Permalink Reply by Liz on September 16, 2010 at 9:54
I will go a long way for a decent caipirinha but fortunately, as it turns out, I now need go no further than the end of Green Lanes to Fogo Vivo. With its beach hut ways and the cool brazilian tunes playing, I could easily forget that I was anywhere near a railway station and sink into holiday mode.
The guys in there are lovely, lovely people and the food was really tasty. I went for the picanha and agree with the Time Out review as to its delicous flavour. Hubby went for the "cheap" stew option which was very scrumptious too. They have a limited menu, which I like. Better 4 dishes cooked well then 14 poorly made. The owner mentioned that they like to change the menu regularly and are planning to offer more cocktail options but frankly with caipirinhas like that, I'm already sold. He also mentioned doing live brazilian music nights as well. I asked him to let us know when they happen.
Really folks, if you are looking for a really lovely chilled place to grab a bit of tea and a decent cocktail, go support the Fogo Vivo!
Permalink Reply by TTTH on September 16, 2010 at 22:31
Yes we must support it, I went past last night on the way to Antepeiler (creature of habit) and it was dead. They suffer a poor location, set back from the grand parade
Yes it's a great place. Having been to Guanabara in central London I had a bad impression of Brazillian cuisine. This place totally changed it though. Really delicious food, huge portions, quite cheap. Caprinhas are great. Attentive service. Please go and support it as there weren't many in there when we were there on a week night.
I think it also suffers from the fact the awning on the front is a legacy of the last tenant so it looks like it's just a snack / sandwich type place when actually it's a proper restaurant.
They seem to be closed sometimes. We live around the corner so we keep an eye out. The caipirinhas are to die for but the food selection was limited when we went (very good though). It may help to post a menu outside or something. The lovely owners mentioned live music too. They need a website/Facebook group to let us know about these things!
I'll see if I can drag hubby and my neighbour out for a couple of caipirinhas tonight ;)
I tried it just after the review and they were closed because they had been robbed and lost everything. The owner was restocking when my friend and I arrived. Glad the hear that they are up and running again.
I'm not sure they are - we tried to go on Saturday night, knowing full well from this discussion that there was a chance they wouldn't be, and lo and behold, all the shutters were down and there were no signs of life. It was only about 8pm, should have been prime time for them, so maybe they aren't open again after the robbery?
They had a note up on the shutters explaining why they were shut. They were going to see the Pope at the vigil in Hyde park. Unfortunately you couldn't really see the notice from the road. Anyway this makes me like them even more somehow! Can't really hold it against them since last time the pope was here was 1982..
If Fogo Vivo knew their liberation theology and remembered how Cardinal Ratzinger and his Polish boss dealt with Leonardo Boff and others in the 1990s they wouldn't have been in Hyde Park on Saturday but keeping the flame alive by feeding the starving poor and oppressed of harringayonline.
Aaah, that explains it then. We didn't get close enough to read the notice (or even see there was one there, to be honest). We'll give it a go another time!