Brazilian restaurant Cabana has an enviable spot right on Central St Giles Piazza - though it calls itself Covent Garden, this easy-going churrasco spot sits right next to Tottenham Court Road station, making it a simple journey from almost anywhere in the city.
The restaurant is huge inside, with plenty of tables spread across natural wood floors, and large ball-shaped rattan lampshades hanging from the ceiling. A few palms are scattered around to bring some extra colour and greenery to the space, and there’s an extensive terrace area that stretches out onto the open piazza as well, with parasols to keep the sun off you.
Back in the kitchen, Cabana's hefty menu encompasses all aspects of Brazilian food, from smaller bites and sharers like ‘pao de queijo’ cheese dough balls, blistered Padron peppers and buttermilk churrasco fried chicken to salads, tostadas, and comforting Brazilian hot pots like a sweet potato and fried plantain Moqueca, and a pulled pork Feijoada - a take on the classic Brazilian stew that combines pulled pork, bacon and chorizo with black beans.
The heart of the menu is the churrasco grill, where skewers are cooked over flickering flames. The signature flame-grilled chicken is marinated for 24 hours before being basted and charred over open flames. On the beef front, you can choose from fillet, sirloin, and flat iron steak, and seafood fans can choose from blackened cod with turmeric mayo, and grilled prawns, which you can add to your steak for a bit of surf and turf.
Save room for desserts too, which include big flavours like chargrilled pineapple with toasted cornbread, cinnamon sugar churros and burnt cheesecake with doce de leite caramel. Throw in very reasonably priced house caipirinhas and margaritas and Cabana really knows how to get the party started.