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Travel Blog: Where to eat and drink in Rio (and where not to!)Published on Jan 23, 2008 by LucyHB |
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1. Chapter: Comfort food in Botafogo |
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'Comfort food' is the name of the game at Miam Miam, a trendy little restaurant hidden away on a Botafogo back street. All too often Rio's attempts at 'cool' mean simply taking influence from the tackiest of European/North American posing parlours, but here the French/Brazilian owners have created a laid-back, kitschy little place that also delivers top-notch food. The kooky decor includes original tables and chairs from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, while brightly-coloured lamps suspended from the ceiling take you right back to the swinging sixties. The place only has 40 covers, making reservations essential every single night (Miam Miam doesn't open for lunch and is closed Sun and Mon), although if you're prepared for a loooong wait at the bar then you could try just turning up. It's easy to miss this place- look out for a tiny little white colonial building on Rua General Goes Monteiro - about 10 minutes' walk from Botafogo metro station - as the restaurant's name is written in tiny letters on the window. Don't overdress here or you'll stand out like a sore thumb - even the waiters have untucked shirts, trainers, and skater-style piercings. Don't let the casual garb fool you though - this is no student haunt. Prices are at the high end - starters begin at about R$20, mains at about R$35, and a bottle of wine averages at about R$50. The cuisine is described as 'comfort food' and my wild mushroom risotto was exactly that - rich, creamy, comforting and absolutely packed with wild mushrooms - a real treat as mushrooms are hard to come by in there natural form here, usually you'll just find them in jars, at ludicrous prices. There are good meat and seafood dishes too, but always several veggie options. For pudding, we were coerced (well, it didn't take much) into sampling a platter of delicate little miniature desserts, including cheesecakes, chocolate roll with maracuja (passion fruit) sauce, and the nicest of all - a baked Alaska-meets-apple-strudel hot pie with ice cream in the middle. Hmmmmm.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: comfortfood relaxed casual trendy |
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2. Chapter: Mr Lam |
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It's fair to say that Chinese food has a pretty terrible reputation in South America, being largely associated with cheap, greasy food in tatty surroundings. But the arrival of Mr Lam, in leafy Jardim Botanico, is making Peking cuisine the latest trendy tucker among wealthy Cariocas. Head chef at this super-upmarket restaurant is Mr Lam himself, who also holds up the kitchen at Mr Chow in New York, a favourite haunt among young socialites such as Paris Hilton. Here in Rio, the restaurant is going for much the same crowd - as evidenced by the red carpet and initimidating-looking doorman. The restuarant is huge and, in my opinion, the downstairs is a little on the tacky side - with its red plastic bar and black leather chairs. It's all very expensively done, of course, but does smack a little of appealing to those with more money than taste. On the top floor, however, it's a different story. At night, the roof comes off to reveal the stars and the lit-up statue of Christ perfectly overhead. If you choose to come here, book in advance to make sure you get a seat upstairs with a view of the statue. The food is way above average Peking cuisine. The crispy duck is the most popular order - being something of a novelty here in Rio - but if you've got your eye on the pennies the most economical option (it's all pretty relative as prices here are sky high) is to share a set meal without the duck - about R$70 for two. Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: expensive view rooftop pekingcuisine |
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3. Chapter: Amarelinho da Cinelandia |
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Nosy types like myself can't fail to appreciate the location of this Centro bar and restaurant - the plastic tables and chairs sit right on the flagstones of Praca da Floriana (best known as Cinelandia) - a busy square full of lost tourists, hardworking Cariocas and local loonies. You'll see every walk of life from your seat under the bright yellow canopy, and if you tire of the people-watching there's always the imposing Teatro Municipal to the side of the bar, and the impressive Biblioteca Nacional, right in front. Food is pretty cheap, given the good location, and portions are generally big enough for two. Pizzas are around R$20, a mixed grill with side dishes around the same price. If you just want a light snack and a drink, order a couple of chopps and fries - you'll receive an absolute mound that's big enough for two to nibble on as you watch the crazy goings on in front of you.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: peoplewatching busysquare views goodfood chopp |
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4. Chapter: My favourite restaurant in Rio! |
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This is my favourite restaurant in the whole of Rio, and happily it's just a couple of minutes' walk from my apartment in Santa Teresa. It's a relaxed little place whose walls are covered in original artwork by Selaron - the offbeat Chilean artist who has transformed the nearby Lapa steps into an ever-evolving art installation, along with miniature Santa Teresa trams and, for some reason, giant pumpkins that intermittently have tiny hats on their 'heads'. The food is North Eastern/Bahian, served in absolutely enormous portions - as a veggie couple my boyfriend and I share the set meal of grilled cheese with brown beans, rice, aipim and forofa - we only ever order the portion that claims to be for one person, but always struggle to finish it even between two of us. Prices are an absolute bargain, this enormous set meal (trust me, you won't need to order the version for two people unless there are four of you...) costs just over R$20, and the well-chilled bottles of Bohemia are just R$3.80. You can combine further boozing with dessert by ordering a coconut or maracuja batida (cachaca, fruit and condensed milk 'drink') - so thick it's like a creamy pudding, and so packed with alcohol it will make your head spin.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: greatvalue northeasternfood art selaron batida |
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5. Chapter: Botequim de Belmonte |
