Perfectly poised to celebrate the event of summer – The Rio Olympics – IOL have partnered with renowned Brazilian event organisers Margo Camilo, to launch, ‘Rio Boteco’ – a contemporary Pop Up take on the Brazilian “corner shop pub”.
Utilising “Boteco” as a vehicle to showcase both Brazilian culture and eclectic gastronomic heritage, Rio Boteco brings a comprehensively upscaled menu of traditional tapas and street food, complimented by a fusion of traditional Brazilian comfort dishes, designed by Leon Borja (Harley-Dogs] and presented by RB Cuisine Team: Felipe Froes, Maria do Carmo and Dawn Waddel.
Inspired by diverse ingredients and down to earth, comfort cooking RB combines exotic Brazilian ingredients such as cassava, dende oil, salt cod, coconut and seafood, with a modern minimalistic take on presentation. Seasonal menus will be market led with über fresh herbs and spices from the home-grown IOL Roof Garden. Signature dishes will include; Vaca Malandra (slow cooked short ribs with cassava gratin), Moqueca de peixe e camarão (fresh seafood stew with coconut and palm oil curry) and a rework of the traditional Pastel de Siri (a typical fast food dish consisting of a crab filled, thin crust, fried pie).
Tapas such as ‘Bolinhos de bacalhau’ (salted cod fish fishcakes), pasteis (crispy savoury pastries) and cassava chips will form the base of the extensive bar menu – perfect for cinema snacking and to be enjoyed alongside the extensive cocktail menu – exclusively designed by IOL partners Yaguara – complementing the Brazilian theme with individually designed cachaça cocktails and a masterful reworking of the much loved classic, caipirinha. The IOL bar will also be stocked by local artisan distillers/brewers with draft ales from Five Point brewery, gin and vodka from East London Liquor Company, a selection of craft bottled beers from local London breweries and prosecco on tap.
The IOL’s cinema will showcase a challenging cultural programme of Brazilian films, curated by Secret Cinema alumnus Harry Ross, and will run in four distinctive strands: Cinedining, where guests can enjoy the restaurant menu in front of the big screen; Light Night, an exploration of Image and Structure in Film with both classic and lesser-known titles selected for their dynamic visual impact; Light Now, a weekly screening where a film relevant to current events is exhibited without disclosing the title before the opening titles; and Members’ Choice, where two films a week are chosen and voted for by the IOL members.
IOL cinema will have something for everyone – from Blades of Glory to Chariots of Fire and Cool Runnings,Charles Laughton’s iconic Night of the Hunter to Sergei Parajanov’s Colour of Pomegranates.
The IOL will also house a record store, curated by highly respected independent record label BBE [Barely Breaking Even]. Independent bookshop, Pages of Hackney, will run the IOL bookshop.
Rio Boteco will be open Wednesday to Sunday weekly from Wednesday 8 June until Sun 28 August.
The Institute of Light, Arch 376, 10 Helmsley Place, London E8 3SB.
