Sambahia — Restaurant in Lyon

A true disappointment. The restaurant is cozy, and the first impression was good. However, once the drinks arrived, all our expectations went downhill.

We ordered a passion fruit caipirinha, but it was extremely sour. The pulp used was fruit concentrate, making the flavor completely unpalatable. I had to ask for more sugar to try to improve it.

The starters included fried cassava (completely dry and hard), tapioca bites (dense), cheese balls (these were decent), and chicken drumsticks (undercooked and bloody). Rating for the starters: 2/10.

I ordered the feijoada menu (€32), and my friends chose the barbecue menu (€39). When the dishes arrived, I noticed that the same beans served as a side dish for the barbecue menu were also served as “feijoada.” The portion was tiny, with only two pieces of meat and two slices of sausage. It was completely bland, watery, and served with a slice of orange and a spoonful of collard greens. I asked the waiter if this was correct, and he confirmed that they used the same beans for both dishes. I asked to cancel the feijoada and switch to the barbecue menu, as it made no sense to call those beans feijoada.

The restaurant is extremely cramped. When the waiter started serving the meat on skewers, he literally leaned over me and my plate. It was extremely uncomfortable and unhygienic, as the skewer was placed inside the plates and then repeated with other customers.

Among the barbecue meats, the same undercooked chicken from the starters was included. The meat quality itself wasn’t bad, but the chicken had a suspicious smell. Overall rating for the barbecue: 4/10.

We moved on to the desserts, hoping they would improve the experience, but it was the opposite. There were two options: passion fruit mousse or coconut pudding. I chose the passion fruit mousse, thinking it would be simple and tasty, but I was wrong. It was just natural yogurt with the same sour syrup used in the caipirinha, resulting in a terrible dessert. Dessert rating: 1/10.

Overall rating for the restaurant: 3/10. Brazilian cuisine is incredibly rich and flavorful. With good ingredients and skilled chefs, even simple dishes can become magical moments. However, when poor-quality ingredients and unprepared staff are involved, disaster is inevitable. The saddest part is that this does not represent Brazil’s vibrant cuisine. Please, do not call this Brazilian food. It’s...

I read through a range of reviews to gather different perspectives. I will do my best to provide an objective evaluation.

I was slightly disappointed because I had expected larger portions and was surprised to find that mutton was not included among the ingredients.

Additionally, I found it confusing to keep track of my progress during the meal. It would have been helpful if they clearly indicated whether I was on my 3rd out of 7 courses or 4th out of 8.

In fact, at the end of the meal, there was some confusion regarding whether the courses were complete or not. Personally, I still felt hungry after finishing the meal.

If you expect the churrasco menu to be sufficient on its own, it may not be. I would recommend ordering additional items to ensure you have enough food.

On a positive note, the waiters and the entire team were very friendly and welcoming.

However, I observed that the restaurant has two reservation time slots: 7pm and 9pm.

Throughout the meal, we were repeatedly asked if we had finished, which made me feel somewhat uncomfortable due to the perceived pressure.

This rushed us to finish our meal and hurried us to the billing process. I'm uncertain if this is part of Brazilian food culture.

I gave the restaurant a three-star rating because I had higher expectations for the overall...

Fantastic flavourful food, quick friendly service. You can't ask for more from this great little restaurant serving authentic Brazilian cuisine. The price is correct for what you receive and the staff are welcoming, knowledgeable and capable of answering any questions you may have. Each plate was served with a recommended way of enjoying it. The food was of good quality and cooked perfectly. The drinks are also well made and don't skimp on the alcohol like other restaurants in the area. Everything was delicious, well presented and served in a friendly and timely manner. 5/5 I would recommend to anyone. A great place to discover the cuisine or enjoy Brazilian food for the already initiated. A little hidden but well...