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There are branches of this botequim chain all over Rio, and it's a good, safe bet for well-kept draft beers and above average bar meals. The Copacabana branch, on Rua Domingos Ferreira, is just a block from the beach and a far better bet than the tourist traps that serve up greasy food along Avenida Atlantica. Prices are a little high, but portions generally serve two - you can get a decent (for Rio) pizza, and there are plenty of fish, meat and chicken meals as well as soups and salads, If you just want a little snack, try a couple of the empadas (tiny pies) or pasties - my favourite is the palmito empada, although the pastel of provolone cheese and onion is tasty too. Don't expect to fill up on these though, they really are miniscule. The dark beer is good but expensive, and I got a little grumpy here when the waiters failed to bring over our change - granted, it was less than a real, but given the already high prices and the fact that the service charge had already been added, it seemed a little cheeky to hold onto it when we had only come in for one drink each and a couple of empadas. It was a minor grumble, but an irritant none the less, as it meant the cost of two small chopps and four tiny pastries totalled over R$20.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: overpriced decentfood tipping empadas beach |
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6. Chapter: Monkeys and toucans! |
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Aprazivel, in Santa Teresa, wins brownie points for its amazing location. You eat your food in a tropical garden where monkeys play overhead (apparently there's even a pair of toucans but I didn't spot them), under grass and bamboo roofs. There's an outdoor bar, too, and a table for six people is a sort of treehouse, up a steep wooden ladder. The restaurant is high up in Santa Teresa, and there are great views over the city below and of the bay. Oh, and the food's pretty good too - Brazilian with a French touch, created by a chef from Minas Gerais who trained at the French Culinary Institute. It's expensive, but the location makes it worth it for a birthday or anniversary treat.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: views monkeys minasfood french toucans |
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7. Chapter: Cipriani, Copacabana Palace |
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OK, I admit it, I can't afford this place. The prices are sky high. However, I did get a free feed here as part of a press visit. This is the formal hotel at the iconic (and very beautiful) Copacabana Palace, and the service was, as you would expect, perfect. From my table I could see out to the hotel's huge pool, and the well-to-do guests hanging out beside it. The food is excellent North Italian - I tried a few little dishes such as the polenta with brie and wild mushrooms, fresh tagliatelli, and risotto with asparagus and seafood. There's a great wine list too - but again, it's very expensive - and I had a lovely Bellini while I tried to act like I was used to dining in such plush surroundings.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: iconichotel pool restaurant service expensive winelist |
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8. Chapter: Avenida Atlantica |
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With very few exceptions, restaurants along Avenida Atlantica (the main strip opposite the beach) are tourist traps serving overpriced. greasy food to visitors who don't know where else to go. A couple of exceptions are Arab,which serves reasonable Arabic (surprise!) food, and Manoel and Joaquim, which is part of a well-respected Rio chain. Otherwise, avoid!
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: touristtraps overpriced greasy |
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9. Chapter: Copa-eating in your bikini |
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Just a couple of years ago, the best hungry sunbathers in Copacabana could find would be a greasy snack from one of the traditional beach kiosks. Not so any more - there are now smart new glass kiosks serving everything from Bahian cuisine (Siri Mole & Cia), to champagne and salmon. There's even a branch of McDonalds, should you feel the urge for a Big Mac!
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: beachfood bahianfood mcdonalds |
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10. Chapter: 'Sardine Alley' - Centro |
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Carioca's love their 'happy hour' - the time for after-work eating and drinking, and there's no better illustration of this than 'sardine alley' in Centro. This is a pedestrianised street lined with informal bar-restaurants, all serving battered and fried sardines, nicknamed 'chicken of the sea'. Plastic tables and chairs line the street and, if you arrive on a Friday evening, a party atmosphere soon takes hold
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: sardinealley chickenofthesea centro happyhour |
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11. Chapter: Vegetarian Feijoada! |
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Vegetarians in Brazil can get a rough deal at times, but at Vegetarian Social Clube, in Leblon, meat-shunners can chow down on that Carioca institution, feijoada, without having to worry about coming across bits of feet and ears. The tasty feijoada here (served on Saturdays, as per traditiion) is made with smoked tofu and tempeh, and during the week you can choose from plenty other yummy veggie options from the buffet, or take away a wholemeal pasty. Mmmm.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: vegetarian feijoada tofu pasties buffet |
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12. Chapter: Bistro do Paco |
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This is a cute little Bistro in the Paco do Imperial, Centro, where you can fill your plate for R$15 at the lunchtime buffet or order tasty sandwich (my favourite is buffallo mozzeralla with aubergine and tomato) for R$10. It's hidden away in a little white colonial building that's a cultural centre - I'd like to say I stumbled across it while browsing an art gallery, but actually I'd gone into the cultural centre to use the toilet, and came across this place.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: sandwiches buffet culturalcentre centro |
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13. Chapter: Garota de Gavea |
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Garota de Ipanema is famous for being the spot where 'The Girl from Ipanema' was written, and it's managed to trade off that for decades while serving pretty terrible food. Irritatingly, it's touristy status has led to a couple of spin-off venues, in Gavea and Copacabana. I went to the Gavea one (for some inexplicable reason) and not only was the food bad but the service was really rude. When we requested something that the waiter had forgotten from our order, he slammed it onto the table in fit of pique. It's not particularly cheap either - I'd say give this whole chain a wide berth.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: badservice rudewaiter poorfood |
