The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gourmet, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
Sales tax of 5% and a service charge of 10-15% are added to most restaurant bills in Rio. Most credit cards are now widely accepted in the city’s restaurants, although some of the cheaper or older establishments only accept cash. It is advisable for diners to telephone the restaurant in advance, in
order to check whether or not a particular card is accepted.
The restaurants below have been grouped in four different price categories:
$$$$ (over R$200)
$$$ (R$100 to R$200)
$$ (R$50 to R$100)
$ (up to R$50)
These prices are based on the average price of a three-course meal and half a bottle of house wine or equivalent. They include tax but not service.
GourmetAprazível
Some of the best Brazilian food is served in this magical tropical garden and terrace overlooking the city. Dishes are rich in exotic flavors, though there’s also a strong European influence. Heart of palm salad is tender and delicious, while fleshy white cod is perfectly combined with tangy sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Desserts such as fruity mango sorbet and Portuguese creme brûlée are as sweet and delightful as the setting. Open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday evenings only.
Rua Aprazîvel 62, Santa Teresa
Tel: (21) 2508 9174.
Website:
www.aprazivel.com.brPrice: $$$
Carême BistróThis intimate French-style bistro, with mirrored walls, chequered floor and silver service on crisp white tablecloths is refined without being stuffy. The sublime cordon bleu cuisine changes seasonally and game is the specialty. Mains include grilled duck breast on puréed potato with caramelized spring onions in a
jus de cassis. Reservations are essential. Dress code is smart. No lunch. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Rua Visconde de Caravelas 113, Botafogo
Tel: (21) 2226 0085.
Price: $$$
Cipriani The Cipriani
in the luxurious
Copacabana Palace (see
Hotels) is one of Rio’s most upmarket restaurants. In this spacious room with marble floors and French windows, the chef serves a continually changing selection of freshly made North Italian dishes with a Brazilian twist. Mains include veal fillet with lemon and capers and other Italian classics. Dress code is smart (jacket and tie required) and reservations are essential at the weekend. Closed Sundays.
Copacabana Palace, Avenida Atlântica 1702, Copacabana
Tel: (21) 2548 7070
or 2262 0198 (after 2000 and at weekends).
Website:
www.copacabanapalace.com.brPrice: $$$$
OlympeThe rather quirky art deco exterior (founded by celebrity French chef Claude Troisgros in 1979) contains a surprisingly modern and sophisticated restaurant. Although the menu focuses on traditional French cuisine, fresh Brazilian ingredients are used, which add a tropical flavor. Mains include crispy red snapper with aubergine confit in honey and sherry vinegar. Save space for amazing desserts, such as sweet corn cake with lychee. Lunch Fridays only. Closed Sunday.
Rua Custódio Serrão 62, Jardim Botânico
Tel: (21) 2539 4542.
Website:
www.claudetroisgros.com.brPrice: $$$
TrendyBar do ArnaudoIn Bohemian Santa Teresa, this tiny bar and restaurant is full of character. Swing doors open onto a rustic, wooden interior decorated with handicrafts and antique artwork. Wine is served in tankards, with beer and caipirinhas also available. Popular choices include classic dishes from northeast Brazil, such as
carne do sol (sun-dried beef),
feijão de corda (black beans in herb sauce) and
queijo coalho (grilled cheese on sticks). Credit cards are not accepted.
Rua Almirante Alexandrino 316B, Santa Teresa
Tel: (21) 2252 7246.
Price: $$
Bistrô 66Situated in an old house on a residential street Bristô 66
is part Paris bistro and part Rio corner bar. The owner, the renowned French chef Claude Troisgros (see
Gastronomic above), creates European favorites with a hint of Brazilian flavor. Mains include pepper steak, fish fillet with bananas and brie risotto.
Avenida Alexandre Ferreira 66, Lagoa
Tel: (21) 2266 0838.
