Restaurants not to miss in Rio?
 

Are there any restaurants in Rio that are not to be missed? All price points are okay.

Rua Dias Ferreira in Leblon is a street which has many good restaurants, you just walk around and select the one you like most.

My selection of approved restaurants in Rio (price range 50 to 100 of local currency):

International
Antiquarius
Rua Aristides Espínola, 19

Roberta Sudbrack
Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado, 916

Téreze (breadtaking view - located in Santa Teresa)
Rua Felício dos Santos, s/nº

Japanese
Sushi Leblon
Rua Dias Ferreira, 256
(This is Madona's favourite)

Brazilian
Aprazível (nice view - Santa Teresa)
Rua Aprazível, 62

Siri Mole & Cia.
Rua Francisco Otaviano, 50 (Copacabana)
(Bahia food)

Yorubá
Rua Arnaldo Quintela, 94 (Botafogo)
(Bahia food)

Meat
Esplanada Grill
Rua Barão da Torre, 600

Churrascaria (meat)
Porcão
Avenida Armando Lombardi, 591 (Barra da Tijuaca)
There is another Porcao churrascarias in Ipanema (near Esplanada Grill)
Porcao is almost an institution in Rio de Janeiro!

Pizza
Capricciosa
Rua Maria Angélica, 37 (Ipanema)

Some that are more on the cheap side, and still have excellent food:

Delírio Tropical
Rua Garcia d'Ávila, 48 (Ipanema)
(good option of vegetarian food)

Gula Gula
Av. Gen. San Martin, 1196 (Leblon)
(there are other nice restaurants next to this one)
http://www.gulagula.com.br/restaurantes/

Rgs,

any recommendations for seafood?

Siri Mole & Cia. mentioned above has seafood, but Bahia style. In Rio you can also find very good Portuguese restaurants serving codfish!

The best sea food restaurant in Rio is Satyricon (book in advance), it is just accross Capricciosa (Pizza) and near Porcao Ipanema (churrascaria), price range between 60 and 120 local currency. Satyricon also has a branch in resort beach city of Buzios.

Satyricon
http://www.satyricon.com.br/
Rua Barão da Torre, 192 (Ipanema)

Margutta
http://www.margutta.com.br/
Rua Henrique Dumont, 62 (Ipanema)
Ipanema

Marius Crustaceos (price range above 100 local currency but big servings)
www.marius.com.br
Avenida Atlântica, 290 (Copacabana, almost in Leme)

Don Camillo (more simple, life music, next to Copa Cafe, in front of Copacabana beach)
www.doncamillo.com.br
Avenida Atlântica, 3056 (Copacabana)

Rgs,

Hello OP,

For seafood I have two places in mind:

Sol e Mar (Sun and Sea) in Botofogo.

It's right there on the bay. On the deck there's an outstanding view of Sugar Loaf Mountain.

There's a.... I forget the word -- it's similiar to Porcao another poster recommended (and second that motion!) where they keep giving you grilled food every second.

The restaurant is in Copacabana. Forgot the name. As you enter Copacabana from Botofogo, turn LEFT when the main street ends... the restaurant is on the left at the very end of that street.

There's a meat rodizio, and then to the left of it is the same restaurant but a seafood rodizio.

David

That restaurant doesn't exist anymore. It closed years ago.

That's Marius. It's in Leme, not Copacabana.

I have to warn you though. There is nothing special about eating seafood in Rio.

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My suggestions:

Expensive:

Italian
Cipriani
http://www.copacabanapalace.com.br/w...restaurant.jsp - Avenida Atlântica, 1702 - Copacabana Palace Hotel

Seafood
Fasano Al Mare.
http://www.fasano.com.br/ - Avenida Vieira Souto, 80 - Ipanema

Italian
Gero
http://www.fasano.com.br/ - Rua Aníbal de Mendonça, 157 - Ipanema

French-Brazilian - Contemporary
Olympe
http://www.claudetroisgros.com.br/olympe.htm - Rua Custódio Serrão, 62 - Jardim Botânico

French
Le Pré Catelan
http://ww2.leprecatelan.com.br/ - Avenida Atlântica, 4240 - Level E - Copacabana (Sofitel Hotel)

Intermediate:

Portuguese-Brazilian
Da Silva
Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, 270 - Underground 105 (Rio Design Leblon)

