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Eating Out
Guide to Drinking and Dining in Rio
Wherever you turn in Rio, food is there to tempt you. From beach
bars serving tapas style snacks known as tiragostos or salgadinhos,
to fine restaurants serving sizzling steaks and seafood. And if you
want to eat on the move, there are bakeries where locals stand at
the counter for a savoury pastry and a cafezinho. Considering how
cariocas enjoy their food, it's a wonder that anyone looks good at
the beach.
You should note that credit cards are not commonly accepted in Rio's
restaurants. To be on the safe side you should carry enough cash
with you to cover your bill.
PRICE GUIDE: (average cost of a main course):
 =
less than BRL20,
= BRL20-BRL40,
= BRL40+
Traditional
Brazilian
A Garota de Ipanema
Rua Vinícius de Moraes 49a, Ipanema
Tel: +55 (0)21-2522-0340
Always crowded with tourists and locals, this is the place where Tom
Jobim and his lyricist partner, Vinícius, sat and watched that Girl
from Ipanema go by. There are now six other 'Garota' restaurants
around town. Extensive menu of national dishes, many big enough to
share, as well as pizzas and pastas. Good draught beer.
Casa da Feijoada
Rua Prudente de Morais 10B, Ipanema
Tel: +55 (21)-2247-2776
Serves the most traditional of Brazilian dishes, feijoada, a pork
and black bean stew served up with manioc flour, shredded kale, rice
and sliced oranges.It is said that a caipirinha, a sugarcane
cocktail made with crushed limes, helps digest this rib-sticking
meal. The set meal costs BRL30, and includes aperitif, appetiser and
dessert.
Plataforma I
Rua Adalberto Ferreira 32, Leblon
Tel: +55 (0)21-2274-4022
Tom Jobim was a regular here; hence the Bar do Tom upstairs. This is
considered one of Rio's best churrasco (barbecue) restaurants and a
meat lover's dream. If you opt for the rodízio you will face an army
of waiters bringing choice cuts of beef, chicken, sausage and
mozzarella on long skewers.
Regional
Confeitaria Colombo/Restorante Cristóvão
(tea and pastry) -
(restaurant lunch)
Rua Gonçalves Dias 32, Centro
Tel: +55 (0)21-2232-2300
Hardly a thing has changed since this grande dame of a café first
opened in 1894. It still exudes an air of elegant colonialism. The
enormous Belgian mirrors in jacaranda wood frames, the Italian
marble benches and the exquisite blue, green and yellow stained
glass are all still here, as are the waiters in their starched
uniforms. The tearoom serves superb pastries and coffee on the
ground floor; and fine buffet lunches are on offer at the upstairs
restaurant.
Yorubá
Rua Arnaldo Quintela 94, Botafogo
Tel: +55 (0)21-2541-9387
The African slaves that came to Brazil heavily influenced Bahian
cuisine. Seafood, spices and coconut milk form the basis of many of
the dishes, with dendê oil and malagueta chillies added for flavour.
The acarajé appetisers, bean fritters with dried shrimp and
chillies, and the moqueca, a seafood stew, are highly recommended.
Á Mineira
Rua Visconde Silva 152, Ipanema
Tel: +55 (0)21-2535-2835
The cuisine from the state of Minas Gerais is famous for its bean
dish, Tutu à Mineira, chicken with okra, polenta, roast pork and a
selection of cheeses. Some of the dishes simmer over a wood burning
fire as you help yourself, buffet-style. Very homey in atmosphere
this is a place to linger over a long lunch.
Bar do Arnaudo
Rua Almirante Alexandrino 316, Santa Teresa
Tel: +55 (0)21-2252-7246
A favourite with locals, Arnaudo's offers typical north-eastern
dishes of sun-dried meats, cassava fries and goat stew, and it all
comes in very generous portions.
Themed
Fellini
-
Rua General Urquiza 104, Leblon -
Tel: +55 (0)21-2511-3600/2259-6230
A popular, family-owned restaurant that serves food by the weight.
It has a range of over 50 dishes and a reputation for freshness.
