Traditional Brazilian Restaurants
Serve Fantastic Latin Fare!

It's so Good You'll Think it was Home Made!

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A Brazilian food staple is Farofa, which is a starch derived from the manioc root. It is dried, fried lightly, often mixed with egg, and served as a side dish. Simpler versions are sprinkled over the rice and beans. You won't find Farofa on the menu in any other country, so don't miss it!

Feijoada- this is the traditional Brazilian restaurant weekend dish, which is a black bean based stew made with pork and all manner of other things. It's served in restaurants that specialize in the dish, hotel buffets, and occasionally in neighborhood restaurants.

You will also see "Cozida" on the weekend menus, and this is a stew of whatever the restaurant makes. A good Cozida is often less expensive than a Feijoada, and makes for a hearty lunch for two people.

Included in our list of traditional Brazilian restaurants, are also those that serve Portuguese and other ethnic foods that have become a part of the Brazilian cuisine over the centuries. There are some outstanding Portuguese and Italian restaurants that should not be missed.

You will notice that a few of our favorite places have the word "Bar" in the names. These traditional Brazilian restaurants may have started out as bars many years ago, but have evolved into classic neighborhood eateries, each with its own unique ambiance. Their menus almost always include their own house specialties that are served at reasonable prices. Some of your best dining experiences and memories may just come from eating lunch or dinner at these "Bars"!

Our Favorite Traditional Brazilian
Restaurants in Rio de Janeiro

Bar do Beto- Restaurante & Pizzeria $$

Bar do Beto is a small relaxed traditional Brazilian restaurant with about 20 tables, located 2 blocks up from the beach on a side street that has numerous restaurants, bars, and cafes. Bar do Beto is one of those restaurants that serves unpretentious yet perfectly prepared dishes.

Attention to detail in presentation and service is provided by very professional bow-tied waiters. The manager may entice you with the extensive wine list.

Dishes range from R$ 26- R$80. Frango (chicken), carnes steaks), and Peixes (Fish) dishes are the specialties. Most dished are "bem servido" (large portions) usually enough for 2 people.

The Frango Cubano Milanese (Chicken breasts lightly breaded and fried) and Frango Francesa (grilled chicken breasts) are excellent and a bargain at $R26 - $R28 each.

Bar do Beto is also a pizzeria, and serves wonderful thin crust pizza with a wide variety of fresh toppings. The pies are pretty large at about 15 inches across.

You can spend a lot or a little, and either way enjoy a wonderful meal at Bar do Beto.

Insider's Tip - On a hot evening, ask if the upstairs air conditioned dining room is open, or sit downstairs at a table by the large casement windows and catch the breeze coming up the street from the beach.

Da Silva $$ - $$$

Da Silva is a traditional Brazilian restaurant that specializes in Portuguese food. It's located on a tree lined street in a lively part of Ipanema, next door to the popular Botequim Itahy and Botequim Informal.

It's a great place to have lunch and sample a wide variety of Portuguese specialties from their Por Kilo (pay by weight)buffet. Try some of the many varieties of Cod Fish (Bacalhau) that are offered.

At dinner the dishes are served is a la carte. Again, Portuguese dishes are the specialty, but the beef fillet served with cooked potatoes is just fantastic.

The owners of Da Silva also own Antiquarius in Leblon, a well regarded upscale gourmet Portuguese restaurant. They have also opened a new Botequim in Niteroi called Sao Nunca (No such saint!)

Enjoy a hearty meal at Da Silva and then pop in to one of the botequins next door for a couple of chopps (draft pilsner).

Antiquarius $$$

Antiquarius may be considered a traditional Brazilian restaurant, as the Portuguese influenced dishes have been blended into exquisite Brazilian versions of these dishes. However, Antiquarius offers many typical Portuguese specialties served in the traditional style.

Their extensive menu includes over 300 items, with over 20 cod dishes, other seafood dishes, and numerous meat dishes including Portuguese styles of beef, pork, and goat. Italian plates are also abundant.

Antiquarius has long been considered a top Brazilian restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, and is certainly serves some of the best Portuguese fare in Brazil. The restaurant's setting in a colonial style building, lends to it an "old world" ambiance.

If you are staying in Copacabana or Ipanema and are looking for the best in Portuguese food, with a hefty price tag to go with it, then a cab ride to Antiquarius in Leblon is your ticket for the evening.

Link to menu at Antiquarius Restaurant website

Casa da Feijoada $$-$$$

The traditional Brazilian restaurant Casa da Feijoada serves the classic Feijoada seven days a week versus the usual Saturdays and Sundays.

For first time visitors to Brazil, eating a Feijoada is an absolute must. Casa de Feijoada serves it up right, with all the accompaniments including Farofa, orange slices, couve (kale).

Casa de Feijoada makes a decent Caiparinha, a drink that goes hand and glove with Feijoada. Kick back and make an afternoon out of it!

Casa da Feijoada has gotten a bit pricey over the past couple of years, as it caters to more and more tourists. It's now $R49 per person for the complete meal. Many smaller traditional Brazilian restaurants in Rio serve decent Feijoada, mostly on weekends, for lower prices.

Bar Lagoa $$

Bar Lagoa, may have started out in 1934 as an Art Deco style bar, but it's evolved into an excellent traditional Brazilian restaurant and meeting place for residents of Lagoa and Ipanema. In the 2nd World War, "Bar Berlin" as it was known then, was stoned by students rebelling against the owners who were sympathetic to the Germans.

The restaurant's name may have changed, but the tradition of serving large portions of superbly prepared German food has continued. Pork dishes, potatoes, and potato salad are their specialties. The fillet appetizer is very good as well.