French-Brazilian
Guimas
Rua José Roberto Macedo Soares, 5 - Gávea

French/Italian
CT Brasserie
http://www.ctbrasserie.com.br/ - Estrada da Gávea, 899/303 - São Conrado Fashion Mall

Thai
Nam Thai
http://www.namthai.com.br/ - Rua Rainha Guilhermina, 95 - Leblon

Italian
Forneria São Sebastião
http://www.restauranteforneria.com.b...o-forneria.php - Rua Aníbal de Mendonça, 112 - Ipanema

Lunch/Salads
Celeiro
http://www.celeiroculinaria.com.br/ - Rua Dias Ferreira, 199 - Leblon

Japanese
Manekineko
http://www.manekineko.com.br/ - Rua Dias Ferreira, 410 - Leblon

French
Le Vin Bistrot
http://www.levin.com.br/ - Rua Barão da Torre, 490 - Ipanema

Moderate prices:

Home-made Brazilian
Dois em Cena
Rua Lauro Müller, 116 Level 4 - D 81-A - Botafogo - Rio Sul Center

Brazilian/Buffet by weight
Couve-Flor
http://www.couveflor.com.br/ - Rua Pacheco Leão, 724 - Jardim Botânico

Brazilian/Buffet by weight
Fellini
http://www.fellini.com.br/ - Rua General Urquiza, 104 - Leblon

Brazilian
Filé de Ouro
Rua Jardim Botânico, 731 - Jardim Botânico

Brazilian
Cantinho do Leblon
http://www.cantinhodoleblon.com.br/ - Rua Dias Ferreira, 482 - Leblon

Gero is one of my favorite places in Rio.... probably my all-out favorite and when I have only one dinner in Rio, Gero is the place I go to. Aside from the quality of whats on the menu, it also has ambiance, service and atmosphere to match. The wine list is also very good, but if you go for the good stuff from the USA and the Old World, be ready for a hole in your wallet. Regardless, a meal at Gero is a fine investment, worth every penny... ^

CO10T3 gave an excellent list of restaurants above, which is really from an insider and could not be better. I will even copy it for me. However, I particularly dont like restaurants inside hotels. If you are a local okay, but if you are a tourist staying in a hotel you want to go out...

Regarding seafood, I still find Satyricon difficult to match.

I have many Spanish (Catalan) friends who have been to Rio with me, one of them now travels on business to Rio almost every month. They all approved a great Spanish/Catalan restaurant not to be missed:

Eñe Restaurante
http://www.enerestaurante.com.br/
Av. Prefeito Mendes de Moraes, 222 (São Conrado)
(they also have excellent fish options, I recommend the "agulhão" or swordfish)

Another restaurant "by weight" which is one of my favourites in Rio is:

Papa Fina
R. Vinícius de Moraes 153 (Ipanema)

If you are looking to explore oustide Rio, one simple restaurant which serves fresh fish is Point do Grumari, it also has a great view. Note you will need to rent a car because it is about 1h drive from Rio. It is after Barra and Recreio. But is is really worth as you will pass by great beaches such as Grumari (the surfers' favourite because of its perfectly shaped waves).

Here is a map on the restaurant's website:

http://www.pointdegrumari.com.br/localizacao.htm


Rg,

Thank you! Your was also very good. I didn't repeat any one the ones you suggested, because of I thought mine as a complement to yours.

About the restaurants in hotels, you could say that partly about Cipriani, but not about Le Pré Catelan. Le Pré Catelan is really great. If you haven't tried it, you really should.

Haha! That's in a hotel ironically, at the Intecontinental Hotel.
Avoid the Paellas at all cost though.

To me, the suco de acai at BB Lanches in Leblon is not to be missed.
Inexpensive, refreshing, and addictive!

Of course, how can someone go to Rio and not try BB Lanches in Leblon! ^

I will certainly follow your suggestion and try it! :)

Rgs,

I’d suggest Bar Lagoa for a very good meal and great draft beer. There’s also a Porcão on Aterro do Flamengo where you have a great view of the Sugar Loaf.

For a great sandwich late at night try Cervantes in Copacabana or Barra. Very good after a night of drinking and dancing (or after a whole day at the beach).

If you by any chance have time for a little side trip, go to Petropolis (about one hour by car from Rio) and try Alcobaça. Wonderful place, lovely owners and a meal to die for.

