless, and clearly frozen.

For the main course, we had the Polvo à Lagareiro. While it was tasty and tender, it took over an hour to arrive, and we were the only table in the restaurant.

The waiter kept pushing us to order a bottle of wine, which became a bit annoying.

The restaurant itself is beautiful and has a pleasant atmosphere, but given the high prices, poor service, and mediocre food, it’s simply...