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14. Chapter: Carretao |
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I'm a vegetarian, but I love this all-you-can eat barbeque place. Sounds odd? Maybe, but aside from the grilled meat there's a massive selection of salads, sushi, risottos, pastas...as well as the garlic bread, cheese etc that the waiters bring round before they start on the meat. It's only R$30 per person, which is a pretty good deal when you consider most main courses elsewhere cost more than that. If you eat meat as well, you're really laughing. It's not as upmarket as pricey Porcao, but the food and service are both really good.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: allyoucaneat rodizio churrascaria salads risotto |
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15. Chapter: Barill 1800 |
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This is pretty much the only place to have a meal and a drink looking right out over Ipanema beach. It has formal table service but there's really no need to dress up - by day it's full of people in their bikinis and sarongs, straight from the beach. You can get fish, pasta and seafood dishes here, or come on Saturday for the feijoada. Barril 1800 isn't cheap, but it's certainly reasonable for the location (main meals are about R$25-3 The first time I came here I found the waiters a little too attentive - rushing arounf lighting cigarettes for us etc - and it seemed like they were fishing for an extra tip. When I visited again a couple of weeks ago, though, they were fine.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: bikini beach mainmeals |
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16. Chapter: Oldest restaurant in Rio |
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Rio Minho, in Centro, is apparently the oldest restaurant in the city, and it certainly has plenty of old-school charm. It's famous for seafood, and above all for being the place where the seafood soup 'Sopa Leao Veloso' was invented. You'll find it all over menus in Rio, but here you can try the original - it was invented in honour of a Brazilian Ambassador in the 1800s (I think!) and combines loads of different types of seafood with garlic and onions.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: seafood soup history |
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17. Chapter: Tempeh |
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Ah, yummy. This place is an all-you-can-eat veggie/vegan lunch spot, and for R$15 you'll get sushi, soups, salads...all kinds of tasty and healthy stuff that changes daily. It's hidden up a flight of stairs in Centro so you'll have to seek it out, but it's well worth the visit if you're a veggie.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: veggie vegan sushi |
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18. Chapter: Good news for sushi fans - Koni's here! |
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Cariocas love their crazes, and one of the latest crazes at the moment is for cones of sushi. All over the city there have cropped up branches of a sushi-cone place called Koni (original name, hey?) - little kiosks with a few seats inside and out. The cones are pretty expensive for what you get though - R$10 for a not particulary big seaweed-wrapped cone filled with rice and vegetables/fish/whatever. Tasty though.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: sushi craze kiosks expensive |
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19. Chapter: Bar Monaco |
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This place doesn't look much, but it's won loads of awards for its seafood, and the service is great. It's away from the beachfront but pretty easy to find, with loads of tables and chairs outside and a 'proper' restaurant inside. You can just have a drink outside on the pavement tables, or have a full meal - either way you'll have plenty of space as this place is pretty much undiscovered by tourists.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: seafood paella pavementtables |
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20. Chapter: Emporio, Ipanema |
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This is more of a drinking than an eating spot, but if you're looking for a late night drink in Ipanema without paying a cover charge, you'll want to make your way here. It's packed virtually every night, with a mix of gringoes, locals and 'gringo hunters' spilling out onto the pavement. The music's a bit of a mixed bag - some nights are much better than others, but it depends on your taste. On some nights you'll find rock and alternative, on others it's British indie and a few Brazilian MPB tunes. The place doesn't get busy until about 11pm, but after that it stays packed until around 4-5am. Tip - if you want to avoid the service charge, queue up at the smaller bar, although you'll have to take your drink in a plastic cup.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: packed tourists gringoes nightlife |
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21. Chapter: Sobrenatural |
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You can't miss this place in Santa Teresa - the swing doors have been fashioned to look like the sides of the famous Santa Teresa tram (bonde) and there's a life-sized statue of a seafood-brandishing Bahian woman in front of the building. Inside, it's all exposed brick walls and black and white checked floor tiles, with aged waiters serving up excellent Bahian seafood. Like so many places in Rio, it's a little pricey, but the quality is good.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: bahianfood seafood tasty |
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22. Chapter: Esprito Santo |
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Another great place in Santa Teresa, this is quite an upmarket joint, serving Pan-Brazilian food and good fruit cocktails. The decor's understated but pleasant, and there's a nice balcony to sit out on if the weather holds out (it was raining when I visited). Downstairs, there's a 'mini' club with dancefloor etc, and there are live bands and DJs most weekends. You'll need to watch how much you're spending though - a 'longneck' (mini bottle) of beer costs more in here than a large bottle costs in most other places.
Tags for this Travel Blog Chapter: panbrazilianfood livemusic djs balcony pricey |
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