Cabana is an ‘attempt to share a bit of the real Brasil’. At least, that’s what the website says, and it certainly gets the country’s colourful and carefree attitude right. There’s so much going on. Whoever designed the place apparently had a great time coming up with ideas and, instead of picking the best one, just went with all of them.
Every corner of the restaurant is crammed with bits of reclaimed furniture in blues, reds, yellows and greens, illuminated by quirky lights and brought to life by a swarm of chatty waiters who walk around with large skewers stacked with meat, dumping them cheerfully onto the tables of salivating diners.
But that’s where the fun stops. A spicy malagueta chicken is the restaurant’s best seller, perhaps because it’s also the cheapest skewer on a pricey menu. It turned out to be a humdrum dish, while a Cabana 8oz steak was so tough it felt like chewing on a pair of Pele’s old football boots.
While the kitchen risks turning carefree into slapdash, it’s still nice to see a slice of Brazil brightening up Brixton.