Mocotó: A Michelin Bib Gourmand in São Paulo

Mocotó bar e restaurante (website) is located in São Paulo’s Zona Norte (North Side), in Vila Medeiros, at Avenida Nossa Senhora do Loreto, 1100. It’s a Brazilian restaurant considered contemporary Northeastern cuisine.

Originally a Casa do Norte (a Northeastern goods store) founded by José de Almeida, it was later renamed by his son, Chef Rodrigo Oliveira, born in 1980, who studied Gastronomy and has led Mocotó since 2001.

The chef has been named one of Brazil’s 100 most influential people, and won chef and culinary personality of the year. He also runs Mocotó Café at the Mercado de Pinheiros and Shopping D, plus Balaio IMS, inside the Instituto Moreira Salles.

Mocotó holds a Bib Gourmand distinction in the 2019 Michelin Guide.

The setting

A simple, welcoming space, open and airy, spread across two floors. We weren’t impressed with the service — they got our order wrong multiple times, from a juice that arrived sweetened when we’d asked for unsweetened, to a mixed-up dessert.

Starter at Mocotó Restaurante

We ordered a portion of torresminho, which the menu describes as crispy and dry — and it really is flavorful and crunchy.

Main course at Mocotó Restaurante

We went with one of the house classics, from the specialties section: Baião de Dois.

Baião de dois: the well-known rice-and-beans dish, elevated with coalho cheese, sausage, bacon, and dried beef.

The reputation didn’t quite hold up — there wasn’t much meat in the Baião, and we suspect the extra sides were added to make up for it, since they weren’t listed on the menu. Note: they use cilantro, for anyone who’s not a fan.

That said, the cassava purée and farofa were tasty.

Dessert

We picked three:

Chocolate mousse with cachaça: premium chocolate with a touch of artisanal cachaça aged in balsam wood. We didn’t love it — the cachaça flavor was too strong, and we could barely taste the chocolate.

Rapadura ice cream: creamy artisanal ice cream with sugarcane syrup and pieces of rapadura (unrefined cane sugar), served with a catuaba syrup. Delicious, and the chocolate pieces were a nice touch.

Cartola de Engenho: the classic Pernambuco dessert combining banana, queijo-manteiga cheese, and a sugar-and-cinnamon farofa. The best dessert of the three, though you have to like banana — I loved the mix with the farofa.

Price

Between everything above, two juices, and a Coca-Cola, plus a 12% service charge, the total came to R$176 for three people.

Fun fact

There’s also an on-site shop selling house products, from desserts to seasonings like hot sauce and their own house beer — worth a stop after your meal.

Read more São Paulo food tips in Lassù and Futuro Refeitório.