Bossa Nova — Restaurant in Cambridge

First of all... what a beautiful restaurant. Extremely well decorated, very comfortable. I have been there twice now, and the service was amazing. Everybody is so-so-so friendly. That being said... let's talk about food... you are probably going there to eat. Not just to hang out... Let me first say this... the caipirinha is fantastic. Very authentic and perfect as a Summer drink. It is to die for. If you prefer something for your DD, Guarana is your choice. It is a Brazilian pop. It reminds me a ginger ale, but better. Oh, the food!!!... the food!!! I need to warn you. All the dishes are really well served. There is always a looooot of food. You will not leave hungry even if you try. I had an appetizer isca de carne with fried yuca. It was delicious. The onions... the meat... so juicy... and the yuca is better than any french fry you ever had. Perfectly crunchy. We also tried coxinha. A classic Brazilian treat. Also recommend the dadinho de tapioca and the cheese balls... the beauty when you open the little perfectly round balls and the cheese stretches... like a dream. The first we went to this restaurant I had their moqueca of fish. I could not finish it. So much food. It is sort of kinda a fish stew with vegetables and rice. If you like fishes, it is a must try. I am working my way through the menu, but I have not found something I did not like yet. Oh, my husband has a new favourite. He loved their Chicken Parmigiana (Frango à Parmegiana). I almost forgot... dessert... Brazilians love their desserts. If you are not into something too sweet, do yourself a favour and ask for Passionfruit mousse. It is tangy beauty. I have ordered it twice now...

I am begging you to listen to me. Recently this restaurant has been going through respectable changes. However, some areas are quite disappointing and I wish for slightly more sensitivity to Brazilian culture. The feijoada was good. Unfortunately it isn’t served how it would normally be served in Brazil and judging by the pictures in the reviews this was one of the most recent changes. Not only that the sausages and pork in the feijoada is not one typically used. This made the dish not taste at all how feijoada is supposed to taste like. Out of the main course meals there are only few Brazilian ones. The appetizers are written wrong with innacurate translations. In Brazil dulce de leche is spelt doce de leite. In Portuguese. Not in Spanish. This is a Brazilian restaurant. Brigadeiros aren’t served with the chocolate sauce and neither are the churros. Overall I feel little effort is being made to cultivate the authenticity of Brazilian food. As a Brazilian I would be more than happy to help with certain aspects of the food and the way it’s promoted. Truly if the restaurant keeps going this direction it is just not...

We were a group of five and had dinner here on a Friday night. The croquettes we had for appetizers were great, especially with the accompanying sauce, but the empanadas barely had any filling. One of them was even empty! The mains were disappointing for everyone - the feijoada and moqueca were very bland and the picanha steaks were overcooked and tasted like charcoal. The brigadeiros were fantastic and ALMOST made up for the disappointing meal.

The worst part of the evening was the live music. It was so incredibly loud that even though we weren't in the main dining area and closer to the exit, we had to shout at each other to have a conversation.

While our server was lovely, I don't see any reason to come back. I love Brazilian cuisine and have enjoyed a lot of fantastic food in Brazil, but this place was a...