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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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
