Rio - Restaurants

[trilingual]

Please post info about Rio restaurants here.

[+ Axiom2001]

(Note: Edited to correct some minor address/Portuguese spelling errors. Thanks for the recommendations, Axiom!)

 

I've had the good fortune in traveling to Rio on three occasions. Each time I've eaten at some of the restaurants which are posted in the archives as well as in guide books: do try these-- you will not go wrong.

 

A. Confeitaria Colombo, Rua Gonçalves Dias 32, Cenro

...wonderful desserts and drink on the first fl-- food, etc.

on the 2nd floor. ...superb feijoada on Saturdays

 

B. Porcão, Ave. Infante Don Henrique s/n, Parque do Flamengo, Flamengo,

(This is the one to go to; there are others.

....superb food, reasonable prices, and the atmosphere

to die for...

 

C. Marius Crustaceos Seafood/Brasilian, Av Atlantica 290, Leme

(Their steak/meat house is next door gets raves, too!)

 

D. Yemanja- Bahian- Rua Visconde de Piraja 128, Ipanema

 

If you're into trying good restaurants while traveling-- do try these and others. Food prices in Brasil are very low compared to comparable cities in the North. I've spent under $30 for two at these restaurants, and we had sumptuous meals.

[trilingual]

Some other restaurants:

 

A. Siqueira Grill, r. Siqueira Campos in the middle of the block by the beach. A very good "por kilo" (by weight) buffet, with a wide selection of salads, sushi/sashimi, main dishes, grilled meats and desserts. Home-away-from-home for many M4Mers!

 

B. Carretão, r. Siqueira Campos opposite the Siqueira Grill. A good, very reasonably priced churrasco rodízio (all-you-can-eat grilled meats) that's popular with Cariocas. There are other branches that are a bit less crowded, like the one on r. Ronald de Carvalho on the block facing the Praça do Lido.

 

C. Bella Blu, r. Siqueira Campos between Toneleros and Barata Ribeiro. A pizzeria/Italian restaurant with an outdoor café, close to the Atlântico and popular with some M4Mers.

 

D. Trattoria, r. Fernando Mendes (around the corner from Maxim's and across the street from the Hotel Excelsior). Very good Italian food, lively, gay-friendly, reasonable prices and manageable portions. NO credit cards, though, so bring cash!

 

E. Amir, r. Ronaldo de Carvalho facing Praça do Lido. Excellent Middle Eastern food, in generous portions. Go with someone else and order the tasting menu for two (or more). It'll be more than you can finish, and it'll all be delicious!

 

F. Gula-Gula, r. Anibal de Mendonça 132, in Ipanema. Smart, attractive restaurant in Ipanema with international selections, including some American dishes, reasonable prices.

 

G. Café Fleuri, 4th floor of Meridien Hotel. Excellent Sunday brunch; a bit steep by Rio standards at about R$65 a person. Buffet style, with a wide selection of dishes, all drinks included (it was necessary to explain mimosas to them, but they caught on immediately and just kept them coming!) and picture postcard views of Copacabana Beach from the window seats. If you feel like shlepping out there, there's a similarly lavish (and underutilized) weekend brunch at the Sheraton Rio, with ocean views.

 

H. Pax Emporium, on one of the two food floors (the top two floors) of the Praia Botafogo Shopping Center. Good salads and other dishes, and a billion-dollar view of Botafogo Bay and Sugar Loaf. There are numerous other choices on the two floors; if you just want a snack there are several fast food places including McDonald's, with the same breathtaking view.

 

I. Bookstore/Music Store Cafés: This trend has hit Rio, and they're great, especially after walking the hot sidewalks window shopping. In Copacabana, try the Allegro café inside Modern Sound, the city's finest CD store. Live music every day (piano in the afternoons, groups in the early evening). In Ipanema, there are cafés in the following excellent bookstores: Livraria da Travessa, Letras e Expressões, and Renovar. In Leblon, there's another Letras e Expressões with a café. At RioSul shopping center, there's also a café (with Internet access) in the Saraiva MegaStore.

