The South Restaurants

We’ve compiled the best of the best in The South - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.

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  • 1. Al Dente Ristorante

    $$$ | Auxiliadora

    You may be surprised at the quality and authenticity of the Northern Italian cuisine at this small restaurant in Porto Alegre. Among many excellent choices are garganelli (a variety of pasta from Emilia-Romagna) with salmon in wine sauce and fettuccine nere (fettuccine with a black tinge of squid ink) with caviar sauce. A house novelty is the Italian-gaúcho risotto, made with sun-dried meat, tomatoes, and squash. The decor is sober, with candlelit tables and cream drapes covering most of the walls.

    Rua Mata Bacelar 210, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90540-150, Brazil
    051-3343–1841

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch weekends, Credit cards accepted
  • 2. Chef Fedoca

    $$$$ | Lagoa da Conceição

    On the second floor of the Marina Ponta da Areia complex, this restaurant has a grand view of the Lagoa da Conceição, with surrounding green hills as the backdrop. The fare, carefully created by chef Fedoca, a diver himself, includes a wide variety of seafood and pasta options. Fedoca's moqueca (a fish, shrimp, octopus, and mussel stew), inspired by the famed Bahian dish, is the house specialty, as are the lobster dishes.

    Rua Sen. Ivo D'Aquino Neto 133, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88062-050, Brazil
    048-3232–0759

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 3. Gambrinus

    $$$ | Centro

    Porto Alegre's best-known restaurant has been in business at the same spot, steps from city hall at the Mercado Público, since 1889. The walls are covered with Portuguese tiles, antiques, and period photographs exalting those early days. The restaurant is a popular happy-hour spot for politicians and businesspeople. The menu varies daily from beef to fish dishes. One of the highlights is the large Brazilian grey mullet stuffed with shrimp (served Friday and Saturday).

    Rua Borges de Medeiros 85, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90020-020, Brazil
    051-3226–6914

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sat. Closed Sun., Credit cards accepted
  • 4. Ostradamus

    $$$$

    The village of Riberão da Ilha, a mere 21 km (13 miles) away from Florianópolis, is worth an afternoon jaunt to try the local specialty: oysters. There's no better place for oysters than Ostradamus, right on the beach overlooking the oyster beds. Seafood doesn’t get more local and fresh than this. Ask for a table out on the pier, or opt for air-conditioning inside, where the decor and staff are decked out in a nautical theme. Oysters are served numerous ways, from raw to au gratin. In winter, when the bivalves are plumper, you can opt for the degustação (tasting)—a sequence of oysters prepared 16 different ways.

    Rodovia Baldicero Filomeno 7640, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88064-002, Brazil
    48-3337–5711

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
  • 5. Valle Rústico

    $$$$ | Vale dos Vinhedos

    No restaurant is ever perfect, but Valle Rústico comes pretty close. The chef-owner Rodrigo Bellora—a Slow Food disciple—plucks organic ingredients from the garden and sources local produce to assemble simple but stunning dishes. The Italian-style, four-course set-menu (with three options per course) is a great value (R$78) and can be paired with local wines for an extra R$50. Unpretentious is the watchword here, from the dirt-road entrance to the dining room down in the basement of an old colonial house, where whitewashed walls and exposed wood beams lend a rustic, farmstead touch.

    Linha Marcilio Dias s/n, 15 da Graciema, Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, 95720-000, Brazil
    054-3459–1162

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Sun.
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  • 6. Al Nur

    $$ | Boa Vista

    The prix-fixe combo at this small but busy restaurant includes such Lebanese staples as kibbe, esfiha (small minced meat pies), tabouleh, hummus, baba ganoush, fried eggplant, pita bread, rice with lentils, spinach, and falafel. These and other options can also be ordered à la carte. Large windows and a colorful decor add to the allure.

    Av. Protásio Alves 616, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90410-004, Brazil
    051-3330–8609

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 7. Anzol

    $$$ | Centro

    The decor may not be distinguished at this restaurant, but the ample windows overlooking Rio Mampituba create the perfect setting for a fine dinner. Seafood, either grilled or stewed, is the specialty here. Try the camarão na moranga (shrimp in a squash puree).

    Rua Cristovão Colombo 255, Torres, Rio Grande do Sul, 95560-000, Brazil
    051-3664–2427

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 8. Baviera

    $$$ | Centro

    Recommended for those on a budget, Baviera is essentially a pizzeria, but the menu also includes Brazilian-style steak (thin-cut fillet, usually rare), grilled chicken, and hamburgers, with most dishes serving two. The restaurant, in the basement of an imposing house on a hillside, has an Italian cantina look, with wine barrels at the entrance, rustic wood furniture, and candlelighted tables.

    Rua Augusto Stellfeld 18, Curitiba, Paraná, 80410-140, Brazil
    041-3232–1995

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted
  • 9. Bistrô Isadora Duncan

    $$$$

    An eccentric little gem, Bistrô Isadora Duncan is best known for its romantic vibe and views over Lagoa da Conceição. The dark, wood-paneled interior is softly lighted by lamps and chandeliers at night. The food includes mystically named dishes such as enchanted shrimp (flambéed with orange and green pepper) and blessed shrimp (with a Gorgonzola sauce). Book a table on the veranda and marvel at the moon and the crab-catchers below, who wade out with nets and flashlights in the shallows of the lake.

