After a three-year break, Brazilian restaurant Tuju has returned with a refined dining vision, offering a research-driven menu and exceptional service delivered across multiple floors of its building. Freshly honoured with the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award 2024, the São Paulo restaurant’s chef and hospitality director share their aspirations to create a uniquely memorable experience for their guests.
It took months of travel and countless kilometres of exploration for the vision of Tuju 2.0 to take shape. When the pandemic forced its closure, São Paulo’s renowned restaurant went on a three-year hiatus – but the wait has proved worthwhile.
In September 2023, chef Ivan Ralston and hospitality and research director Katherina Cordás reopened the restaurant in the upscale Jardim Paulistano neighbourhood, unveiling a meticulously reimagined approach to fine dining. Serving only one-third of the number of guests compared to the former venue, the new Tuju focuses on outstanding service as its secret ingredient.
The project is the result of careful planning, featuring a fresh approach to hospitality, in-depth research into seasonal and local ingredients, and a complete redesign within a contemporary building that offers a progressive dining experience across three distinct floors. This meticulous effort has earned Tuju the prestigious Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award for dining excellence and reinforced its goal to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere for its guests. "Before, my goal was to impress the customer with a menu designed to make a statement. Now, I want them to enjoy an exceptional meal that makes them want to come back,” confesses Ralston. 
In Tuju’s new space, the dining experience runs across three different floors
On the ground floor, guests are welcomed at an entrance that leads to an internal courtyard, where a bar is set next to a striking jabuticaba tree. Although this native Brazilian tree has yet to bear its tart berries, its presence beneath the 10-metre ceiling remains a captivating focal point. The main dining area is located on the floor above, where tables are arranged in front of an open kitchen, set within a minimalist, understated space that incorporates natural materials like wood and abundant greenery.
One storey further up, a terrace offers a more relaxed setting, with comfortable sofas where guests can savour local cheeses, petit fours and a selection of infusions and coffees. This area invites diners to extend their gastronomic journey while taking in the sweeping views of São Paulo’s endless skyline.
"We had the luxury of time to design the space with the experience we wanted to create in mind, traveling and observing the types of dining we appreciate,” explains Ralston. “Our goal was to create an environment where guests could embark on a journey, with the atmosphere constantly evolving throughout the meal. In restaurants with tasting menus, it’s easy to feel fatigued from staying in the same spot.” That's why he and Cordás wanted to create a flow where customers move through different spaces, which revitalises the experience.
Across the three floors, guests benefit from the couple's extensive product research, which has shaped a 10-course menu primarily driven by local seasonality, ranging from cocktails to desserts, and, of course, the dishes crafted by Ralston and his kitchen team. The restaurant’s guiding principle – which it calls ‘São Paulo seasonal food’ – reflects this focus..jpg)
The 10-course menu created by Ralston is shaped by local, rainfall-driven seasonality
In southeastern Brazil, a tropical region, climate changes are influenced more by rainfall than by temperature shifts. Rain, and its intensity, dictates the food cycle, inspiring the menu names, which evoke the humidity of spring or the windy conditions of autumn. While summers are wetter, winters are typically drier, shaping the ingredients available during each of these seasonal variations, which are then combined with creative techniques and intriguing flavour pairings. Examples include scallop, nasturtium and yacon potato or catch of the day, turmeric beurre blanc, spinach and grilled corn.
Aside from its 50 Best accolade, the team’s meticulous work also led the restaurant to earn two Michelin stars less than a year after reopening, along with a Green Star for its sustainable practices, which range from reusing rainwater to fostering close relationships with local producers. Relationships, in fact, are a cornerstone of the operation, according to hospitality director Katherina Cordás.
“In addition to taking care of the customers, it is essential to take care of the staff as you want them to take care of the customers. When the staff feels cared for, this reflects in the service,” she says, referring to the award-winning work the service team has been doing at Tuju.
Cordás prioritises staff care, which is then reflected in customer care
Cordás emphasises in every daily briefing the need to be present. “When you’re fully present, you can truly see the other person and practice active listening, really understanding what the client wants”, she says. Every detail matters in hospitality, according to her philosophy. At the restaurant, they have a cabinet filled with items the client might need during dinner – from magnifying glasses and blankets to pens and drawing materials for children.
“The goal is to always stay a step ahead, caring and surprising,” says Cordás, with the focus on thoughtful, personalised service. She explains that it’s also a Brazilian trademark for its people to possess a natural warmth and attentiveness. “What I aimed to bring to Tuju was this same attention and warmth, but delivered respectfully, understanding each client’s boundaries and preferences”, she adds.
The wine selection aims for maximum diversity, featuring over 5,000 references that range from European wines to a wide array of Brazilian labels, encompassing both natural wines and more traditional, well-known varieties. For the wine pairing, there are three options, including one centred on Brazilian terroir and another featuring wines from around the world. The aim is to avoid overwhelming the customer with a new label for every dish. "We try to understand the customer’s preferences and mood, sometimes suggesting fewer labels. The idea is for wine to enhance the experience, not feel like an obligation with every course," says Cordás. 
The drinks programme includes an extensive international and Brazilian wine selection, as well as signature cocktails
The wine programme is overseen by head sommelier Thiago Frencl and his team. However, the beverage offering goes beyond wine. The bar features signature cocktails crafted with the same philosophy as the kitchen – using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients from fruits to roots. Additionally, non-alcoholic drinks are becoming increasingly popular among the tables, catering to the growing demand from a new generation of diners.
Another notable aspect of the new Tuju is that 90 per cent of the customers are now local. "In our previous location, we had between 40 and 50 per cent tourists," Ralston notes. "This shift [in the customer base] allows us to build more personal relationships and better tailor the service to each guest's needs.”
Indeed, at the new restaurant, it's already common for customers to return multiple times. "For me, this is the best sign that we're on the right track. It shows our concept resonates with guests," says the chef, who believes the new Tuju represents a significant step forward from its previous iteration. “I feel we’re more mature, and we’ve found the path we want to follow," he concludes. It seems diners – and 50 Best voters – are in full agreement.
Step inside Tuju on this video:
Tuju is the winner of the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award 2024, as part of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024. The 11th edition of the list, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be announced on Tuesday 26 November 2024.
