Brutos

The cuisine at Brutos represents a focused, passionate exploration of Brazilian grilling traditions executed with French attention to detail and quality. At its core, this is food that celebrates the primal pleasure of meat cooked over wood fire, but elevated through careful sourcing, expert aging, and precise technique.

The undisputed star of the menu is the 35-day aged côte de bœuf, a magnificent piece of beef that showcases what proper aging can achieve. Priced at €120 and designed for sharing, this cut develops extraordinary depth of flavor during its extended aging period—the meat becomes more tender while concentrated, nutty, almost funky notes emerge to complement the beef's natural richness. When kissed by wood smoke and flame, the exterior develops a deeply caramelized crust while the interior remains perfectly cooked, creating the kind of textural and flavor contrast that defines great grilling.

Beyond this signature offering, the menu explores various expressions of fire-cooked excellence. The faux-filet, also featuring 35-day aged beef, provides another opportunity to experience their aging program in a different cut. House-made boudins demonstrate technical skill beyond simple grilling, while langoustines show the kitchen's ability to apply their fire-cooking expertise to delicate seafood, requiring a completely different touch than robust beef.

The kitchen doesn't neglect the supporting cast that makes a great meal complete. Their house-made frites achieve the perfect balance of crispy exterior and fluffy interior, providing the ideal accompaniment to rich, smoky meats. Starters like the veal tartare with aioli and fish roe show sophistication and technique, offering lighter, brighter flavors that prepare the palate for the heartier courses to follow.

On Sundays, Brutos offers a mythical roasted chicken that has developed its own following—a testament to the kitchen's ability to elevate even humble dishes through superior ingredients and technique. This rotating special adds variety to the menu while maintaining the restaurant's focus on exceptional fire cooking.

The cooking method itself—wood fire rather than gas or charcoal—imparts distinctive flavors that vary subtly based on the wood used and the fire's temperature. This traditional Brazilian approach requires constant attention and adjustment, a craft that the kitchen has clearly mastered. The result is meat that tastes fundamentally different from what you'd achieve with other cooking methods, with layers of smoke, char, and caramelization that create complex, deeply satisfying flavors.

Portions reflect the Brazilian tradition of generous hospitality, with sharing encouraged and expected for the larger cuts. This approach transforms dining into a communal experience, with the act of carving and serving the aged beef becoming a ritual that brings people together around the table.