Now you very well know I can’t go somewhere and not talk about the food. I wouldn’t say that Rio is known as a food destination, but it certainly has a lot to offer in the way of gastronomy if you know where to look. Most popular are the Brazilian churrascarias, serving slow roasted meats in a variety of cuts. But, having lived in Brazil for four months now, we were looking for something a bit different. Something a little lighter and more delicate and well, less beefy, since we knew we were headed to Argentina soon where meat may be even more popular than in Brazil.
Good Restaurants in Rio de Janeiro
Our first choice was a cute and eclectic place we’d visited the last time we were in Rio, ZaZá Bistrô Tropical in Ipanema. Both times, we visited for lunch when we could sit on the patio and enjoy watching people come walking past from the beach a few blocks over. The atmosphere is very chill and serene, with buddhas and inspirational quotes all over the place.
The menu is, as you would guess, very tropical with a wide range of flavors. They have meaty dishes, but also a lot of seafood and vegetarian options.
I had a delicious chicken and banana curry (top), while Tom ordered the day’s special – a shrimp dish with coconut rice (bottom left). We’re not entirely sure what the sauce was, since the menu was in portuguese and, dammit, we’re still not anywhere close to fluent in the language. Everything was delicious though. Tom’s dish came with a free dessert (bottom right), so we shared a fresh fruit salad with citrus sorbet that was perfectly light and refreshing.
Another notable meal we had was at sleek and trendy Restaurante Quitéria located in the Hotel Ipanema Inn. There are à la carte options at this restaurant, but the tasting menus start at $40 for 5 courses. Why not go for it?
The dishes were fun and inventive, featuring things like a mini steak and baked potato (upper left), cured salmon with cachaca (upper right), a perfectly cooked corn, ricotta and spinach raviolo (bottom left) and duck with pumpkin and vanilla cream (bottom right). We topped everything off with a delicious Malbec from Argentina, a foreshadowing of the week to come.
Of course, not every meal in Rio needs to be such an event. Grabbing a chair at the beach and ordering a freshly made caipirinha and a pastel can be most satisfying.
Other Good Restaurants in Rio de Janeiro:
Fasano al Mare: Great for an affordable business lunch with easy access from Ipanema beach.
Confeiteria Columbo: One of the most elegant coffee shops in the world (truly), for pastries or sandwiches.
Bar Astor: One of the only real-deal bars in Ipanema offering ocean views.
Mee: A Michelin-Star Asian fusion restaurant in Copacabana.
Bar Urca: Mentioned in my last post, perfect for low-key eats and a great view.
Via Sete: For inventive burgers.
Sá: For an elegant, special occasion dinner.
Blue Agave: For a hip, expat vibe, head here in the evening for drinks and Mexican fare.
Os Imortais: A Copacabana bar with ice-cold chopp (draft beer) and snacks.
For two foodies like you guys, this part of your time in Brazil must have been so much fun!
When cooking with my best friend one time, we decided to add bananas to an Indian curry we were making because…why not. Haha. It actually turned out really nice – a bit of sweet and spicy.
Brazilians put bananas in everything, it seems like, from risottos to curries to sushi. Sometimes it’s delicious, other times not so much 🙂
I’ve been eating SO much spicy food while pregnant, it’s almost like my tolerance has gone up. Hopefully it stays around afterwards. And why don’t all meals come with free dessert? I feel this is an issue we should lobby for.
Will have to remember these places for next time I’m in Rio! All of the food looks great.
x- Naomi in Wonderland
We are borderline masichistic pepperheads, so we always have a hard time getting restaurants to make our food spicy enough. I think it’s because a lot of people overestimate their spice tolerance and end up sending dishes back, so restaurants err on the side of caution with the heat, especially with anyone foreign. We’ve had some seriously spicy street food though, so maybe the street vendors don’t care as much! Nice post, we’re thinking of heading to Rio in a few months, so I’ll be back for more recommendations!
Hi Ashley! I am the same way with spice. I want to be in pain. or close to it! Brazilians really aren’t a fan of spice so it’s been a challenge to convince them to crank up the heat 🙂 That said, there is some great food and tons of fun to be had in Rio. I hope you have a great trip!
I have to agree with you that Brazil isn’t really known for it’s food aside from the Brazilian churrascarias. But, if you are looking for good seafood and love sangarias, then I highly recommend La Maison! It’s right on the corner of Rua Santa Clara and Avenue Atlantica. The patio is covered under a tarp, and you get a great view of Copacabana from across the street!