Website:
www.66bistro.com.brPrice: $$$
Via Sete Grill This modern Centro restaurant caters for a busy lunchtime crowd of hungry workers. The colorful décor suits the vibrant atmosphere and the staff are fast, efficient and friendly. Choose from grilled meats served burger-style with salad, potato with cream cheese and salsa and filled wraps. No dinner. Closed weekends.
Rua Sete de Setembro 43, Centro
Tel: (21) 2221 8020.
Website:
www.viasete.com.brPrice: $$
Other location:
Rua Garcia D’Avila 125, Ipanema
Tel: (21) 2512 8100.
Zazá BistrôDistinctly funky, this eastern bistro has three floors - try to get a table on the balcony or upstairs sitting on cushions. The cuisine is a mix of South-East Asian, North African and Latin American. Main meals include tuna steak with passion fruit sauce and fried crunchy cole served with cardamom rice or filet mignon
robatas (on a stick) served with Moroccan couscous and caramelized onions with cinnamon.
Rua Joana Angélica 40, Ipanema
Tel: (21) 2247 9101.
Website:
www.zazabistro.com.brPrice: $$
Zuka Bright, modern Zuka is contemporary to its core. Simple, wooden tables surround a sunken kitchen, where diners can watch their meals being prepared. The food is delicious, but it is the presentation that lingers in the memory. Served on big rectangular plates, each dish is a work of art. The selection of grilled steaks, pasta and seafood dishes include local fish fillet in pistachio sauce with honey-mashed potato.
Rua Dias Ferreira 233B, Leblon
Tel: (21) 3205 7154.
Website:
www.zuka.com.brPrice: $$
BudgetAipo & AipimThe best budget option for dining is one of the many
comida a quilo or ’food-by-weight’ restaurants found throughout the city. One of the most popular is the chain, Aipo & Aipim, with canteen-style tables. Like other
quilo restaurants, diners load a plate with salads and hot dishes to be weighed and paid for after eating. The system is simple, efficient and very, very cheap.
Rua do Ouvidor 108, Centro
Tel: (21) 2222 3423.
Price: $
Other locations:
Avenida Nossa Senhora Copacabana 391, Copacabana
Tel: (21) 2255 6285.
Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 605, Copacabana
Tel: (21) 2549 2215.
Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 920, Copacabana
Tel: (21) 2547 2101.
Rua Visconde de Pirajá 145, Ipanema
Tel: (21) 2267 8313.
Casa da FeijoadaThe
feijoada (Brazil’s national dish, introduced by African slaves) is a heavy stew of pig’s ear, pig’s trotters, dried sausage, salt-cured pork and beef tongue with black beans. Traditionally eaten on Saturday, Casa da Feijoada serves up the dish daily with a choice of ingredients. Other Brazilian dishes include marinated chicken or prawns with coconut milk. The restaurant’s walls are lined with pictures of slaves preparing
feijoada.
Rua Prudente de Moraes 10B, Ipanema
Tel: (21) 2247 2776.
Price: $$
CeleiroThis organic restaurant is always packed with people enjoying its very healthy but tasty cuisine. The décor reflects the natural ingredients used, with rustic wooden panelling and skylights. The pay-by-weight buffet offers an extensive array of delicious salads and hot dishes, as well as delectable desserts such as truffles and chocolate mousses. No dinner. Closed Sunday. Unlicensed.
Rua Dias Ferreira 199, Leblon
Tel: (21) 2274 7843.
Website:
www.celeiroculinaria.com.brPrice: $
Mr Ôpi Another
quilo restaurant, but a little more upmarket, it serves gourmet food to a lunchtime crowd of city workers. Décor is elegant and inviting and smart waiters spoon dishes ’canteen style’ onto plates. The buffet bar serves freshly-cooked fish, meats and
feijoada. Ingredients and recipes change daily and desserts and drinks are picked up en route to the till. No dinner. Closed weekends. Unlicensed.
Rua da Alfândega 91D, Centro
Tel: (21) 2224 5820.
