Salvador and the Bahia Coast Restaurants

1. Bar do Raúl

The freshest of such Bahian delicacies as mariscada (seafood stew), casquinha de siri (shredded crab), and arroz de polvo (octopus rice) at great-value prices and served right on the beach are what make Raúl’s a longtime local favorite. The service is friendly and slick and the portions so generous that one main course can be shared among three or four people. Set on the beach of Saquaira, Raúl’s is a lot more laid-back than the beach bars in Barra Grande and a good opportunity to catch a slice of local life.

2. Paraíso Tropical

Ask locals and longtime expats alike what not to miss in Salvador and the response you get will be unanimous: Paraíso Tropical. In a tropical garden in the suburb of Cabula, a 20-minute taxi ride from the Historic Center, this relaxed, gourmet spot treats patrons to Bahian classics with a twist. Chef Beto reinvents heavy dishes like moqueca and bobo using natural dendê fruit rather than oil, combined with rare tropical fruits sourced from more than 6,000 square meters of native Mata Atlântica forest. Everything is cooked in agua de coco instead of water to increase the nutritional value of the dishes. Go with friends and go hungry, for while the siri catado (Bahia soft-shell crab), salada duca (mango, baby coconut, and cashew salad), and Beto's special moqueca stand out, you'll want to try everything.

3. Restaurante da Sylvinha

This colorful cottage with some of the most innovative food in Bahia, set right on Praia do Espelho, draws Trancoso's jet set, who get here via a bumpy 40-minute drive on dirt roads. Sylvinha serves a generous set menu that blends Brazilian and Asian flavors (think ginger-infused fish and tropical fruit chutneys) to diners who gather around a few big tables on the terrace of her house. Daybeds are set under the coconut palms for post-lunch snoozing. Reservations are essential at this lunch-only spot.

4. São João Batista

5. A Portinha

This good-value, lunch-only, buffet-style restaurant attracts both locals and foreign visitors with its generous salad bar and variety of "slow-cooked" options. The restaurant serves a different type of cuisine daily, so the fare for any given day might include Brazilian, Italian, or Asian specialties. Price is charged per weight of the food on your plate.

6. Bar do Rô

7. Bargaço

Delicious Bahian dishes of fresh seafood are served at this longtime favorite, where the ample portions are great for sharing and the alfresco setting provides a convivial vibe for a family celebration. Pata de caranguejo (vinegary crab claws) is hearty and may do more than take the edge off your appetite for the requisite moqueca de camarão (with shrimp) or moqueca de siri mole (with soft-shell crab); try the cocada(coconut confections) for dessert, if you have room.

8. Boi Preto

For a set price this top-quality, all-you-can-eat Brazilian churrascaria serves a selection of meat cooked to perfection and a generous choice of sides. A flurry of white-coated waiters appear at your table to carve different options of meat straight onto your plate rodizio style, so try not to fill up on the steaming pao de quiejo (cheese balls), salads, sushi, and seafood from the accompanying buffet—and also know that the best cuts are usually brought toward the end of the meal. Drinks and dessert are charged separately.

9. Cabana Recanto do Sossego

Run by three Italians, this beach restaurant combines fresh seafood with homegrown classics, such as fish carpaccio and gnocchi with pesto sauce. The place is packed with families most nights of the week, while on Saturday, sunset drinks and a DJ draw a younger crowd.

10. Café Ba-Cana

Regular live music and excellent cocktails make this a popular hangout with visitors and locals come nightfall. During the day it's a hot spot for caffeine aficionados, with a range of organic locally produced coffees complementing delicious homemade cakes and a simple menu of salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes.

11. Cozinha Aberta

You’ll be forgiven for wanting to order everything on the menu at Brazilian chef Deborah Doitschinoff’s Slow Food spot set right on the river, where passionate staff talk diners through the rare local ingredients (such as batata da serra) that inspire the menu. Highlights include cacao spaghetti with shrimp, cashew-filled eggplant rolls, and cinnamon and tamarind caipirinhas. And while the flavors could be more inventive for the price, the experience itself—dining alfresco overlooking Lencois’s rushing waterway with excellent service—makes for one of the most pleasant meals in town.

