The launch marks Caroline Martins second restaurant in Manchester following SAMPA – one of the city’s most sought-after dining experiences. BRASA is set to be a celebration of Brazilian barbecue
Manchester’s dining scene is set to welcome an exciting new addition this spring as acclaimed chef Caroline Martins announces the opening of her second Manchester restaurant, BRASA. Following the remarkable success of her chef’s table restaurant SAMPA, which currently has a four-month waitlist, Caroline is giving food lovers an opportunity to experience her celebrated Brazilian cookery in a new, more relaxed setting. With demand for SAMPA showing no signs of slowing, BRASA offers a new way to secure a table and enjoy her bold, fire-led flavours.
BRASA is a vibrant Brazilian barbecue concept that places the grill at its heart, celebrating the warmth, generosity and theatre of traditional churrasco cooking. In contrast to the refined twelve-course tasting menu at SAMPA, BRASA will serve a generous à la carte menu with a focus on the grill. Guests can expect barbecued flatbreads such as Pão de Alho, alongside Pão de Queijo – Brazil’s beloved cheese bread – served with caramelised onion butter. Salgadinhos, a selection of Brazilian croquettes filled with chicken, beef and cheese, will be paired with smoked chilli mayo, while a charcuterie plate of lomo, fennel salami, spianata romana and house pickles brings a nod to European influence.
The menu will showcase prime cuts cooked over fire, with traditional large cuts alongside a signature BRASA steak frites, a very special barbecued Picanha rump served with annatto-seasoned Julienne fries and Caroline’s requeijão peppercorn sauce, as well as platters such as Linguiça na Chapa, featuring pork sausage and onions with Brazilian condiments, served family style. The larger sharing cuts will include a 450g ribeye, a 650g T-bone and an impressive 900g bone-in prime rib. Sides will range from hand cut skin-on fries tossed in annatto seasoning to feijão preto of black beans with garlic, bacon and coriander, and a fresh heart of palm salad with cherry tomatoes, black olives, red onion and parsley.
Caroline Martins’ journey to this point has been anything but conventional. Raised in the suburbs of São Paolo, she initially built a career in science, completing a PhD before moving to Texas to work in academia as a plasma physicist. A desire for creativity ultimately led her to swap the laboratory for the kitchen, enrolling at Le Cordon Bleu in London in 2017. After further training in Italy and time spent in some of London’s most respected kitchens, she relocated to Manchester, falling in love with the city’s burgeoning food scene. Following a series of acclaimed pop-ups and appearances on BBC’s Great British Menu, she opened SAMPA in 2024, where her British-Brazilian fusion tasting menu and intimate chef’s table format have been a sensational success.
With BRASA, Caroline returns to the bold, generous flavours of her upbringing, presenting them in a more informal and fire-driven format while maintaining the technical excellence for which she has become known.
Reservations are now open at www.brasabarbecue.co.uk.
Follow @brasa_steaks for the latest updates.
Further details, including the official opening date and location reveal, will be announced in the coming weeks.
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