Within the last year the only memorable meals I had during my short stays in Rio were lunch at Atelie Culinario (Cinelandia), and dinner at Domenico (Baixo Leblon).

I'd like to take my other half for a birthday dinner next week while we are in Rio. This forum has plenty of good suggestions. Obviosly I am after great food, but as we are first time in Rio I would like to have a dinner with a view (not just a stylish interior of a restaurant). I'm leaning towards Téreze in Santa Teresa (which hardiwv suggested). Or would some one have a better suggestion?

Aprazivel is in pretty much the same spot, perhaps others could elaborate on which view they prefer. My wife and I perused both menus and opted for Aprazivel, and it was outstanding.

[I agree with almost all of C010T3 recommendations but have a couple of others:

No Mangue http://www.nomangue.com.br/ Brazilian seafood place that is less expensive and better than the vast majority. It also has a cheap and very good Executive Lunch ~R$20 that is one of my favorites

Couve Flor he mentioned. It is about five minutes from my house and is my favorite spot for lunch. Surprisingly it has very good sushi also.

Terzetto http://www.terzetto.com.br/ is an excellent Italian that has a superb wine list, including some excellent Brazilian garage wine called Bettu that you'll very rarely find anywhere else. It is about half the price of gero, but is really worthwhile.

Oro http://www.ororestaurante.com/ just opened a couple fo weeks ago across the street from Olympe. The chef, Fililpe Bronze, is well known in Rio and has adopted some molecular cuisine tricks. It is very good, maybe excellent but it is also brand new, so may not keep the early promise. The location is good in Jardim Botanico, but has become jinxed by revolving restaurants.

if you can get to Petropolis Locanda della Mimosa cannot be missed. One goes for the weekend and stays there, it is only open on weekends. Fabulous and a great wine cellar. If you're really flush, the place is for sale, but not the cellar. It is worth the trip, in Michelin terms. http://www.locanda.com.br/



There are many options in Rio that are really local ones. if you've specific preferences let us know. We will certainly be free with opinions. My own list of favorites has about thirty places.

Just got back from a weekend trip to Rio and tried several restaurants, some of which have already been mentioned here:

1. Porcao (specifically the Rios location with the great view of Pao Acucar). I have been to numerous churrascarias, including Fogo de Chao. I believe Porcao offers a slightly better buffet and better pan queija. IMHO, the filet mignon was among the best filets I have experienced anywhere in the world at any price. Impressive rolling drink cart made the best caipirinhas we tried on our trip. Porcao also provided the very best service we experienced among all dining venues in Rio. Overall, I think Porcao is better than Fogo, and I'd recommend it as a "must do" if you're a meat eater. Price was around R97 per person.

2. Azul Marinho. This is a seafood place located beachfront in Arpoador. It was recommended by our tour guide, who insisted we try it even though we didn't feel like easting at what was clearly a tourist trap. I am glad he pushed us, because it was quite tasty. I had the fish moqueca, and it was simply divine. Service was spot on, and the beachfront location provided breathtaking panoramic views of Ipanema and Leblon. A simply wonderful way to enjoy lunch on a sunny day. Price was around R75 per person with a beer and water each.

3. Zuka. Best described as trendy international cuisine, located in Leblon directly across from Sushi Leblon. The hostess was incredibly friendly and accommodating, but the rest of the service was a bit detached and less efficient than it should have been. This was one of the biggest ripoffs of our entire trip. Two-course meal was around R105 per person + drinks. Mixed drinks were weak and not as good as other places. The least expensive 750ml bottle of wine was R65, and the least expensive glass was R25. The only saving grace was that the food was really, really good. It's a shame that the poor service and high prices detracted from what would have otherwise been a very noteworthy meal.

4. Zaza Tropical Bistro. Located in Ipanema. The menu was very eclectic and showed influences from both southeast asia and latin america. They are well known for their cocktails, but I was not in a drinking mood. Service was efficient, but not notable. Food ranged from good to exceptional across the board. 2-course meal with a soda was R45. Overall a good mid-priced restaurant. Supposedly a really good night spot upstairs.

In general I found most of the restaurants in Rio to be as offensively expensive as the hotels are. And, generally speaking, they delivered very tasty food with varying levels of service.

Everything in BB Lunches is good, from the fresh juices to the snacks. I was also impressed by the efficiency of the staff. No wonder it is always busy with the locals.

