Originally Posted by
SoCal
Bacalhau is dried, salted cod from the North Atlantic, largely imported from Portugal, UK, Norway, etc. One especially popular at holidays (my wife-- Brazilian-- feels it's a legacy of Brazil's colonial heritage, when things imported from Europe were seen as prestigious). Lots of good fish in the region.
...
In my personal view, as an aficionado of bacalhao, the best place in Rio de Janeiro to have it fresh is Albamar, a restaurant close to Praca 15 that has been around since 1933.
http://www.albamar.com.br
For the traditional Portuguese style my favorite is Gruta de Santo Antonio in Niteroi:
http://www.grutadesantoantonio.com.br
Not by coincidence Albamar started when Rio's fish market was just beside it, while Gruta de Santo Antonio is right beside Rio's current fish market, Mercado Sao Pedro, located across the bridge/ferry in Niteroi.
In a totally useless piece of trivia: Rio de Janeiro was the capital of the state of Guanabara until 1975, while Niteroi was the capital of the State of Rio de Janeiro.