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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 bar is considered a heritage site of the city and it is worth leaving the South Zone to Tijuca to try Toninho Laffargue's creations, which are often listed among the best snacks in the city. Be sure to try the rice balls, filled with cheese and sausage, and the artisanal burgers. All of this is always washed down with a cold beer or batidas, a drink made with vodka and fruit. Its motto is Tijuca always wins, and by the quality of their food, you will know they are right.
Listed among the 10 best bars in the world by Time Out magazine, this bar is a summary of Rio de Janeiro culture, with tables spread throughout the square, live music, and people from all over. Enjoy your visit to Praça Mauá and finish by tasting the true Carioca barbecue with cold beers.
At the turn of the 20th century, the belle epoque structure that houses Colombo Confectionery was Rio's preeminent café, the site of elaborate balls, afternoon teas for upper-class senhoras, and a center of political intrigue and gossip. Now, visitors stop for arguably the most atmospheric coffee, melt-in-the-mouth sweet treats, and tasty salgados (savory snacks) in town while admiring the elaborate, Old-World interiors—enormous jacaranda-framed mirrors from Belgium, stained glass from France, and tiles from Portugal are among the art nouveau decor's highlights.
The beach club located at Posto 6 on Copacabana beach brings a bit of the Mediterranean atmosphere to Rio de Janeiro. Locals and visitors can enjoy the space that offers all meals, from breakfast to post-beach drinks. The highlights are the drinks that reinvent classics with Brazilian elements and dishes with fish and seafood.
One of the most authentic botequim (traditional bar) experiences in Rio is this hole-in-the-wall kitchen serving up tasty Portuguese-style tapas to shared tables and a long deli-bar where regulars crowd after dark. While the staff's English is limited, the service and general atmosphere—vintage prints and liters of wine lining the walls—is so warm and welcoming that you will barely notice. Be prepared for a wait in the evenings if you want a table, or head to the bar and order directly from the counter.
The best spot for city center people-watching, this vast pavement boteco overlooking the Biblioteca Nacional and the Theatro Municipal has been a Carioca institution since it opened in 1921. Waitstaffs in bright yellow waistcoats and bow ties flit among the bustling tables delivering reasonably priced Brazilian dishes and ice-cold draft beer to a local after-work crowd. Don't confuse Amarelinho with the adjoining bar, Vermelinho—both have yellow roof canopies and yellow plastic chairs, but Amarelinho serves superior food. Every last Saturday of the month, they have live samba music.
While you can dine indoors in this relaxed spot, make like the locals and enjoy a snack alfresco, propped against the harbor wall across the street: the sea wall doubles as a makeshift table, and waiters run to and fro delivering orders of ice-cold beer and deep-fried salgadinhos (seafood snacks). You'll have a stunning backdrop to your light meal—the panorama takes in bobbing boats, framed by a clear view of Christ the Redeemer.
Facing the patio at the cool, whitewashed Paço Imperial (The Imperial Palace) and close to the Palacio Tiradentes in the Praça XV square, this charming little bistro is a good option for a light lunch, coffee, or snack for Centro sightseers. European influences abound, and the vegetarian-friendly menu includes salads, quiches, and grilled fish; make sure to leave room for the tempting desserts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
