"Em Banho Manel" em S. Pedro de Sintra

Há muitos anos atrás comprei o livro "Em Banho Manel" que, na altura, me ajudou a fazer algumas coisas comestíveis, espanto dos espantos. Quilómetros de tempo à frente, visitei ontem o "Em Banho Manel", em S. Pedro de Sintra, pelo autor do livrinho salvador, Manuel Luís Goucha. O restaurante, localizado no largo da feira de S. Pedro, tem adjacente um bar do tipo discoteca, que abre das dez às duas durante a semana, e às quatro, às sextas e Sábados.
Não conheci, confesso, o Banho Manel original, em Fontanelas, nem conheço o restaurante de Goucha em Belas. Ia com alguma expectativa e curiosidade. A primeira impressão, antes da comida, foi o aspecto dramático-teatral da decoração. Cores pesadas aliando um certo moderno às antiguidades, o que fica bem num local que é conhecido pelas várias lojas de coisas antigas e de bric-à-brac. Talvez demasiado sério, mas estou certa de que este será o restaurante escolhido por quem quiser comer algo diferente em ambiente cuidado em Sintra. Não há, infelizmente, concorrência. Espero que a iniciativa de Goucha seja acompanhada por loja gourmet, como tem em Belas, e pela vinda de novos espaços semelhantes para a vila velha e para a zona de S. Pedro. Havendo cafés de qualidade, não sei porque falham os restaurantes. Do bar não gostei tanto, um pouco frio, apesar das peças de mobiliário originais, talvez faltem textêis. Sintra e os seus bolores pedem tecido e alcatifa, lareiras. A música podia ser algo bom, e não é, e podia ser sobretudo mais suave a permitir a conversa. De toda a decoração, onde foi gasto algum dinheiro, nota vinte para as casas de banho. Ali apetece demorar.

O serviço é cuidado, quase demasiado formal. E a comida... Um menú original mas menos do que eu esperava do meu mestre de então. Falta-lhe um arroubo qualquer que não consigo encontrar, ou excelência culinária. Mas recomenda-se, apesar de tudo. Gostei mais das entradas, simples mas muito agradáveis, e das sobremesas, cada uma delas uma obra de arte, salvo-seja, da arte de fazer bolos. Gostei da teimosia em usar frutos silvestres. Com chocolate e não há nada melhor.
Uma ideia, para este espaço e para todos os outros aliás: o prato recomendado para crianças é o frango com tagliatelle que na versão original vem com molho e passas, se não estou em erro, e na versão criança, sem molho e sem passas. Porque é que a originalidade acaba sempre nos pratos das crianças? Não serão eles, ao contrário do que é prática, quem mais a aprecia? Um prato cuidado e original para crianças faria a verdadeira diferença em qualquer restaurante que se quer sofisticado. E se dúvidas há sobre o que isto quer dizer, veja-se por exemplo isto.

Resta-me deixar parabéns ao "Manel", o Banho dele é um sítio onde irei mergulhar os pés de novo, em futuro próximo.

Aqui, no youtube.

(P.S. ... a nódoa(s) de manteiga no tecido da cadeira... foi o meu filho. Devidas desculpas.)

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And a little something from elsewhere:

By Ian Macdonald
20 Great Kid Friendly Marketing Ideas for Your Restaurant

It was not very long ago that the only place that thought about kids were the big fast food chains, and even then limited by offering a small toy with the purchase of a hamburger. These days if you don?t create an amazing experience for the twelve and under demographic you will lose their vote!!! So let?s look at a few ideas to get them on side:

1. Always have a kids menu

Times have changed. These days? parents are taking their parents along to the best of restaurants, so a children?s menu is essential. This is not to just keep the kids happy, but the parents too. Otherwise the parents will feel that they will be pressured to pay full price for a meal their kids may not enjoy and probably will not finish. It will be no encouragement for them to return. And as we all know only too well these days, the children often have a lot to do with family dining decisions, so meeting their needs is critical.

2. Use name tags

This is easy and fun and it makes the kids feel a bit special. But it is not just about the name tags it is also about using their names. We all enjoy hearing our own name or being addressed by our own name, and our children are no different. Servers should always ask for their names and use it as much as possible. If for any reason they do not want their name tag, the parents will be pleased to take it home.

3. Give them small gifts

We all love presents, and so do our kids! They do not have to be much. Crayons are always a popular favourite. The dollar stores are a favourite as a supplier for these things. They are cheap and there is a large selection. You can get stickers, pencils, books, and heaps of toys. You can put all the toys in a box and they can even choose one. Just make sure they are all totally safe for their age. Lollies are not a great idea as they may not be allowed to have them.

4. Provide Children's cutlery

This again makes them feel special and it makes the parents feel good that their child is being well cared for and that you value their business.

5. Give free balloons

But only as they leave!! You do not want to be driving all you customers nuts because little Freddie is making heaps of noise or balloons are bursting every now and then. The children also will have something to remember their adventure and you will of course have advertising on them won?t you?? They are easy and inexpensive to order in bulk.