Website:
www.mropi.com.brPrice: $
Other location:
Rua da Quitanda 51, Centro
Tel: (21) 2507 3859.
Pizzaria GuanabaraA good selection of tasty pizzas are served in this simple, popular pizzeria, which spills onto the pavement. As well as the usual Margharita and Quattro Formaggi options, diners can tantalise their palates with sweet toppings, such as banana or peach, as well as steaks, seafood and paellas. The down-to-earth atmosphere and late opening hours (until 0400) have made this venue one of the most popular in affluent Leblon.
Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva 1228, Leblon
Tel: (21) 2294 0797.
Website:
www.pizzariaguanabara.com.brPrice: $$
Personal RecommendationsEspirito SantaThe food here is made with love and served with care in an atmospheric spot with a breezy terrace. The Amazonian chef cooks up unique combinations of flavors and uses tropical fruits that tingle the taste buds in sauces, desserts and cocktails. Don’t miss
Tambaqui, a fleshy freshwater fish, or the thick, delicious
Bobó de Frutos do Mar (Seafood stew) or
Pagode Russo - a version of a classic stroganoff. Lunch daily. Dinner Thursday to Sunday.
Rua Almirante Alexandrino 264, Santa Teresa
Tel: (21) 2508 7095.
Website:
www.espiritosanta.com.brPrice: $$$
Cervantes Stand with the locals and enjoy a refreshing glass of
chopp (draft beer) at this old-fashioned venue with frosted windows and a lively atmosphere. Smartly dressed waiters serve drinks, hot food and sandwiches to a mixed crowd who drop in until closing at 0500. Closed Monday.
Avenida Prado Júnior 335, Copacabana
Tel: (21) 2275 6147.
Price: $$
Confeitaria ColomboStep back in time and join the steady stream of city workers and tourists enjoying lunch in the opulent interior of one of the city’s finest historic landmarks, best viewed from the gallery, beneath the exquisitely-patterned glass roof. The buffet lunch is an appetizing selection of salad, meat, fish and rice dishes, followed by mouth-watering cakes and pastries, for which the Confeitaria is deservedly famous. A la carte meals are also available. No dinner. Closed Sunday.
Rua Gonçalves Dias 32, Centro
Tel: (21) 2505 1500.
Website:
www.confeitariacolombo.com.br Price: $$$
Doce DelciaDoce Delícia appears upmarket, but is reasonably priced. It has a welcoming Asiatic theme with wicker furniture and calming waterfall features. Smart, efficient waiters serve simple dishes infused with Brazilian flavor and flair. There are fixed-price plates, daily specials and low-calorie options, including the exquisite
salmão al limone (salmon with lemon). The cakes should not be missed.
Rua Dias Ferreira 48, Leblon
Tel: (21) 2249 2970.
Website:
www.docedelicia.com.brPrice: $$
Other Locations:
Rua Anibel de Mendonça 55, Ipanema
Tel: (21) 2294 0964.
Rua do Ouvidor 60, Centro
Tel: (21) 2262 5200.
São Conrado Fashion Mall, Estrada da Gávea
Tel: (21) 2420 4943.
Shopping Tijuca, Avenida Maracanã 987, Tijuca
Tel: (21) 2567 0366.
ShirleyThis unassuming, front-room eatery serving home-cooked food has become one of Rio’s most popular seafood restaurants. Hidden down a side street, just one block from Copacabana beach, it serves a superb range of fish, squid and shellfish dishes, such as Lobster Thermidor and fish stew. The cosy wood panelling and weathered sea-inspired artwork give the restaurant an authentic and homely atmosphere. No credit cards.
Rua Gustavo Sampaio 610, Leme
Tel: (21) 2275 1398.
Price: $$
Nightlife:Brazilians know how to party and the
Cariocas (Rio’s residents)
are no exception. Whether it is a post-soccer beer at a beach kiosk, an evening’s entertainment at a live music venue or a cocktail at one of the growing number of chic bars and clubs, a night out in Rio is to be savoured and enjoyed.
