There is a specific freedom in a small plates menu: you don’t need to decide between starter and main course. You taste everything, in volumes that allow you to appreciate without overwhelming. Gem Mini Bar understood this and built a kitchen around this freedom.
The yellow carrot was the first surprise. In a wooden bowl, a carrot that had been treated with more respect than most meats receive — with a light foam on the surface, crispy green asparagus placed diagonally, and edible flowers as punctuation. The world’s most common root transformed into an argument.
The four crispy little balls on a black plate arrived mysteriously. On the outside, a shell that crackles. Inside, a filling that didn’t reveal all its ingredients at first bite — there was fat, there was herb, there was something slightly spicy that appeared at the end. The opacity of the dish was intentional: eating here was also about discovering.
The chocolate canoe with coffee ice cream and strawberries concluded the sweet phase with calculated generosity: the bitter chocolate as a boat that carried the ice cream and fruit, the cold temperature against the savory environment of the house.
A tostada with shredded meat and purple cabbage needs no justification other than being good. Gem understands that.
The baked pão de queijo with seeds — a pão de queijo that had grown beyond its conventional format, with black and brown seeds on the crust — brought Brazil back to the menu in a carefree way.
Salvador has a creative cuisine that doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. Gem is part of the proof.
Technical Details
- Location: Gem Mini Bar, Salvador, BA
- Category: Fine Dining / Small Plates
- Average Price: R$ 120–200 per person
- Rating: ⭐ (5/5) — small plates menu with creativity and coherence, Salvador beyond expectations