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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
