Even during his F1 career, Felipe Massa frequently enjoyed visiting exclusive restaurants. A racer on the track and a gourmet off it. Today, the Brazilian owns two successful restaurants in an exclusive neighborhood in São Paulo. We arranged a lunch meeting and spoke with him about his new flavorful existence, Max Verstappen, and Formula 1.
Felipe Massa has owned his trendy Beefbar for several years on Barão de Capenema in the affluent Jardins neighborhood. Adjacent to it is his most recent acquisition, Song Qi, a Chinese restaurant for the Brazilian upper class. It’s a must-visit for anyone planning to attend the Grand Prix in Brazil.
With appropriate pride, Felipe Massa guides his Dutch visitors through Song Qi, pointing out the interior that he believes reflects Shanghai’s flourishing period from the 1930s. A little later, at the table, the menu reveals that this is indeed a restaurant for gourmets. Dumplings, king prawns, steamed scallops, and lacquered duck, the house specialty. Indeed, food lovers can indulge themselves here.
Felipe Massa, now a driver in a Brazilian stock car racing series, is also a gourmet, he tells us during lunch.
High-End Dining
“In São Paulo, there are many different types of restaurants. Nowadays, there’s a Japanese restaurant on every corner, but strangely enough, there wasn’t a good Chinese restaurant. That’s the gap we’ve filled. Our prices aren’t very high, but we do cater to the high-end market. Our Brazilian chefs even spent two months in Europe for training. We want to offer our guests a unique experience,” says Massa.
During the Brazilian Grand Prix, he was able to welcome many guests from the paddock to his restaurant, he shares. Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas were among those who came to delight their taste buds at Song Qi.
As a driver, Felipe Massa was (and still is) always competitive, but he emphasizes that he is just as competitive as a businessman. “You want to be the best. In a way, this is just like top-level sports. In fact, running a top restaurant is like working in a Formula 1 team. Everything has to be of top quality, the products, but also the people. Everyone has to work well together, from the buyers to the people serving, behind the bar, and in the kitchen. And the timing has to be optimal. Just like in Formula 1, it’s all about the details. If one cog isn’t functioning, everything can go awry.”
