Berimbau Brazilian Table - 36th Street — Restaurant in New York

Review for Berimbau Midtown – Visit on June 21, 2025

I had a lovely time at Berimbau Midtown! The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with beautiful Brazilian touches in the decor that made me feel right at home. Everything I ordered—from the appetizers to the mains and drinks—was absolutely delicious.

The coxinha na chapa and dadinho de tapioca were flavorful and authentic. The freshness of the Brazilian pepper sauce was amazing—you could smell its aroma from feet away! The vegan moqueca and feijoada were both well-seasoned and dishes I would gladly order again.

That said, I’m giving 4 stars for food due to the salad options. As a Brazilian who enjoys cooking healthy meals, I found the salads underwhelming and not in line with the tropical and creative cuisine Brazil is known for. Caesar and cauliflower salads felt generic. The octopus salad was better, but I’d suggest grilling the octopus for added texture and flavor. A refreshing option like a watermelon salad, or something with quinoa or burrata (despite the latter being Italian you could make it with a Brazilian touch), would elevate the experience.

As for service, there’s room for improvement. When I called to make a reservation, the staff member I spoke to simply said they couldn’t take reservations by phone and didn’t offer clear next steps. I had to ask how to proceed, and only then was told to use the app. A more helpful approach would be: “We don’t take phone reservations, but you can easily reserve through our app or website.”

Lastly, the server - don’t recall her name - had totally unnecessary remarks when I joined two tables so that I could sit next to my friend while watching the singer and the “instrumentista” do their thing. She showed to be annoyed and acted as if I disrupted her peace. I understand that could be an issue if the table was reserved but it was not AND the restaurant was about to close. I understand it is not part of etiquette for “we” the clients to be moving tables. YET, again, you need to train staff to know how to respond to situations because at the end of the day WE are the client. She was nice to us after though.

Despite the few hiccups on service, Thank you for the experience. With a few tweaks, this place can truly shine even...

Stepping into Berimbau feels like you've been transported to a beachside bar in Rio, with its vibrant, tropical-looking atmosphere that's both lively and relaxed. As a native Brazilian, I can confidently say the dishes here are the real deal. They capture the authentic flavors of a bar in Brazil taken up a notch with elegant plating and an elevated touch.

The appetizers are a great way to kick off the experience--coxinhas, for instance, are like chicken croquettes but filled with creamy cheese, crispy on the outside with a rich, savory filling that instantly brings back memories of street food in Brazil. The fried yucca is perfectly golden, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, seasoned just right to highlight its natural flavor. And the calamari--tender, not chewy--has a light, crisp coating and is served with a dipping sauce that packs a punch.

The star of the show, though, is the picanha. This dish is an absolute steal for the amount of absurdly tender, juicy meat you get. It's grilled to perfection, with that beautiful char on the outside and a succulent, flavorful center. The picanha comes with classic farofa--a toasted cassava flour mixture that adds a delightful crunch and nutty flavor--and a side of perfectly cooked, flavorful rice. Together, they make for a comforting, hearty meal that's deeply satisfying and can easily feed 3 ppl.

Make sure to save room for dessert--the guava cheesecake is delicious. It has the perfect balance of sweetness, with a touch of salt that makes all the difference. It's a delightful way to end the meal without being overly sugary.

The staff here is another highlight--they're welcoming, always smiling, and ready to make you feel at home. Berimbau is the kind of place where great food, a warm vibe, and friendly people come together to create an...

This was my first time at this location and I have to say that I was beyond satisfied. The place inside feels very cozy and I love the organic design that it has, minimalist but vibrant at the same time. The warm color palette will make you feel that you are in Brazil. The Host was extremely welcoming and very attentive towards us. The menu has plenty of option for you to choose, I highly recommend the pão de quejio (some sort of cheese bread that is so yummy) Yuca Frita (yuca root which is very tasty, and the coxinha (fried croquettes with pork and cheese) everything so delicious. For our mains we ordered vegan Feijoada (which is a dish made of beans and it tastes exactly the same as a feijoada with real meat) Costela Cozida a really tender and juice slow roasted beef ribs with boiled Yuca. We also got the octopus which was very tender, served with herbs exquisitely dressed. For dessert we got the Sagu de coco (which was my favorite, tapioca pearls with ice cream, it was really refreshing and sweet but just the right amount) the Cheesecake de Goiabada, and the brigadeiro petit gatea (chocolate cake) which also was really delicious. Our server was NATASCHA was incredible! Very welcoming, informative, attentive, she truly made us fell at home, thank you so much for all the amazing recommendations Natascha❤️ we truly had a really nice night, it was a reunion for me and my friends and we truly enjoyed our time. Looking forward to sharing another special...