Bar Goyana
We were in the Central Park area towards 100th on the upper east side, and we were looking for some food around the area. We stumbled onto Bar Goyana, which wasn’t that far from where we were. Coincidentally this restaurant is also very close to Chu Ros Thai, which is a pretty decent Thai place in this Harlem area. We were able to walk into this quaint restaurant without any reservations on an early Saturday afternoon. The restaurant seems to be part Brazilian, part Belgium, and part Italian.
According the website:
Bar Goyana is going back to its roots — focusing on what started it all: a creative cocktail bar serving innovative drinks and Brazilian-inspired shared bites in a cozy, colorful, music-filled space.
Ambiance & Service
The interior is very small with a lot of neon lights. If you have been to Brazil, it reminds me of a botecas in Brazil, where they serve small snacks and drinks for a social atmosphere. The music was not loud, and the service was good.
Food
The Cocoalocaaa ($15 - right) came with pineapple-infused aged cachaça, coconut cream, and lime. I’ve never been a fan of cachaca, but my partner enjoyed this.
The Amor de Carnaval ($9 - left) came with passion fruit, lime, and club soda. This was pretty good and balanced. It had some bubbles and some nice sweetness to it.
The Coxinha ($15) was Brazilian chicken croquette and came with 4 pieces. These were surprisingly very good. The ratio of chicken stuffing to potato mash was good. The green sauce was mild and had an aioli texture.
The Queijo Coalho ($11) came with grilled imported curd cheese and black truffle honey on the side. I’ve always been a fan of grilled coalho cheese, so I liked this. The black truffle honey was strong but good. My partner does not enjoy truffle scents or flavors, so they thought this was way too potent. The cheese has this spongy texture to it.
The Guacamole ($12) was served with corn tortilla chips. This was not really a Brazilian dish, though it was on the Brazilian bites menu. My partner mentioned that Brazilians each avocados with sugar, which does not sound appealing to me. Anyhow, this guacamole was actually pretty good. They give you chunky guacamole with a little of onions and seasoning in it. I think it could’ve used a bit more citrus, but overall, it was pretty good.
The Feijoada ($26) was only served on weekends and came with black beans and pork stew, white rice, collard greens, farofa, tomato vinaigrette, and orange. I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor of the feijoada. It was quite aromatic and flavorful and not oversalted. There were large pieces of sausage and pork ribs, and they were very tender and good. It does taste like something you can make at home. The collard greens were very garlicky. In all, I’d say this feijoada has its own spin on it, but it tasted quite good. Feijoada is an interesting Brazilian dish in restaurants because each restaurant has their own flavor that they strive for. It’s definitely not the best I’ve had, but it’s quite better than others in the city.
Overall Impression
If you’re up near East Harlem and Central Park and you’re craving for some Brazilian tapas, Bar Goyana could be a good place to checkout. The food was surprisingly decent and not too expensive though their menu options are sparse for Brazilian food.
Yelp & Google Jabs
The service was subpar in my opinion. Personally felt the waiter took very long to come over so long that many party members were unable to enter their happy hour orders when they were ready a good 10-15min before it ended
That is unfortunate to hear, as I thought the service was good for what it was. The place is small, but again as a reminder for folks that dine out in these small places, you can flag them down instead of waiting for them to come.
We tried a mezcal cocktail it was pretty tasty, I tried a rum cocktail Mai tai this one was okay too sweet. We tried a couple of tapas the guacamole was pretty good, the cheese with truffle and honey was not bad but very basic.
In Brazil, their specialty cocktails are caipirinhas. They are basically clear alcohol cocktails with fruit. If you come to this place, definitely consider trying something that they should be better known for. The cheese was definitely basic, but it’s a common bar food in Brazil.
Revisions
- Nov 8, 2025 - Initial revision.