Da Terra | A Brazilian-Italian Michelin Culinary Journey in the Heart of East London

Da Terra, the two-Michelin-starred restaurant inside Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel, brings together Brazilian heritage, Italian influences and years of international fine-dining experience in a tasting-menu that is highly personal, inventive and beautifully executed.

Led by chef-owner Rafael Cagali, the restaurant creates a more relaxed and contemporary experience: sophisticated without feeling rigid, precise without losing its sense of play.

A Restaurant Built Around Its Roots

The name Da Terra translates roughly as “from the earth”, a concept that sits at the heart of the restaurant’s philosophy. The restaurant describes its identity through the relationship between soil, nature, knowledge and people, while chef Rafael Cagali’s cooking draws heavily on his own background.

Born in São Paulo and of Italian heritage, Cagali began his London career at the age of 21 before working internationally in Italy and Spain. His experience includes time with Stefano Baiocco at A Villa Feltrinelli, Quique Dacosta and Martín Berasategui, before returning to the UK to work at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and subsequently Fera at Claridge’s and Simon Rogan’s Aulis.

That background is important to understanding Da Terra. This is not simply Brazilian food presented in a fine-dining format. Instead, Cagali takes elements of Brazilian cuisine and memory and combines them with Italian influences, European technique and ingredients associated with the British landscape. The result is a unique fusion that feels difficult to categorise, and that is part of its appeal.

The Setting – Historic London Meets Contemporary Fine Dining

Arriving at Da Terra begins with the building itself. Town Hall Hotel occupies a Grade II-listed Edwardian landmark, combining original architectural details with a contemporary interpretation of luxury.

Upon entering, guests are welcomed into an elegant pre-dining lounge on the right-hand side, where they can take a moment to settle in while listening to bossa nova. Brazilian-inspired décor, carefully selected details and a warm, sophisticated atmosphere set the tone for the experience before guests continue through to the main restaurant.

The restaurant’s main dining room is elegant without feeling overly formal. Natural wood tones, alongside white and grey walls and a subtle tiled backsplash, create a bright, open and contemporary atmosphere. The open kitchen is another defining element of the experience, bringing the culinary team into view and making the preparation of each dish part of the dining experience. Guests can watch the chefs work with remarkable precision, adding a sense of performance and connection to the meal.

Da Terra Distinctive Cuisine

Da Terra’s culinary experience is built around a series of tasting menus, allowing the restaurant to tell its story through a carefully paced progression of dishes rather than a traditional à la carte format. Guests can choose between the three-course set lunch, the short tasting menu or the full tasting menu, with the option of adding a wine pairing to complement the different courses. Each menu reflects chef Cagali’s heritage, roots and extensive experience; unexpected combinations are used to introduce new textures, contrasts and flavours while retaining a clear connection to the ingredients themselves.

One of the most memorable examples is the interpretation of moqueca, the traditional Brazilian fish stew. Rather than presenting the dish in its classic form, the chef takes its characteristic Brazilian flavours and reimagines them within a much more refined fine-dining composition. The result retains the identity of moqueca while presenting it in a completely different way. It is a good example of how Da Terra approaches Brazilian cuisine throughout the menu: traditional dishes provide the inspiration, but the final creation reflects Cagali’s own culinary language.

The quail tortellini in brodo is a particularly elegant expression of Da Terra’s Italian influence. Delicate tortellini filled with quail are served in a clear, deeply flavoured brodo, allowing the richness of the bird to come through without overpowering the dish. The fine pasta provides a soft, silky texture, while the concentrated broth brings warmth and depth to each bite. Visually, the dish is equally distinctive, with delicate striped detailing adding a refined touch to the tortellini and highlighting the level of precision behind its preparation. It is a deceptively simple-looking course, but one where technique, balance and flavour are all carefully considered.

Another standout is the cachaça baba with pistachio and N25 Reserve caviar, which turns a traditionally sweet dessert into something considerably more complex. Cachaça brings a distinctive Brazilian character to the baba, while pistachio adds a nutty richness. The N25 Reserve caviar introduces a surprising savoury and saline contrast, creating a dessert that deliberately challenges the expected progression of flavours.

Across the different menus, there is a consistent sense of contrast: Brazilian and European influences, delicate seafood alongside richer ingredients, acidity against sweetness, and traditional preparations reworked through contemporary techniques. This makes the experience feel less like a succession of individual plates and more like a carefully constructed culinary journey.

The Wine Experience

Wine is an integral part of the Da Terra experience, rather than simply an accompaniment to the food. The wine programme is overseen by Maria Boumpa, Restaurant Manager and Wine Director, who was named IWSC UK Sommelier of the Year 2025.

Designed specifically around the restaurant’s tasting menus, the wine pairings follow the progression of each meal, responding to the changing flavours, textures and ingredients from one course to the next. The programme reflects the same sense of curiosity found in the kitchen, looking beyond familiar appellations to bring together classic wine regions, emerging producers, indigenous grape varieties and wines from less expected parts of the world.

This approach is particularly well suited to Da Terra. Just as Rafael Cagali combines Brazilian and Italian influences with contemporary techniques, Boumpa’s wine selection respects established traditions while leaving plenty of room for discovery. The list is organised by country and region, making it easier for guests to explore different styles, while particular attention is given to artisan and boutique producers with a distinctive story behind their wines.

Ultimately, the wine experience mirrors the philosophy of the restaurant itself: rooted in tradition but open to experimentation. A classic Madeira can sit alongside a Greek Assyrtiko, a natural wine from an emerging producer or a bottle from a region many diners may never have encountered before.

Conclusion

Da Terra is a restaurant with a remarkably clear sense of identity, and its two Michelin stars feel like a reflection of the consistency and ambition behind the experience rather than the defining reason to visit. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star just eight months after opening in 2019, followed by a second star in 2021, which it continues to hold in the current Michelin Guide selection. What makes the experience particularly distinctive, however, is the story that runs through every aspect of the restaurant, from Rafael Cagali’s Brazilian roots and Italian heritage to his international culinary career and highly personal approach to ingredients.

The result is contemporary fine dining that is technically accomplished without ever feeling distant or overly formal. Watching the chefs work in the open kitchen adds a sense of theatre, while the presentation, carefully balanced flavours and considered service create an experience that feels sophisticated yet welcoming. The cuisine is experimental without losing sight of flavour, and traditional references are reinterpreted in ways that feel creative while remaining connected to their origins.

The setting adds another dimension to the experience. Within the historic Edwardian Town Hall Hotel, Da Terra creates an interesting meeting point between London’s architectural heritage and its contemporary dining culture. From the Brazilian-inspired details and bossa nova in the pre-dining lounge to the open kitchen and modern dining room, the restaurant maintains a strong sense of place while bringing together influences from much further afield.

For Hype, Da Terra represents the kind of London dining experience where cuisine, design, heritage and hospitality come together naturally. It feels firmly connected to East London while offering an international perspective, with Cagali’s Brazilian-Italian cuisine providing the central thread throughout. More than simply a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Da Terra offers a carefully constructed and highly personal culinary experience that leaves a lasting impression.

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