Franco Sampogna is not like most chefs. He stands at 6’3” tall and holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu – and with that comes a physique more commonly found on professional fighters, not someone whose life revolves around food. Yet it is his restaurant, Frevo, Michelin-starred since 2023, that truly sets him apart from the herd.
Of the approximately 18,000 restaurants in New York City, only 72 have earned Michelin status. Putting it in even more rare air, Frevo was also named on the Forbes All-Star Eateries list of 2025 – one of the only restaurants to earn the maximum four stars, joining titans like Le Bernardin, Per Se and Gramercy Tavern. On top of that, The Best Chefs Awards granted Chef Sampogna his second knife (out of three possible) for his world-class expertise.
The restaurant itself is behind a secret entry in a small art gallery in the Village. Once you pass through the hidden portal, you enter a long room with 18 seats at the bar and eight more at the tables. A rotating art collection adorns the walls of the beautifully lit space, and your nervous system instantly relaxes as if you’ve just returned home – even if it’s your first time there.
The prix fixe menu changes every few months but is always a nine-course meal, prepared in sync – no à la carte options – and based on Sampogna’s education in modern French technique. The menu is rooted in the finest quality ingredients and an array of exquisite sauces that nod to the chef’s Brazilian roots. Note: a night at Frevo may very well tarnish every other dining experience you’ve ever had and damper your enthusiasm for any other fine dining establishment. One night is all it takes to want to be a regular – consider yourself warned.
Despite his accolades and physical stature, Sampogna radiates a sweet, calm presence. The food is prepared in plain sight just beyond the bar and the operation is far more like a ballet than a kitchen: well-structured, graceful and organised. No nonsense, or high-stress environments like we’ve seen portrayed on TV.
Throughout the evening the chef will make his round, chatting with guests, a necessity one can only imagine is sometimes daunting, but he does it well and can converse with guests fluently in English, French and Portuguese.
He doesn’t carry a hint of arrogance that can come with the status of being a celebrated chef, rather, he holds a genuine curiosity that is reflected in the food. ‘We are always trying new things, and sometimes it is a “mistake” that leads to a wonderful discovery,’ Sampogna says with a wink. ‘Some of my best dishes started that way.’
48 W 8th Street, New York, NY 10011; frevonyc.com
Born in Brazil, Chris Dodds grew up between the beaches of Rio and the American midwest. Today, he’s a staff writer and photographer for Surfer Magazine
