L'assiette från Balneário Camboriú Meny

My wife and I were very excited to try L'assiette, as its reputation precedes it. We were quite disappointed, however, when we showed up on the doorstep only to discover that there were no availabilities during our short stay in Balneario Camboriu. Thus, we were all the more delighted when Chef Leandro invited us to come to the restaurant early, he would seat us for the tasting menu before the scheduled opening time. That evening, we enjoyed an incredible array of Brazilian/French inspired dishes and a beautiful bottle of rose recommended by Chef Leandro. Impeccable service. Outstanding dining experience!

L'Assiette was without a doubt the best meal my brother and I ate during our 2 weeks in Brazil. More of a culinary journey than a meal, we were not expecting much as the dining scene in BC really centers around Pizza and Churrascaria / buffet restaurants that cater to large families on summer vacation. Immediately after being seated we realized that we were in the company of a master chef. Honestly I felt like I was back in London or France, certainly L'Assiette could easily compete against michellin starred restaurants anywhere in Europe or New York. I always consider it a good omen when presented with a short menu and the menu at L'Assiette was really only 2 pages plus a curated wine list but to me this does not reflect a lack of choice but more a confidence in the quality and a chef that only plays to his strengths. The space itself is a very intimate room with only 20 covers, Front of house is run by the very charming Ana, who sat us straight away and effortlessly delivered all of the tables multiple courses whilst also taking the time to explain each dish in English for us with limited Portuguese. Leandro himself even came out from the busy kitchen and was very amiable in explaining his ethos for the restaurant. So much of the menu is made from scratch because BC is not New York or London and does not have the kind of support for chefs in terms of ingredients that they would find in larger cities. To the food......We really only ordered ( and paid for ) the bread starer and a main course each but I feel like we were treated to a tasting menu. There were cheeses paired with jams and preserves, an amazing carrot soup dense with rich flavor. The homemade bread warm from the oven with a selection of oil butters and cheese was a great place to start and the quality never dipped for an instant. My Brother's Filet Mignon was flaky and tender with a dark glaze cooked to perfection, my lamb, clearly slow roasted also had a similar rich glaze that bound the delicious meat. Desert was a homemade ice-cream and passion fruit sorbet that was a nice brazilian flavor amongst a very french inspired menu. In cost terms this meal would have been double anywhere in Europe or more in the United States. What a great find !

I eat in l'assiette, and i can feel and work beside each dishes. Thanks a lot for this explosion of flavors. See you soon

Visited for a wedding anniversary during a quiet winter night , we were really impressed with the overall gourmet experience at l'Assiette! The freshness, quality and creativity of the food is the best I have found so far in Brazil (sorry DOM...). I shall return!

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