Beer seems to be served at all hours of the day and locals can often be seen enjoying a drink with friends at the corner bars that open out onto the streets in all parts of the city. Many bars and pubs have happy hours for people returning from work or the beach and most serve snacks and light meals. But the real action doesn’t really start until around 2300, when the clubs open their doors for music and dancing and stay open until around 0400. Club entry fees often include a card, onto which drink consumption is recorded - a minimum purchase is usually required. It is essential to keep hold of this card or face a forfeit charge, which can be much more than the average drinker could possibly consume. Beers and national wines and spirits are relatively cheap, while international spirits are invariably expensive. The minimum legal drinking age in Brazil is 18 years.
All areas have popular bars and clubs but the beach communities of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon are particularly good for a night out. Although clubs do not usually operate formal dress codes,
Cariocas tend to dress up after dark and it is best to follow suit. Some venues refuse entry to people wearing shorts and T-shirts or flip-flops.
The
O Globo (website:
oglobo.globo.com) newspaper publishes
Rio Show, an excellent entertainment listings magazine on Friday, in Portuguese only. Entertainment information can also be found online at
www.funrio.com.br.
Bars: You can enjoy outdoor drinking at the kiosks that line the beach promenades or around the
Lagoa. For more of an indoor experience, try
Bar Luiz, Rua da Carioca 39, Centro, one of the oldest bars in Rio and now popular with the business crowd. Devotees of the
Girl From Ipanema song will want to visit
Garota de Ipanema, Rua Vinicius de Moraes 49, Ipanema, the restaurant/bar where the composition was conceived. The sophisticated atmosphere of
Melt, Rua Rita Ludolf 47, Leblon, attracts a young and trendy crowd for imported beer and cocktails, with a lounge club upstairs, open from 2300.
Saturnino, Rua Saturnino de Brito 50, Jardim Botânico, is a smart bar popular with fashionable drinkers. To sample some quality Brazilian firewater try
Academia da Cachaça, Rua Conde Bernardotte 26, Leblon. Those hankering for a pint of ale should visit the
Lord Jim Pub, Rua Paul Redfern 63, Ipanema.
Clubs: Rio vies with Buenos Aires for the title of clubbing capital of South America. Everything is on offer here - from cheesy pop to samba house, drum and bossa and international dance music. Most clubs are open Wednesday to Saturday from 2200 onwards.
The House Bar, Avenida General San Martin 1011, Leblon, is a current favorite with those in the know in Rio. It hosts a number of different club nights, including those dedicated to electronica, funk and beats music.
Bunker 94, Rua Paul Pompéia 94, Copacabana,
Casa da Matriz, Rua Henrique de Novais 107, Botafogo, and
Six, Rua das Marrecas 38, Lapa, remain hugely popular for Brazilian dance and electronica.
Help, Avenida Atlântica 3432, Copacabana, is a huge disco that is popular with the singles crowd, though caution is advised, as it’s also frequented by prostitutes.
Live Music: Rio has a wide choice when it comes to live music. Samba, Bossa Nova, rock, MBP (Brazilian pop), classical, blues and jazz can all be enjoyed nightly. An elaborate Carnival-style samba show can be seen at
Plataforma 1, Rua Adalberto Ferreira 32, Leblon, daily from 2200. Favorites for Bossa Nova include
New Garden, Rua Visconde de Pirajá 631, Ipanema, and
Vinicius, Rua Vinicius de Moraes 39, Ipanema, daily from 2300 - in the bar and road named after Vinicius de Moraes of
Girl from Ipanema fame, who penned many of his songs here with Tom Jobim. Another Bossa Nova hotspot is
Bar do Tom, Thursday to Sunday from 2230 at Rua Adalberto Ferreira 32, Leblon, named after Bossa Nova pioneer Tom Jobim.
Esch Café, Rua do Rosario 107, Centro, and Rua Dias Ferreira 78, Leblon, holds regular jazz evenings.
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