Guanabara

Guanabara is like Brazil: unpretentious, pulsating, hospitable.

We were there on a Wednesday night, our first visit, which happened to coincide with the Champions League final match. The crowd included a mix of body-pierced students, chic Latinos, bankers, middle-aged ladies eager to display their dance-class moves, a handful of requisite molten-hot Brazilian women, etc. All stripes, colors, ages. Maybe this was more representative of football fans than the usual Guanabara clientele, but it was a welcome change from the polished monotony of Mayfair, Knightsbridge, etc.

The food was authentically Brazilian and reasonably priced. The portions were fair, though our appetizer platters could have included a few more shrimps and cheese breads and a bit less ruffage. The moqueca, a classic northeast Brazilian seafood gumbo, was rich and gently spiced, with fresh, flaky fish chunks. Service was prompt and efficient, so prompt that we never needed to light our green blinky thing to summons the waitress. The picnic tables lent themselves to neighborly mingling, though getting in and out was cumbersome. True to its billing, the Wednesday night samba included bona fide samba music, DJ'd and live, and kept the pulse going following a thriller of a football match. I cannot comment on weekends at Guanabara, but for a mid-week change of pace with an infectious Brazilian vibe, you can't go wrong here.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, May 22, 2008

I went to guanabara on a saturday night a few weeks ago with my girlfriends - the atmosphere was fab, drinks reasonably priced and the food looked amazing although we didn't eat anything that night..... as its a brazilian bar the music is obviously brazilian and has such a party feel.... totally different to anywhere else and despite being v busy it was actually rather relaxed. Anyway.... as i didn't get chance to sample the food delights on my first visit i went back this eve for a drink/bite to eat with my friend.... to drink we had a rather splendid cocktail called a floripa breeze.... fruity number with passionfruit, rum and lime - lush! We shared a platter (not the cheapest in the world!) with prawns, fish cakes, salad, etc... but the best bit... oh the best bit were the yummy chips (not your usual potato variety i have to say but can't remember what they were) and the most amazing guava ketchup i have ever had - they should bottle this stuff up and sell it OMG it rocks!!!! :)
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clare
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, March 04, 2008

I went to Guanabara on friday night after a long and busy week and the only words i can say is that i had a great time.

Me and my friends had a table and we had a chance to order a Happy Hour Cocktails, Passion fruit Mojito is the best one, we had a waitress who offer was the "set menu" which i though that the selection of food was the best brazlian food we had. After we all had a extremely time with the Live Band and end up been the last ones to go home.

We will reccomend this club to everyone, go early and get the best table.....

Defenitely we will go back....

thanks Guanabara for the gret evening....Perfect!!!!
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Richard
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Sunday, February 24, 2008

Totally overhyped! Guanabara is a cheap meat market and not the “contemporary and sophisticated venue” it wants to be.

Yes, the live music is good and “should somehow make even the most flat-footed feel like swaying some part of their anatomy”. However, there are multiple issues that turn a night at this venue into a rather mediocre experience: A) The quality of the food is OK only and portions are rather small and pricey. B) The men on the dance floor are overly aggressive and quite cheap in their approach. Yes, we came to “eat, drink and play” – but with some style at least! C) We had issues with security inside the club for no reason (other reviewers have pointed out the same) and management (Chris) came across as unusually rude, arrogant und unhelpful when we complained. D) The crowd was OK.

This club has received a lot of (much needed?) press coverage recently. Yet, if this tacky place is a “truly Brazilian experience” – then why are so many people in love with Brazilian culture?
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Saturday, February 23, 2008

I went to Guanabara last friday nite , we were treated very well from the bouners to our waitress.

Food took some time , but the place was packed so i guess a bit of understanding needs to be applied.

Band was great, we missed the happy hour but next time we go i will make sure i get there in time.

All my guests loved the club and have been recomending it ever since.