 

J. Other cafés: they're cropping up all over the place. Some of the more appealing ones are in museums/cultural centers, so check them out! In Copacabana, a branch of Confeitaria Colombo just opened in the old fort at the end of the beach! Haven't been there yet, but the photos in the newspaper entertainment supplement make it look wonderful, with superb views from the outdoor terrace tables. There are a couple of nice cafés in the gardens of the Catete Palace (Museu da República), and others at the Museum of Modern Art, at the National Fine Arts Museum, at the Botanical Gardens, etc. Downtown there's the not-to-be-missed original Confeitaria Colombo (a spectacular Belle Epoque café) and the very attractive and pleasant tea room upstairs in the Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil. There's also an attractive café and restaurant in one of the courtyards of the old Paço Imperial (the first Imperial Palace) downtown.

 

K. Big splurge: Cipriani's at the Copacabana Palace, and the St. Honorée on top of the Meridien are very expensive by Rio standards (and not cheap by American/European ones) but offer superb food and service, and gorgeous views in the case of the Meridien.

 

There are many other fine restaurants in Rio. This is just a smattering! Looking forward to more postings. For foodies, there's also a good, bilingual annual restaurant guide published by a critic named Danúsia Bárbara, available at the better book stores. Other restaurant guides can be found in the Friday entertainment supplements of "O Globo" and "Jornal do Brasil" and in the local entertainment supplement to "Veja" (comes out on Sundays). Also there are listings and ratings in the "Guia 4 Rodas," available at all newstands.

[trilingual]

A very upscale new seafood place just opened on r. Ronald de Carvalho (or is it Duvivier?) , just a few steps from Av. Atlântica and close to the Copacabana Palace. It's called Pampa Oceano, and it may also serve beef. I haven't eaten there yet, but the reviews have been good and it should be worth a splurge!

 

The closest thing yet to American-style hamburgers has just opened in the Rio Plaza mall (the former Botafogo Off-Price mall across the road from RioSul, where Tok & Stok and the Outback Steakhouse are also located). It's called Joe & Leo's, and the burgers are indeed good, although the buns could use a bit of work! Need to be firmer; mine started falling apart, so my bacon cheeseburger ended up having to be eaten with a knife and fork. But it was very tasty!

 

To get to this mall from Copacabana, go to RioSul, walk towards the Canecão night club, and then go into the pedestrian underpass. Walk all the way through the underpass and exit on the farthest stairway to your right. You'll be just a few steps from the main entrance of the mall, and Joe & Leo's is right at the entrance. To go back to Copacabana, it's probably easiest to take a taxi because of the traffic. There's a taxi stop inside the mall parking garage, so just go into the parking lot and take a cab from the stand you'll find there, or any taxi pulling up to drop off a passenger.

 

In RioSul, on the second floor food court, there's a new "Mexican" place called Guapo Loco that serves a pretty fair burrito. Not quite what I was used to in California, but much cheaper to get to! For a change from the usual fare, these two spots are worth keeping in mind!

[+ Axiom2001]

I'd recommend AZUMI Japanese restaurant, Rua Ministro Viveios de Castro, 127 (Copacabana). 2541-4294 and 2295-1098

Jackhammer, Alex, two guys from Florida, and I ate there on the recommendation of Jackhammer. It was a great choice, as this restaurant is "frequented by the Japanese colony and executives." The food was delicious...

[CT Dick]

>A. Confeitaria Colombo, Rua Gonçalves Dias 32, Cenro

> ...wonderful desserts and drink on the first fl-- food,

>etc.

 

This place is like a trip back in time to Vienna in the 1890's. It is a spectacle!

 

 

>B. Porcão, Ave. Infante Don Henrique s/n, Parque do

>Flamengo, Flamengo,

> (This is the one to go to; there are others.

> ....superb food, reasonable prices, and the atmosphere

> to die for...

