Rio de Janeiro , is a city of smells that delight the senses, has a large and good selection of restaurants where most culinary traditions are represented, from traditional Brazilian, native streetfood – but also influences from Africa and the French and Japanese kitchen. Several of the best gastronomical restaurants are located in Zona Sul and beaches like Ipanema and Leblon. Several of the restaurants are overpriced.

You should visit the “Churrascaria” which is Brazilian steakhouse. On a Churrascaria you can eat meat grilled over an open fire. You can also get Barbecue in the Chapeu Mangueira above the district of Leme last Sunday of each month. The people in Rio de Janeiro eat late and restaurants usually do not fill up until nine o’clock.

There are plenty of affordable lunch places, galetos, where you can enjoy a quick snack at the bar or lanchonetes, cafes such a reasonable price serves a traditional meal of meat, beans and rice.

You also have the botequim which is a mixture of noisy bar and simple bistro and often price worthy. Areas like Flamengo, where once a large part of the diplomatic corps was nesting when Rio was the capital, has received its botequim-renaissance. The bars are shared by residents in two different flavours: simple bar where you stand and places where you will be served at the table.

Famous places in Rio

Avoid the tacky tourist bars and visit some of the most famous places in Rio de Janeiro….

Botecobelmonte
One of Rio’s most cool venues. Crowded, cluttered and noisy
www.botecobelmonte.com.br

Bar Luiz
One of the oldest bars in the Centro for the intellectuals.
www.barluiz.com.b

Confeitaria Colombo
One of the most beautiful dining rooms in South America
www.confeitariacolombo.com.br

Club Sandwich
Rio de Janeiro’s latest hip eaterie with cool design launched by legendary restaurateur Rogério Fasano and featured in the trendy magazine Wallpaper.
Address: Rua Aníbal de Mendonça 112
Ipanema

Bondinho de Santa Teresa

Brunches at Santa Teresa
Brunch at Santa Teresa with a magnificent view over the city. Santa Teresa is an area with large height differences.  Along the steep cobbled streets are county upper class houses with towers and pinnacles. A very bohemian, but beautiful area.
www.aprazivel.com.br

In Santa Terasa you also will find Aprazível Sabor in Rua Aprazível 62. It is one of the most fashinable restaurants in Rio.

Cafezinho – cafés and coffee shops
www.confeitariacolombo.com.br
www.largodasletras.com.br

Culinary and other specialities in Rio

Local flavour

Why not try the Brazilian national meal feijoada? Feijoada is made on black beans, salted-pork, sausage and onions served with rice. You also have the famous Filé à Oswaldo Aranha which is one of the best known dishes in Rio, served at Cosmopolita, and named after the politician Oswaldo Aranha. Several of the Brazilian home cooking dishes come from Minas Gerais.

Casa da Feijoada
Popular place for all feijoada enthusiasts.
Address: Rua Prudente de Morais 10
Phone. +55 21 2247 2776
www.cozinhatipica.com.br

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Siri Mole
Beautifully seafood from the region Bahia in Northeast Brazil – influenced by Africa and a lot of seafood. Here you can eat the delicious Siri Mole. Among the specialties are exotic dishes like acarajé, a mixture of fried white beans and shrimp, and moqueca de Siri which is stewed small crabs in coconut milk.
Address: Rua Francisco Otaviano 50
Phone +55 21 2267 0894
www.sirimole.com.br

Azumi
Brazilians have embraced the Japanese kitchen and many argue Azumi is the best Japanese cuisine in town. This restaurant offers excellent sushi and sashimi.
Address: Rua Ministro Viveiro
de Castro 127
Phone +55 21 2541 4294

Astor
Beach front bar in Ipanema and you should try Besteirinha.
Astor (Avenida Vieira Souto, 110, Ipanema, tel (21) 2523-0085).

Londra
Bar in Ipanema for fashionistas.
(Avenida Vieira Souto, 80, Ipanema, tel (21) 3202-4000)

Yoruba
Afro-Brazilian cuisine in top class
Try African menu, a selection of West African dishes, or piripiri – a spicy rice dish with strong ginger, coconut milk and shrimp.
Address: Rua Arnaldo Quintela 94
Phone +55 21 2541 9387

Esplanada Grill 
If you like whiskey
Rua Barao da Torre 600, Ipanema, tel. (21) 2239-6028)

Gero
Italian restaurant on the top-class with homemade pasta and risotto. They also have a good selection of vegetarian dishes.
Address: Rua Anibal de Mendonca 157
Phone +55 21 2239 8158

Paris Bar
In Flamengo with retro atmosphere.
(Rua Praia do Flamengo, 34, tel. (21) 2551-1278

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Things from the menu…

Bacalhau: salted codfish
Bolinho the bacalhau: cod in a ball

Moqueca: seafood stew with coconut milk and palm oil from Bahía. Ok I know Bahía is another state but it taste delicious so try to get it.

Peixe: Fish

Farofa
Toasted manioc flour Brazilians put it on beans and many other dishes.

Queijo: cheeese browned over a hand-held charcoal oven often served at beaches often eaten with sweet molasses.

Salgados: Street food

Icecream: If you like eating ice cream than Rio de Janeiro is the area to be as you just might discover it on pretty much every corner of the city in a bundle of assortments like passionfruit, acai or mango.

Watch up for the pizzas…
Brazilians put ketchup and mustard on it…and the best place to get a brazilian pizza is Bráz.
www.casabraz.com.br

Drinks

Academia de Cachaça
Cachaça is the national liquor of Brazil but remember sugar cane rum from Brazil have different qualities.The cheaper ones that are chemically produced are usually white in color and there are Cachaças with a better quality often with a brown color.
www.academiadacachaca.com.br

Then you have different alcoholic drinks like: Capeta, Caipirinha, Caipivodca (Caipirinha made with vodka), Caju Amigo and Leite de Onça (Jaguar Milk).