I had lunch almost every day at Degrau. http://www.restaurantedegrau.com.br/

Have any of the resident Brazil experts been to Fasano....? Comments & a review would be greatly appreciated... ^

I fondly remember the first time I was taken to Rio's Porcao for dinner. This was 1965, and Rio was then located in the state of Guanabara, later to become the state of Rio. I still have the state flag, a gift from the Mayor.

I had been at the beach all day training, and was told not to eat anything after an early breakfast, but work up an appetite. I certainly followed instructions: 0630-18:30, and it really hurt. ( I could have eaten a Fusco if given the chance ).

Upon arriving that evening, the seemling endless miles of colorful, aromatic, and steaming plates of food were amazing to see. Picanha, fraldinha, cupim, linguica, fruit, vegetables, fruit drinks: You name it, I probably had thirds of each. When we left, I couldn't walk, but rolled out the door like a beerbarrel.

My wife and I returned again this April. We certainly do not eat that way any more. Prices as mentioned are close to R$ 100 today, including a Caiprinha or two, but the food is good, the quality remains and the selection on display remains photoworthy, and a memorable experience.

I heartily second the motion on visiting this restaurant !

I have been. The only Fasano I really like a lot is Gero, but that is less about the experience during the meal than it is the astoundingly extortionate prices. I do not mind paying for value but I am offended at being ripped off.

Thus I choose non-Fasano places almost always.

I know YMMV. Lots of Paulistas swear by Fasano, and others too.

I don´t know why but the Porcao Rio´s in Aterro do Flamengo is my favourite restaurant in Rio.

The mix between the meats, the views of the bay and Sugar Loaf, a couple of caipirinhas and great service really do it for me.

Some images: http://www.porcao.com.br/porcaosite/...idaderios.html

T-44 and counting...

Can't wait to have a coxinha and fruta de conde juice at BB Lunches.

I indent to go to Churrascaria Oasis (oh no, it just closed!), Degrau, Boucherrie, and maybe La Mole. Are there any other restaurants in Leblon that are worth trying?

La Mole... who goes there? Are we back in 1988??

If you must stick to Leblon, I would recommend Pabu Izakaya, and Aconchego Carioca. If you can widen your search to Ipanema, Oia, Gurumê and Pici Trattoria (free BYO) are all very good.

If "old school" (i.e. waiters in white jackets, portions that serve 2-3) are more your thing, in addition to Degrau there's always Le Coin and Filé do Lira.

That's why I'd rather leave it in memories... back in the 1980s it was a treat. From the 90s onward, food quality declined so much it made eating there a pretty grim experience. They managed to ruin even the couvert!

T-9

The best local food you could find in Rio is in Cachambeer, Armazem Sao Thiago, Restaurante Skinna and in Org Bistro

Second the thumbs down on Cachambeer. Not sure why it ever went on the radar anyway: it's one of those Tripadvisor algorithms gone mad situations (it was #1 restaurant in Rio on it for a long time). I remember a few years back, the highest rated hotel in London was a dirty old B&B on the North Circular Rd, a grotty inconvenient area no tourist should visit.

@boboqui many restaurants in Rio are closed for dinner on Sundays, so your choices may be restricted. You can check out CT Boucherie, Massa, Giuseppe Grill, or Sushi Leblon, depending on your tastes.

P.S: Technically still Leblon, but on the Lagoa side, there's a newish steakhouse, Charbon Rouge which is a really nice looking place, and I found the prices very reasonable and the wine list very good! Worth a try.

Charbon Rouge it is!

Thanks!

The best meal I ate so far on this trip was at Charbon Rouge, the food was absolutely delicious and the restaurant is very pleasant and has an elegant ambience, perfect for our little family celebration.

Restaurant Skina was just ok, while the Toca da Traita near the Hyatt was excellent.

L'Shana tovah !
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...fa90c444c4.jpg
from Micah: "cast all our sins into the ocean's depths"
What a spectacular Tashlich it must be around Rio!

Thank you. To you too.

I invited the whole family for a Christmas dinner at the Charbon Rouge and the food was AWFUL! Some dishes were very salty while others were tasteless. I inquired with one of the waiters who confirmed that the chef that was working there in September is no longer there.

The C.T. Boucherie was open on Christmas day and was excellent as always.

Any vegetarian restaurant recommendation from local flyertalkers?