 

Plus, the views. Out the front door is the Cristo on Corcovado and out the back, across the bay, is Sugar Loaf.

 

I was part of a party of about 25 who ate and drank and drank for hours over New Years. It cost us US$19.00 each.

 

Dick

[Guest Tomcal_]

Fork restaurant

Rua Teixeira de Melo, 30A, Ipanema (Quadra da Praia)

telephone (21)2287-9300

It is small, nicely decorated, excellent

food, upscale, but jeans and T's or shorts is fine(very much like

L.A.) Average entre from low end of $12. reias to 25., great

It has a table for 6 outside and seating for about 25 inside, there is a wait if it's after 9:00 p.m. on Weds. - Sun. Call ahead for reservations. The owner speaks English, and runs a upscale Catereing service as well if you want you own private party! This came highly recommended and four us that ate there all highly recommend it!Appetizers, and good bar with flavored caprihinas! Great place to

take your favorite boy and be away from the ^"crowd"

[trilingual]

Two other attractive options with reasonable prices are:

 

Dom Camillo, on Av. Atlântica near the corner of Bolívar. Good Italian food, with a sidewalk café and an indoor section. My BF and I split a lobster Caesar salad, which is the first one I've had in Rio in which the dressing tastes like what I expected (of course, Caesar salads are a Mexican invention, supposedly originated at Cardini's restaurant in Tijuana). This was followed by manioc-filled ravioli with langoustines in a mushroom cream sauce. Also delicious! My BF had the pasta with seafood, which he adored. For six of us, with two relatively expensive bottles of Chilean merlot, the bill came to around R$300.

 

La Fiorentina, on Av. Atlântica in Leme, not far from Marius. Also Italian, and also indoor/outdoor, with good food and a variety of prices. Formerly this was THE hangout for the movie/theater community in Rio, but it's still lively and very enjoyable.

 

Both of these places are open until late.

[Guest Tomcal_]

>Fork restaurant

> Rua Teixeira de Melo, 30A, Ipanema (Quadra da Praia)

>telephone (21)2287-9300

>It is small, nicely decorated, excellent

>food, upscale, but jeans and T's or shorts is fine(very much

>like

>L.A.) Average entre from low end of $12. reias to 25., great

>It has a table for 6 outside and seating for about 25 inside,

>there is a wait if it's after 9:00 p.m. on Weds. - Sun. Call

>ahead for reservations. The owner speaks English, and runs a

>upscale Catereing service as well if you want you own private

>party! This came highly recommended and four us that ate there

>all highly recommend it!Appetizers, and good bar with flavored

>caprihinas! Great place to

>take your favorite boy and be away from the ^"crowd"

>

Fork is now Closed! 9/02/04[b\]

[Guest Tomcal_]

There is a restaurant I have been to twice, called Bar d'hôtel"

restaurant

http://www.hotelmarina.com.br

it is in the Marina all Suites Hotel in Leblon next to the Marina

Palace Hotel, next to Ipanema, actually same at Ipanema. There are

about a block apart on Atlantica, this is the in the second one(going

south)on the second floor. Very nice, upscale, intimate, straight,

but gay friendly. Good menu, most entrees around $25. reias. Tables

along the windows overlook the beach, where it is lit by flood

lights, as the surf there is rough and splashs up over the rocks,

makes for a romantic dinner!

Highly recommended!

[Guest ihpguy]

I just got back from 16 days in Rio and can heartily recommend on Pampas Oceano Crustaceo one block east from the Hotel Copacabana Palace and one building off of Avenida Atlantica. The restaurant is totally fish and shellfish with no meats served at all. The quality and variety of fish beats what is offered at Marius Crusteceao hands down. The price was 79R per person. Any you can order whatever you want without waiting for the different waiters to bring by what you would like. We ordered wonderful oysters, freshly-opened by the dozen and cazaquinhas(sp?)/lobster tails by the half-dozen with drawn butter. Simply scrumptious. They had super sole both fresh and smoked. Ditto on the salmon.

