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With nearly a thousand restaurants, Rio's dining choices are broad, from low-key Middle Eastern cafés to elegant contemporary eateries with award-winning kitchens and first-class service. The succulent offerings in the churrascarias (restaurants specializing in grilled meats) can be mesmerizing for meat lovers—especially the places that serve rodízio-style (grilled meat on skewers is continually brought to your table—until you can eat no more). Hotel restaurants often serve the national dish, feijoada (a hearty stew of black beans and pork), on Saturday—sometimes on Friday, too. Wash it down with a chopp (the local draft beer; pronounced "shop") or a caipirinha (sugarcane rum, lime, and sugar).
The most lavish of Copacabana Palace's three restaurants is this homage to Northern Italian cooking, set overlooking the enormous swimming pool and replete in soft lighting, velvet chairs, and impeccable staff. This contender for the most formal restaurant in Rio has changed their menu into a tasting menu with a vegan option.
The city's most celebrated chef—Claude Troisgros—has changed the face of the all-you-can-eat churrascaria with this chic bistro. Unlike at traditional rodizios, where waiters deliver cut after cut of meat, here they dash from table to table with steaming plates of roasted palm hearts, stuffed tomatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, and other meat-free sides to accompany meaty mains like the substantial prime rib or the more accessibly priced house burger.
A world away from the touristy restaurants that line Copacabana's beachfront, this refined Italian restaurant is easily overlooked but well worth seeking out. The menu celebrates Italy's diverse regional cuisines, including wonderful homemade pastas, quality meats, and delicious desserts. The knowledgeable staff can advise you about appropriate wine pairings—helpful, as the list is extensive.
This upmarket churrascaria is famed for the quality of its grilled meats, which are served in a sleek wooden dining room on a quiet tree-lined street in Ipanema. All the grilled dishes come with fried palm hearts, seasoned rice, and a choice of fried, baked, or sautéed potatoes.
Created by chefs Massimo Bottura and David Hertz, the restaurant school aims to train professionals and serve the homeless population in downtown Rio. The lunches prepared by renowned chefs and sold to the general public fund dinners for the homeless.
Owned by the Italian Fasano chain, this award-strewn and beautifully appointed restaurant is frequently cited as the best Italian in Rio, although quality like this comes at a cost. The high-ceilinged, wooden-floor building exhibits the clean, contemporary design that is the Fasano hallmark and the menu contains wonderful panini, pastas, and risottos, as well as excellent fish and meat dishes; a second Rio branch operates in Barra da Tijuca.
A prime Ipanema location paired with great service and elegant design make this trendy sushi spot a good option for a great meal surrounded by well-dressed locals. Long lines are common, so go early or sip sake in the street while you wait---just don’t miss the daily specials or the trio of nigiri (thin slices of raw fish over vinegar rice).
Located a stone’s throw from Rio’s Botanical Gardens, this cozy bakery is a great pit stop for lazy brunches, light lunches, or afternoon snacks pre- or post-stroll through the gardens. French owners are behind the buttery croissants, homemade breads, fresh juices, delicious cakes, organic coffee, and sophisticated sandwiches.
A block from Ipanema Beach, Margutta has a reputation for outstanding Mediterranean-style seafood, such as shrimp panfried in olive oil, white wine, and garlic; and lobster baked with butter and saffron rice. There's a handful of vegetarian options including mixed-vegetable risotto with truffle oil.
Blink and you could miss this hip Botafogo eatery housed in a tiny white colonial building and furnished entirely with pieces from the 1950s to the 1970s. The French–Brazilian owners have created a relaxed, casual dining space where they prepare hearty portions of tasty comfort food and award-winning cocktails that draw a bohemian crowd.
While rising star Felipe Bronze has long been known for his avant-garde Brazilian tasting menus, his approach has found a welcomed simplicity since he moved fine dining restaurant Oro from its Jardim Botânico location to Leblon in 2016. The two versions of the menu degustation feature a series of small, elaborately prepared dishes, including oysters, pão de queijo and other Brazilians delicacies. It's one of the two Michelin stars in the city and was recently listed as 91st Best Restaurant in Latin America.
Set overlooking the vast Guaratiba flatlands and enveloped in dense forest, the seafood-focused menu at this casual restaurant is best known for its moqueca stew and spectacular sunsets. The colorful flora and glorious vistas give the feeling of being far out of town (you'll need a car to get here), but it's a great place to stop between visits to Grumari beach and Sitio Roberto Burle Marx.
Traditional Spanish seafood casseroles are a strong suit at this small restaurant on a shady street, which has been attracting locals for more than 70 years. The waiters, clad in white suits, add to the nostalgic 70's atmosphere. A line snakes around the block at peak hours, but it's worth the wait to find a table: the food, served in generous portions big enough to share, is terrific.
A smaller, more laid-back neighbor to the long-established samba party at Rio Scenarium, Santo Scenarium shares its parent club’s passion for grandiose interiors, and the split-level space here is packed with ornate pillars, carved cherubs, and borderline-kitsch religious artifacts. It's a good option for lunchtime, as the kitchen serves tasty Brazilian classics. A prime spot at the heart of Rio’s oldest street in the party district of Lapa makes it a top stop for history and architecture buffs.
Bringing the concept of Italian stuzzichini (tapas-style small plates of food for sharing), Stuzzi has evolved into a star of Leblon's Rua Dias Ferreira foodie strip. It's the perfect late-night spot for a light dinner or snacks while sipping from the array of expertly shaken cocktails.
Cat lovers and coffee lovers will find their meeting point here. Tiny Cat Café has food and drinks on its menu that are reminiscent of feline friends. For digital nomads, the café offers good Wi-Fi.
Vegan restaurants are a growing trend in body-conscious Rio, but few are as established and well-loved as the Vegetarian Social Club. The all-you-can-eat organic lunch buffet includes tasty and wholesome soups, whole-grain rice, colorful salads, and many soy-based dishes, while dining in the evening is à la carte.
This contemporary Spanish chiringuito is always packed, thanks to its vibrant vibe and prime beachfront location overlooking Copacabana's Posto 5. Opt for one of the alfresco tables and feast on top-quality tapas, plates of high-class charcuterie and rich seafood rices washed down with big jugs of tropical fruit cleriquot (a South American champagne punch); there are sister locations in Leblon and Ipanema.
