You only have to go as far as downtown Budapest to taste authentic Brazilian flavours – A la Gringa

Budapest’s newest Brazilian restaurant opened a year ago, and since then, anyone who goes there can experience the authentic flavours of the South American country. We were guests of A la Gringa.

If you’re tired of the local flavours, you can take a look around Budapest, where you’ll find national cuisines from all over the world. We’re lucky because there’s a wide choice, but often the question arises: is the flavour of a distant land we don’t know really reflected in the food served? Well, at A la Gringa restaurant, the primary goal from the very beginning has been to bring the flavours of the Brazilian home to the Hungarian capital.

Quality is guaranteed by Marissa Reisman Vieira, who moved to Hungary from Brazil 10 years ago. Why does someone come from so far away to our little country? Well, her grandmother was from a Hungarian Jewish family and the young girl became interested in Hungary. Since then, Marissa has graduated and acquired Hungarian citizenship.

She always wanted to introduce Brazilian gastronomy to the people of Hungary. The young restaurant owner is proud of her heritage and her family also owns restaurants back home.

When she came to her final decision to open a restaurant after the COVID-19 closures, the first big challenge, apart from finding the right capital, was finding a location. She wanted to open a restaurant in a quiet location in the city centre, within easy reach. Thus, she chose a small street between Deák Ferenc Square and Astoria, the Vitkovics Mihály Street premises. The restaurant’s floor area is not large, but both floors have a pleasant atmosphere thanks to the design and decoration.

The difficulties of renovation and compliance with Hungarian regulations are behind it, but she has not found a suitable chef in Hungary. As Marissa said, those who didn’t grow up with the tastes of their Hungarian grandparents have a hard time finding the right Hungarian flavours. The same was true for Brazilian food, so in the end, the chef came from Brazil.

Chef Leo was immediately attracted by the concept and the importation of South American culture. Therefore, since his arrival, he has been striving to bring authentic flavours to the table, with chemical-free dishes.