Acclaimed chef Caroline Martins to launch new Manchester dining concept

Acclaimed chef Caroline Martins has announced the opening of her second Manchester restaurant, BRASA.

Following the remarkable success of her chef’s table restaurant SAMPA, which is regularly booked up months in advance, BRASA will offer diners the chance to experience her lauded Brazilian cookery in a new, more relaxed setting at Freight Island. 

The idea of BRASA is built around Brazilian barbecue, 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 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’s culinary journey has been far from a traditional one. 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. In 2017, she enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in London. After further training in Italy and time spent in some of London’s most respected kitchens, she relocated to Manchester. Following a series of acclaimed pop-ups and appearances on BBC’s Great British Menu, she opened SAMPA in 2024.

Reservations are open now. Book your spot below.