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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.
Located in the Santa Teresa MGallery Hotel, the restaurant offers an international menu with a touch of Brazilian cuisine. Chef Luanna Malheiros brings to the menu all her experience in several French and Brazilian restaurants. Classical recipes like steak au poivre are recreated to include Brazilian ingredients such as national fish, and French dessert techniques are used in sweets made with açaí, cupuaçu, and banana.
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.
A lantern-lit tropical garden filled with exotic plants, monkeys, and birds is the spectacular setting for this family restaurant serving pan-Brazilian dishes and an exciting selection of Brazilian wines. The owner and chef, Ana Castilha, hails from Minas Gerais but received her formal training at New York City's French Culinary Institute. Call ahead to reserve, as weekends are reliably packed.
Owned by artist Vik Muniz and hospitality guru Cello Camolese, this trendy, split-level industrial-chic converted warehouse combines Italian-fusion dishes with a vibrant cocktail bar, in-house deli, microbrewery, and underground jazz club. Alfresco tables are set overlooking the racetrack, making it an idyllic spot to watch Sunday afternoon races fly by.
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 post-beach hangout of choice for neighborhood locals since 1956, Jobi serves good coffee, super-chilled draft beer, and lip-smackingly delicious seafood. The restaurant is so small and unassuming, it's only after you step inside and see the many awards hanging on the walls that you realize just how special Jobi is.
Inspired by Japan's informal izakayas, this intimate spot combines first-class sashimi with more traditional hot Japanese dishes—grab a seat at the bar that loops around the center of the restaurant or the handful of tables outside. Good-value prices, an extensive sake menu, delicious food, and the laid-back vibe make it a reliable neighborhood favorite for just about everyone.
The elaborate Portuguese tile work, bow-tied waiters, and first-class seafood dishes make this lunchtime, weekday-only spot one of the top picks for an atmospheric lunch in Rio's downtown. Perch at one of the alfresco barstools for a more informal snack, or head inside to dine in the colonial vestiges of one of the city's oldest restaurants, serving the city's well-to-do since 1884. If you're on a budget, opt for a snack at the restaurant's more affordable back annex.
A tank of snapping lobsters and a fish counter where you can pick your catch of the day ensures you'll get some of the best seafood in town. And white tablecloths, off-the-boat-fresh fish, and excellent service ensure the quality of the experience is worth the price tag.
Hidden away on the second floor of the unassuming apart-hotel Ipanema Beach Star, this low-key vegan lunch spot and sister spa (Maria Bonita) is a real find, not just for the quality of the all-you-can-eat buffet, but also for the reasonable prices. The daily changing menu is crafted from ingredients sourced from the restaurant’s organic farm, while friendly staff deliver complimentary detox juices and digestion shots to your table.
The food at this happening little Ipanema restaurant is so fresh and inventive that you’ll barely notice that they only serve plant-based vegan dishes. Its chic industrial design and top-quality cooking make this one of Rio’s go-to spots for a relaxed lunch or dinner.
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.
Open since 1933, the Albamar is not hard to spot: this outstanding seafood house is inside a distinctive green octagonal building with 360-degree views of Guanabara Bay (a few minutes walk from Centro's bustling Praça XV square). Chef Rodrigo Costa is behind the array of seafood risottos, fresh fish, and pasta dishes that now draws Centro's business moguls.
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 hundreds of places in Rio serve the antioxidant-rich acai berry bowls, few are more authentic than this Amazonian restaurant, which prizes the purity of its superfood pulp that's sourced straight from Para and delivered sugar and additive-free. The ultimate beach snack or light meal, add banana, sprinkle on granola, or go for the full Amazonian set menu to experience an authentic feast of flavors you’ve likely never tried before.
A neighborhood favorite for more than three decades, this informal tavern in the heart of Santa Teresa serves Northeastern cuisine in more than ample portions. Expect a meat-focused menu with various fried side dishes and an informal atmosphere, with friendly, laid-back service attracting a predominantly Brazilian clientele.
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.
A nice place to stop after a long day at Barra Beach, this popular steak house serves more than 30 cuts of top-quality meat. Choose from the menu or go whole hog with the impressive all-you-can-eat rodizio buffet, which includes seafood, sushi, and colorful, fresh salads in addition to the succulent grilled cuts; there is a vegetarian option.
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.
Restaurants traditionally serve feijoada, Brazil's savory national dish, on Saturday, but here the huge pots of the substantial stew simmer every day; it's a great option for groups or when you are particularly hungry. The menu also features options such as baked chicken, shrimp in coconut milk, grilled trout, and filet mignon. The caipirinhas are made not only with lime but also with tangerine, passion fruit, pineapple, strawberry, or kiwi.
One of an increasing number of organic eateries in Rio, Celeiro is a combination café and health-food store that's popular with models and other body-conscious locals. The restaurant operates on a pay-by-weight system, and the expensive buffet features a staggering 50 types of salad, as well as oven-baked pies, whole-wheat pastries, fish and chicken dishes, and low-calorie desserts.
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.