[Guest Tomcal_]

I went to a restaurant for the first time called Cafe Feliz, in

Ipenema, here is the description one reviewer gave:

 

""Cafe Felice which serves great cocktails, pastas, gourmet

sandwiches and the best ice-cream in town to a hip Carioca crowd.""

It has a small outdoor eating area, large first floor dining area and

a smaller 2nd floor area as well. I would guess the night we were

there, Sunday about 10:00 pm , about 2/3 of the crowd was gay, felt

like I was in Chelsea or West Hollywood.

 

Another upscale choice is either of the two restaurants in the Marina

Tower hotel and Marina Suites hotel which are next door to each other

in Leblon, upscale, intimate, very gay friendly. Excellent food and

service. I liked the restaurant in the Marina Tower hotel slightly

better, it's called "Bar d'hotel" restaurant, at Ave Delfim Moreira

and Atlantica, facing the ocean, take a special friend here for a

romantic evening.

 

For Sushi lovers, "Azumi" Restaurant, across the street from the

Royal Rio hotel, at 127 Rua Ministro Viveiros de Castro. There were

6 of us and we got one of the private rooms and it was excellent

[Big Daddy]

The following is my impression of several restaurants in Rio.

 

***** La Maison Located at the cornor of Santa Clara & Atlantico. Santa Clara is two blocks from Siguiera Campos, headed toward Ipenema.

 

This is a very gay friendly, very fun place. It has a open sidewalk section, in addition to inside seating. The waiters are wonderful and really make you feel like family. Very good food, very reasonably priced.

 

***** Por Cao Flamingo. All the taxis can get you there.

 

The best rodizio in Rio. Gay friendly and the waiters are all Brazilian studs to say the least. The food is suburb. About $R50 before drinks. All you can eat, very high quality.

 

***** Cafe Lamas, in Flamingo. Taxis know the place

 

Opened in 1874, this is a real find. It is always packed with locals and gives a very Braziliam feel. The waiters are all in white coats and ties and bustle about meeting your every need. The speciality of the house is filet mignot, and it is very very good. A filet mignot dinner starts at $R20. A very fun place.

 

***** Garrota do Ipanema Well know to taqxis

 

This is where the song was composed. Very lively, fun place, not particularily gay. No one seems to notice that Wan Hallen is all over me, making sure that everyone knows he is my armorado. The food is excellent, especiall the the filet mignot for two. They bring out a grill and you finish cooking the steak yourself. They serve so much, this keeps it warm for you.

 

***** Via Farme Very gay friendly in the gay part of Ipanema. Rua Farme de Amoedo, 47, Ipanema

 

Really good Italian food. We had a great time there. Had a table with an open window to the street. I had lobster ravioli for $R23.

 

***** Trattora Across from the Excelsior Hotel, taxis know where it is.

 

Very quaint place with very good food. There was an interesting signed posted to the bar. It was a warning that sex with minors was against the law in Rio. Seems like a family type restaurant and I wondered about the sign. It is the only place in Rio I have seen such a warning. I had scallopini for $R26.

 

Will add to the list later.

 

Big Daddy

[Guest ihpguy]

Although I've always liked the lunch buffet at Confeiteria Columbo, I have never really enjoyed their baked desserts. I do not know what it is, but the caloric desserts available in Rio have never come close to the best available in France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany or Switzerland. And let's not even get into discussion of apple strudel. If you can't see through the dough, as my grandmother said, it still isn't light enough. The last time I had strudel here in the US, the "authentic" french bistro used filo dough. Anyway, I think I really do appreciate fine sweets and I found a good place called Chocolatras in Leblon. They have four locations in Rio, three in the southern part of Rio and one in Sao Cristovao. Great mouse and flourless chocolate cakes, supper cappucino and incredible chocolate truffles. And much less expensive than Columbo as well. A nice sixed piece of cake for under 4R and truffles for only 1R. Of course, the saunas also some wonderfully delectable, noncaloric desserts as well. But the prices can range considerably higher.