4 Best Restaurants in Salvador, Salvador and the Bahia Coast
You can easily find restaurants serving Bahian specialties in most neighborhoods. Pelourinho and Barra, full of bars and sidewalk cafés, are good places to start. There is also a selection of interesting restaurants in bohemian Rio Vermelho and a slew of places along Orla, the beachfront drive beginning around Jardim de Alah. The regional cuisine leans toward seafood, but some meat dishes should be tried. And, like anywhere else in Brazil, there are churrascarias for beef lovers. One main course often serves two; ask about portions when you order. Beware that regional food is normally spicy and hot.
L'Arcangelo
Tucked away on a quiet cobbled street, this lively cantina combines good-value Italian classics with a cozy atmosphere. Owner Rafaele makes the most of fresh local seafood for signature dishes such as spaghetti ai frutti di mare and grilled seafood platter to share. Homemade pastas, tasty meat dishes, and endless indulgent desserts have turned this into a local favorite. Come Sunday, regulars spill out onto tables on the street between watching international football on the large TV and sipping limoncello. The wine list is one of the most varied in town and is well priced, and the fixed-price lunch menu is an excellent value.
Senac
The delicious 30-dish buffet served in the wood-paneled dining room of this restored town house set right on the Pelourinho provides a comprehensive A to Z of Bahian cuisine for the uninitiated at a set price. Start at the small museum on the ground floor, where English-speaking staff will guide you through Bahian food's African roots, before heading up to the breezy dining room to experience it in action. Superbly run by the hospitality school SENAC, the students are responsible for the golden moquecas and impossibly sweet desserts—as well as excellent service. Everything is executed under the watchful eye of professors in suits. Vegetarians should make for the Kilo restaurant below.
Recommended Fodor's Video
Uauá
Tucked away above a busy street in the Pelourinho, Uauá's tasty, typically Brazilian dishes and reliable service make it one of the most popular restaurants in Salvador—and therefore one of the most crowded. Come early to avoid the rush. Don't skip the Northeastern specialities, like guisado de carneiro (minced mutton), moqueca, or carne do sol com purê de macaxeira (salted beef with mandioca (cassava) purée). Portions are big enough to share.