The waiters are known for being a bit surly, but several of them have have worked here for more than 20 years, and they are extremely efficient.

Bar Lagoa gained fame for it's excellent Brahma Chopp served with a creamy head. So it's also a great place to stop for a beer after an afternoon walk around Lagoa Rodrigo Freitas, or in the later evening when a younger more raucous crowd takes over.

If you are in Rio in December, don't miss seeing the world's largest floating Christmas tree in the Lagoa neighborhood.

Visit the Bar Lagoa website

Bar Luiz $$

Bar Luiz is known for its cold draft beer and excellent German food, including Kassler (smoked ribs), white bratwurst, Vienna sausage, Eisbein (pork), and other sausage varieties. Try the mixed sausage appetizer.

See our full review of Bar Luiz on our Rio de Janeiro Bars page.

Bar Urca $$

If you take a walking tour of the lovely and very safe Urca neighborhood, you must stop at Bar Urca for a snack or a meal.

Upstairs at Bar Urca is a traditional Brazilian restaurant that overlooks a quiet part of Guanabara Bay where small fishing boats bob in the sea. The small dining room has been renovated and has several nice tables as well as a narrow bar where you can look directly out into the bay.

Bar Urca serves excellent Pestiscos (appetizers) and Pastels. Pastel de Camarao (Shrimp turnover), fried Sardines, and Bolinho de bacalhau (deep fried cod balls) are among the favorites. Dinner entrees include typical Brazilian fare, as well as seafood dishes. Try the "Bacalhau a Portuguesa" (Codfish Portuguese style).

Cariocas gather and sit on the sea wall adjacent to Bar Urca, and are served cold bottled beer and snacks by waiters who dash back and forth across the narrow tree lined street. It makes for a colorful yet idyllic neighborhood scene on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Insider's Tip - After riding the cable car up and back from Pao de Acucar, take the short walk over to and through the picturesque Urca neighborhood. End up at Bar Urca for a late lunch, early dinner, or just snacks and beer. Then catch a taxi back to your hotel or apartment.

Go to menu at Bar Urca website

Shirley $$

Unique Spanish style food is served at Shirley by the 83 year old owner Estrella Sanchez who is from Galicia Spain. She runs the restaurant with the help of her grandson Mario Alphonso. The professional waiters wear white suits which are common in upscale traditional Brazilian restaurants.

Generous plates are offered for good prices in the rustic and tight dining room. The place gets packed on weekends with a waiting line. Get there early or call ahead to make reservations.

The delicious couverte ($R7) served with bread, is mussels in a vinaigrette sauce along with marinaded sardines.

Shirley's is known for their traditional Valenciana Paella ($R 44 for two people), made with shrimp, crab, seafood, pork, and ox.

Prawns (almost 100 grams each) made in the house style are stuffed with catupiry (cream cheese) and served with rice and raisins. ($R55)

Paz e Amor $-$$

You won't find this traditional Brazilian restaurant in most guide books, but don't let that fool you, as this simple open air cafe serves standard Comida Brasileira (Brazilian food)at great prices.

Try the "Camarao com Arroz a la Grega"(Breaded and lightly fried shrimp with Greek style rice). It's advertised as a 1 person dish, but is enough to feed 2 people. There are daily lunch specials advertised as "Pratos Executivos" (executive plates), however you won't find any business executives dining here!

Paz e Amor means "Peace and Love" and at night it turns into a fun loving working class bar and restaurant for the locals. We recommend having a late lunch or early dinner here as it's more quiet and the service is better than in the evenings. It can also get a bit smoky after dark.

Paz e Amor also serves a traditional Feijoada on Saturdays and Sundays at mid day, only R$38 for 2 people, until the food runs out. They also serve an excellent "Cozida" (Stew) on Sundays.

Alvaro's $$

Alvaro's is one of many laid back traditional Brazilian restaurants, whose dining room shelters regular older customers who drink whiskey with their meals. Leblon families also love the place, as the portions are large (most often enough for 2 people) and the entrees are delicately prepared.

For starters try their renowned Pasteis (R$2.00 - $2.50) including shrimp, catupiry (cream cheese), and palmito (heart of palm).

Alvaro's offers daily specials that vary Monday - Friday such as Carne Seca (Smoked beef) with pumpkin; Tu Tu with greens $R25 a traditional Brazilian dish of beans and manioc flour); or Rabada $R28 (Oxen tail) with water cress, polenta, and rice.

Feijoada (R$40) is served on Saturdays, and Cozida ($R40) on Sundays.

A real treat is the grilled codfish "Porto" style with pan fried potatoes, bell peppers, olives, egg, and onion. $R79 for two people.

Barril 1800 $$

Barril is one of several large open air traditional Brazilian restaurants in Rio that are located on the ocean front. It's built partially out over the mosaic sidewalk where the Ipanema neighborhood meets Arpoador. It's a busy loud place, with many well spaced tables, ceiling fans, and wooden floors, and candles on the tables. Efficient bow-tied white shirted waiters zoom about the place serving snacks, dinners, and of course claro and escura chopp (light or dark draft beer).

Tourists come here after the beach to enjoy appetizer plates ($R15-$21) such as Casquinha de Siri (crab cakes), sliced grilled sausage with onions, Pasteis, and Lula (deep fried squid).

Meals are single portion, but some are enough for two people such as the fried chicken breast dinner. They specialize in steaks, seafood, and German specialties ($R22 - $R36). The current chef is from Uruguay and grilled beef is his passion.

Feijoada is served on Saturdays for $R28 or $R47 for 2 people.

Barril 1800 is a good place to meet friends to party and have a late dinner, as they have live music on most summer nights after 8:30pm.

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