Dishes include seafood, meats, homemade pastas, salads and sushi.
For dessert there's fresh fruit and creamy puddings.
Italian
Alho e óleo
Rua Buarque de Macedo 13, Flamengo
Tel: +55 (0)21-2558-3345/2225-3418
This cosy restaurant offers an extensive menu of pastas, risottos
and seafood as well as daily specials. Some of the portions are
extremely generous, so be sure to ask "dá pra dois?" meaning, "is it
enough for two?", the staff won't mind you sharing.
Bakery/Tearoom
Chaika
Rua Visconde de Pirajá 321a, Ipanema
Tel: +55 (0)21-2267-3838
A great stop for a sandwich and a fresh juice but, be warned, these
are not sandwiches in the normal sense of the word. They feature
such combinations as steak and banana - surprisingly well judged.
There are also wonderful sugary cakes and pastries to round off as
well as a range of ice-creams, teas and coffees.
Bars
Order a caipirinha cocktail or a frosty beer, kick back and enjoy
watching Brazilians at play. They're a gregarious people and their
sense of enjoyment is contagious. It's no surprise then that Rio is
teeming with bars, clubs and botecos, local bistro-style bars. The
only difficulty you'll face is choosing where to go. The area around
Lagoa is rather more sophisticated while the younger crowd heads to
Leblon or Ipanema. There are bars catering to tourists where the
locals like to drink and there are neighbourhood botecos that see a
steady stream of tourists.
Not every area is safe to wander at night, so it's advisable to know
where you're going. The Programa section of Friday's Jornal do
Brasil lists live music around the city so you can choose a venue in
advance. Famous artists are often in town, but the unknowns that
play at the smaller bars can blow you away with their talent.
Brazilians rarely drink without snacking and a snack here can extend
as far as a prime cut of beef served on a sizzling hotplate with
tomato salad and farofa so there's often a fine line between what
constitutes a bar and a restaurant. There are a good number of expat
British pub-style hangouts, if that's what you fancy, and you won't
struggle to find one especially on the fringes of the Santa Teresa
district. Often the more traditional establishments are livelier and
have more to offer however.
Whatever your choice, the beer will be cold, the food will be
plentiful and the company will be good. Nightlife in Rio starts late
and can be a good way to see the sunrise.
Academia da Cachaça
Rua Conde Bernadotte 26, Loja G, Leblon
Tel: +55 (0)21-2239-1542
Specialising in cachaça, the sugarcane spirit that packs a punch.
Flavoured cachaças, cachaça cocktails and the ubiquitous caipirinha
with crushed lime and sugar are all begging to be drunk. This is the
sort of place that's hard to leave, at least without staggering.
Vinícius Piano Bar
Rua Vinícius de Moraes 39, Ipanema
Tel: +55 (0)21-2523-4757
Across the street from Garota de Ipanema, this bar often sees the
restaurant crowd heading here for more of the Bossa experience. Live
music every night. The main show starts at 23h00 and the supporting
show at 21h00. There's a cover charge of between BRL5 and BRL25
depending on how famous the artiste is.
Sindicato do Chopp
Av. Atlântica 514, Copacabana
Tel: +55 (0)21-2541-3133
This lively bar gives the chance to see Cariocas winding down after
work and revving up for the evening. The draught beer, chopp, is icy
cold and the service is good. Rio folk recently voted it best
Choppería.
Chiko's Bar
Av. Epitácio Pessoa, Lagoa
Tel: +55 (0)21-2523-3514
If a favourite artist is playing then it's worth coming for the
music, otherwise the snobby attitudes and prices can be off-putting.
Check the list before entering.
Lord Jim
Rua Paul Redfern 63
Tel: +55 (0)21-2259-3047
If you're after a British-style pub, then this is your place. Live
music, darts and British beer attract expats and, perhaps
surprisingly, tourists.
Bar Bracarense
Rua José Linhares 85, Leblon
Tel: +55 (0)21-2294-3549
An eternal favourite with Cariocas, the focus here is the home-style
food, but the booze keeps flowing and people tend to hang around
after eating to soak up the lively atmosphere.
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