Great brazillian vibe.
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christian
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, February 18, 2008

Went to Guanabara last night for a friends Hen night. We were all looking forward to it as we had heard it was lots of fun. Our table was booked for 8.30. We arrived on time, but our food did not arrive until gone 10! When I asked the waitress about it she was VERY rude, and managed to suggest that if I complained again She would 'get' me chucked out.

It was the worst night ever. Everyone was starving and when it did arrive it came out in drips and drabs. Absolutely terrible.

11 people will not reccomend this place to anyone! Don't go there. There are plenty other great places in London.

Rubbish service, rude staff, average drinks and music.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Sunday, February 17, 2008

Carnival night at Guanabara... we decided to try a brazilian night out for my girlfriends 30th birthday, with the expectation of a brilliant night out brazilian style.

How wrong we were.

I have never been treated so rudely by the waitresses at any pub, club or bar - EVER!

Firstly 12 of us were kicked off our table, which was clearly not reserved. 5 of the waitresses friends were then aloud to take our place, using the excuse that the table was reserved although they had not stated this when we arrived.

After moving closer to the dance floor we were stood close to a table which had been reserved but not occupied. We were rudely told "YOU ARE NOT ALOUD TO PUT YOUR DRINKS ON RESERVED TABLEs" , 5 mins later they proceeded to take the benches for those reserved guests??? .... that table remained empty for the entire night - Clearly if you were not Brazilian ONLY your money was welcome at this venue.

The live music was good but there are many other places which have a similar atmosphere with that are staff happy to see you. Don't go to this venue for a big occasion with lots of friends as you may not all get in.

- This is my first ever complaint about any venue, needless to say I won't be going back or making any recommendations.
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Luke
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 2
Thursday, February 14, 2008

Yesterday - CARNIVAL PARTY - I took a group of more than 10 people both brazilian and foreigners and I was really embarassed as a brazilian to see the kind of things that happen in a place that is considered one of the best brazilian places to go in London. I wonder how bad can be the service at the others.

We arrived in 2 gourps around 6:15 in the evening and queued for 15 minutes, the first group of people managed to enter right after this time, however me and other friends, were blocked to enter for more than HALF AN HOUR, coincidently being allowed to enter 5 minutes before 7 clock which is the time when they finish the HAPPY HOUR discount they have even though the place was half empty and the QUEUE was HUGE!

In the meantime when I asked the reason why we were being blocked the RUDE bouncer said that there was a problem with the CASHIER for the tickets and that if I was not happy I should just leave the place.

When we finally managed to enter the lady that was receiving the money for the tickets had NO TILL near her and just took the money from us.

Another coincidence that happened was that my friends inside wanted to order before 7 to try to get some double drinks and the waitress only came when it was not possible to order anymore with this discount.

Really ashaming to hear foreign people that already been to Brazil saying... "yes, but that's the way it goes there" and not being able to say anything to defend my country.
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Cristine
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Saturday, February 02, 2008

On two Mondays in a row I bought the same snack from two different attendants at the little cafe sitting at the entrance of the Guanabara.

The first time I was charged £2, the second time £1.70.Both times the pricing board had been covered up with a blank piece of paper, despite the legal obligation of traders to display clearly their prices.

According to the cashier's highly fanciful explanation, "snacks cost £2 on Tuesdays,Wednesdays,Thursdays, Fridays,Saturdays and Sundays".

However when she lifted the piece of paper to prove her point (?) all snacks were at £1.70.

She didn't apologize for the overcharge, nor did she refund it.

Whether simple oversight or an instance of the infamous Brazilian "gringo tax" I don't know.

Or maybe not.There are numerous friendly cafes and take aways in the area where nobody's out to cheat you.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Very rude management. I went there in the summer last year, to celebrate a friend's birthday. After bringing over 15 people to the place, all drinking and eating, I thought I would be treated like a king, but no! Just because we had brought a birthday cake to eat at the end they made us pay an absurd penalty fee for "bringing food in". Ridiculous!
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Paulo
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Friday, November 23, 2007