12. Guido's

Local lobster man Guido has grown into something of a Brazilian legend over the past 15 years, since he first began serving up succulent whole lobsters fished right out of the rocks in front of his beachside café on the curved bay of Praia da Cueira, a 30- to 40-minute walk during low tide from Velha Boibepa. It’s a laid-back family affair, with plastic tables and chairs set in the sand and sizeable portions of lobster cooked in spices and honey, served up with traditional rice, beans, and salad.

13. L'Arcangelo

Tucked away on a quiet cobbled street, this lively cantina combines good-value Italian classics with a cozy atmosphere. Owner Rafaele makes the most of fresh local seafood for signature dishes such as spaghetti ai frutti di mare and grilled seafood platter to share. Homemade pastas, tasty meat dishes, and endless indulgent desserts have turned this into a local favorite. Come Sunday, regulars spill out onto tables on the street between watching international football on the large TV and sipping limoncello. The wine list is one of the most varied in town and is well priced, and the fixed-price lunch menu is an excellent value.

14. Lá em Casa

This Praia de Algodoes restaurant–beach bar is run by Helena and Fernando, a charming couple from Rio, whose tapas-style menu and specials evolve daily around fresh local ingredients and create one of the most pleasant dining experiences in Maraú. Tables are set on a first-floor terrace, so diners have views of the bright green coconut palms framing the ocean. Lá em casa translates as "at home," and there is a relaxed feeling of being guests in a friend's house as Helena bustles in and out of the kitchen while her partner Fernando shakes up mango margaritas. They also offer two comfortable bungalows for rent.

15. Macunaíma Beach Lounge

This hippie-chic beach bar is loved as much for its signature cocktail, the Anti-Stress (vodka muddled with lemongrass, mint, and ginger), as for its extensive, tasty menu (try the tuna tartare and teriyaki salmon) and position on the beach at Ponto do Mutá. During high season, it's best to book ahead if you want one of the tables in the sand, perfect for whiling away the day until it's time to watch the sunset. Service can be alternately brilliant and patchy, but when everything clicks, it's one of the more sophisticated options on the peninsula.

16. Restaurante O Bode

This excellent-value per-kilo restaurant offers a great pit stop at lunch or dinner for meat lovers and vegetarians alike, with an extensive salad buffet accompanying a wide selection of slow-roasted meats and vegetable dishes cooked in clay pots.

17. Sabor da Vila

It isn't surprising that seafood fresh from the ocean is the specialty at this simple yet ever-popular Bahian restaurant on Praia do Forte's main street. Choose between eight different varieties of seafood moqueca, or opt for the lighter option of ensopado.

18. Senac

The delicious 30-dish buffet served in the wood-paneled dining room of this restored town house set right on the Pelourinho provides a comprehensive A to Z of Bahian cuisine for the uninitiated at a set price. Start at the small museum on the ground floor, where English-speaking staff will guide you through Bahian food's African roots, before heading up to the breezy dining room to experience it in action. Superbly run by the hospitality school SENAC, the students are responsible for the golden moquecas and impossibly sweet desserts—as well as excellent service. Everything is executed under the watchful eye of professors in suits. Vegetarians should make for the Kilo restaurant below.

19. Tikal Praia Bar

Set on what is arguably Maraú’s most beautiful stretch of coastline, Praia do Algodões, beach-lounge and restaurant Tikal is one of the best places to be, whether whiling away the day over crispy prawns and grilled palm heart or partying until dawn with gorgeous Brazilians at one of their legendary parties. While it may be a bit of a trek from Barra Grande itself (the drive takes approximately 40 minutes), the experience is well worth it, from the sparkling service to swimming in Tikal’s own lagoon. The only downside is that it only opens for two months of the year.

20. Uauá

Tucked away above a busy street in the Pelourinho, Uauá's tasty, typically Brazilian dishes and reliable service make it one of the most popular restaurants in Salvador—and therefore one of the most crowded. Come early to avoid the rush. Don't skip the Northeastern specialities, like guisado de carneiro (minced mutton), moqueca, or carne do sol com purê de macaxeira (salted beef with mandioca (cassava) purée). Portions are big enough to share.