6. Design a survey especially for them

You already want to get some good feedback to evaluate how satisfied your customers are with your food and service, so the kids will feel special if you do one especially for them. They love an opportunity to tell you what they think and you will get virtually 100% response. The thing that will surprise you most though is the value and the quality of the ideas and suggestions that they will present to you.

7. Ask them what they want

Dont ask the parents, ask the kids themselves. The parents can still step in if necessary and it will avoid the older kids feeling slighted because you overlooked them as though they are disabled. Once you gat an answer from them just look at the parents for their approval. But be careful when it comes to dessert! Do not ask the child until there is a clear indication that there is an interest in ordering one. Otherwise you could cause a problem for the parents and some embarrassment for the restaurant which no one will be pleased about.

8. Small versions of adult main courses for children

We all know a childrens menu. They are almost the same everywhere. So what do you put on them to make them different? How about the option of small portions of you very finest adult favourites? Steaks, pastas, chicken dishes. You can still have some of the old childrens menu favourites. Remember that one day they will be adult diners. Wouldnt it be great to convince them now that they would really enjoy your steak and sauces, or your fettuccini Marinara?

9. Free kids meals

This is very easy, and a great way to show that your restaurant thinks the family is important. You could offer a free kids meal with the purchase of an adult main course. Its a winner with parents every time.

10. Photos

Almost all children love getting their picture taken, and love seeing the results even more. Its easy to provide lots of photo opportunities. Think of Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween and any local celebration. The Easter Bunny, Santa Clause can be around at the appropriate time. You will also be surprised how many adults want to get in on the act too! You can even bring in animals to the parking lot or at the front door. That can also attract lots of attention and publicity. Make sure you use the pictures in the restaurant and on the website too. They will keep coming back to your website to check their photos and also what new!!

11. Provide wet towelettes

This is one of the most appreciated things you can do for any parents with babies or young children. They will love you for this one. You can leave them at the table or even give them the whole pack. You can buy small purse size packs these days which are very cheap.

12. Have family nights

These are a great idea for a slow Monday or Tuesday nights. You could show family TV shows or movies or even cartoons. You can have special discounts on adult meals, and provide other forms of entertainment such as clowns, magicians and musicians. It gives reasons for families to go out when they otherwise would not.

13. Produce family deals

You have already seen this at most of the fast food restaurants like, KFC where they offer 10 pieces of chicken, with bread rolls, coleslaw, potato and gravy, and bottles or cans of drink for the one low price. Family packs welcome family business in a different way. The idea is to produce an interesting variety of foods for a family to enjoy for one low price. Maybe you could provide a large appetiser, two adult main courses, two children’s meals and a big serving of fruits or ice cream to share for the one price.

14. Have a games room with tokens

Guess who always finishes eating first in the family? Every time! If your restaurant is right for this it is a great way for the kids to keep busy while the parents enjoy their meal. There is no limit as to what you can include, whether they are video games or mechanical games, they will all appeal to children. If the games take tokens, you can include them with a children’s meal and more can be purchased if necessary. They can be purchased from the server, or added to the bill. You can give away prizes for high scores and even provide large packs of tokens for a big discount. There are many places that sell both new and reconditioned stand-up arcade games, and allsorts of games on the internet.

15. Have a children’s dining area

You could develop a children’s playing area, or even a separate dining area. While parents bring their children to the restaurant, it doesn’t mean that they would not love a little break. (I’d put money on that one). The area must be well supervised. There is a lot that you can do with this idea. They could have their own servers, and even have their own décor. You could provide games, books and toys so that they remain entertained, or keep them busy while they wait for their parents or their food. If the parents think their children are safe then they will relax more and probably even order more off the menu or have an extra wine or dessert. They will feel more relaxed and love you and your staff for it.

16. Have colouring contests, or any contest

These are always an old favourite for the kids. Have one every week or every month. Prizes can be from surrounding businesses or even you own gift certificates. You can apply this to any idea for a contest and they are popular when done in conjunction with a local festival or celebration. It makes everyone happy, and gives them a reason to come back.

17. Have a fish tank

Servers or parents can escort the kids over to the fish tank to view the fish. It stops them getting bored. All kids love gazing into a fish tank. And many adults do too. It’s a winner all round!

18. Have a children’s mascot

If you have a theme for your restaurant, you can co-ordinate with that theme. For example if you are a steak restaurant you could have a cowboy. If you are a seafood restaurant, you could have a whale or a pirate.

19. Have a kid’s entertainer

They could dress up like a famous character, or a clown, or a magician, or even a lion tamer or someone else from the circus. I know of a restaurant that gets costumes for free in return for advertising the costume hire company. They can clown around, perform tricks, juggle and even mime. You are limited only by your imagination. The entertainer can even take them on a tour of the kitchen. Any college that teaches education courses is usually a good source for finding a quality entertainer.

20. Do face painting occasionally

This is always a big hit. It does not have to be often, but it always a big winner. You can have lots of fun with it. We know of a restaurant that gives a prize when Mum or Dad get their face painted too. The kids think that is great fun!


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restaurante encerrado em Novembro 2010.