Rio restaurants?
 

I will be in Rio, Buenos Aires, and Santiago in a couple weeks. I seem to have a ton of good options in Buenos Aires and a few in Santiago but none in Rio. Steak or pizza are favorites although I might have them covered in BA. Casual dinner places? I am staying here so in the area is a plus. https://windsorhoteis.com/hotel/windsor-leme/
thanks!

Beware that BA is no longer cheap!

In Leme I was recommended the Restaurante Shirley, it’s sea food though. I’m not familiar with that area but there are lots of restaurants so I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for. Safe travels!

Not much happening in Leme, so if you want the best restaurants you’ll need to Uber (which is quite cheap in Rio, btw).

That said, Bar do Adão is really good and famous for its pasteis (a Brazilian pastry that can be either sweet or savory). There are several around town but it all started in Leme so you can try that one. Also not far from your hotel is a bar called Belmonte (cold beer, caipirinhas and different types of appetizers).

Assador is a really good steakhouse in Aterro do Flamengo, about 10 minutes by car from your hotel. Get a table outside and enjoy the view of the Sugar Loaf and Guanabara Bay. Another really good one, but located in Barra da Tijuca (30 minutes to one hour from your hotel depending on the time of the day), is Mocellin. All-you-can-eat style, as some steakhouses in Brazil. The last one I’ll mention is Rubaiyat, in Jardim Botanico. If you’re there on a Sunday also try their buffet-style feijoada, pretty good.

I don’t live there anymore but most of my family and friends still live in Rio, so feel free to message me in case you have more specific questions. Hope you have fun.

Convenient timing, my wife and I just got back from a Brazil trip that included a food tour in Rio. Here are few suggestions I would give from our time there (both from the tour and otherwise) - a few could be a long walk from Leme, but many would be better either biking or getting an Uber:

• Pavão Azul Bar (and their neighboring Pavão Azul 2 or Pavão Black) are affordable bar/pub atmosphere joints with really good food. https://maps.app.goo.gl/j1C153hwWkCG3sh16
  • We also went to Landuco a couple doors down and liked it a lot.
• Pão Linguiça is a tasty (and very successful) street food cart making sausage sandwiches - it's only open until 2:00 PM. It's not listed on Google, but here's the location. https://maps.app.goo.gl/EQFssLaSXqeh4mE89
• Restaurante Degrau (which also has a less formal neighboring property) is also good Brazilian food. https://maps.app.goo.gl/NW6EqJ2ZJ6sVFqhN8
• Tacacá do Norte is pretty good if you're interested in trying Amazonian cuisine. https://maps.app.goo.gl/yVtWzmdT9Wp4Kshm9
• Opus is another simple place that makes really fantastic pork in the central district. https://maps.app.goo.gl/1LgBpayVZtBvpRo67
• Tourão over in Barra di Tijuca was a great churrascaria - there are plenty, but we liked this one the most from our time in Brazil and it was pretty reasonably priced for being a little more upmarket. https://maps.app.goo.gl/tyGidfCeSHoT2DU26
  • If you're a wine drinker, we had a Brazilian cab here that was fantastic and went really well with the grilled meats.
• Restaurante Shirley mentioned above was also recommended to us, but we didn't have time to make it there.