    Rodovia Jornalista Manuel de Menezes 2658, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
    048-3232–7210

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. and Aug. No lunch
  • 10. Bistrô Pedra da Vigia

    $$

    A cozy little restaurant in a converted flour mill, Bistrô Pedra da Vigia is an enduring Praia do Rosa favorite, both for its candlelit ambience and its crowd-pleasing cuisine that covers steak, seafood, and homemade pastas. Some original features remain, including the exposed tiled roof, while a liberal approach with a paintbrush has the woodwork coated in bright shades of yellows, blues, and pinks.

    Caminho do Alto do Morro s/n, Santa Catarina, 88780-000, Brazil
    048-3355–6066
  • 11. Café do Porto

    $$ | Moinhos de Vento | Coffee

    One of the trendiest cafés in town, Porto serves several types of coffee, plus drinks, sandwiches, pies, and pastries. Try the espetinho (little skewer of meats and vegetables) combined with a glass of Chardonnay or the house cappuccino. All coffee is Brazil's finest, from the Mogiana region in São Paulo.

    Rua Padre Chagas 293, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90570-080, Brazil
    051-3346–8385

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 12. Casa Di Paolo

    $$$ | Centro

    Be ready for a hearty feast: this highly regarded restaurant serves a prix-fixe Italian menu with galeto al primo canto (crispy grilled chicken) and a large selection of pasta dishes. Accompaniments include cappelletti soup, polenta, and radicci (a green-leaf salad).

    Km 221.7, RS 470, Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, 95700-000, Brazil
    054-3463–8505

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Credit cards accepted
  • 13. Casa di Pietro

    $$ | Centro

    This Italian cantina–style restaurant has an excellent prix-fixe salad-and-soup buffet at dinner. Surefire soup choices include the cappelletti—best topped with grated Parmesan cheese—and the Serrano (a local vegetable soup). If this light fare doesn't suit you, opt for the grilled beef directly from the grill.

    Rua Pedro Benetti 5, Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, 95760-000, Brazil
    054-3286–4077

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues., Credit cards accepted
  • 14. Casa do Barreado

    $$$ | Ponta do Cajú

    This small, family-run, buffet-style restaurant specializes in the traditional dish most associated with Paraná State: the barreado (meat stew simmered in a sealed clay pot). Because barreado takes 24 hours to cook, you must order it a day in advance. The prix-fixe menu includes galinha na púcara (chicken cooked in wine, tomato, and bacon sauce), several salads, and cachaças(Brazilian liquor distilled from sugarcane). Although the restaurant is officially open only on weekends, you can call ahead to arrange a dinner during the week.

    Rua José Antônio Cruz 78, Paranaguá, Paraná, 83206-452, Brazil
    041-3423–1830

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner. Closed weekdays, Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
  • 15. Casa do Chico

    $$$ | Lagoa da Conceição

    Take in the view of the Lagoa de Conceicao and order sequencia de camarão, a local shrimp specialty that comes in three courses: breaded, steamed, and with garlic. Casa do Chico is also a great place to try the stuffed crab shell appetizer "casquinha de siri."

    Av. das Rendeiras 1620, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88062-400, Brazil
    048-3232–5132
  • 16. Constantino Café

    $$$ | Moinhos de Vento

    The real draw at this informal eatery is the setting, in a converted colonial house on one of the city’s liveliest streets. Wind your way through a warren of cozy rooms, or just head straight to the lush, green garden out back, where candles add a romantic glow at night. The menu—Mediterranean with an Asian touch—won’t win awards for imagination, but dishes are well presented and tasty nonetheless.

    Rua Fernando Gomes 44, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90510-010, Brazil
    051-3346–8589

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 17. Dometila

    $ | Moinhos de Vento

    This chic café named after the lover of monarch Dom Pedro I is the place to compensate for the likely excesses of espeto-style churrasco. Order one of the vegetarian sandwiches and sip a local Brut while enjoying the breeze on the smartly lit patio that overlooks a quiet plaza in Moinhos de Vento neighborhood. It's a romantic respite just a few steps away from the boisterious nightlife on Rua Padre Chagas.

    Praça Doutor Maurício Cardoso 49, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90570010, Brazil
    051-3346–1592

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Mon.
  • 18. Floriano Spiess Cozinha de Autor

    $$$$ | Boa Vista

    On a leafy square in an upscale suburb, this place serves contemporary cuisine at its most creative. The eponymous chef offers a tasting menu (which must be booked the day before) of small, stunning dishes that are loaded with flavor. The dazzle and glitz extends to the space—all grays and blacks with mirrors and LED tube lights, with a well-dressed clientele. À la carte options are also available, and the wine list is extensive, albeit with few Brazilian options.

    Praça Japão 155, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91340-380, Brazil
    051-3237–7601

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues.–Fri., Reservations essential
  • 19. Galpão Costaneira

    $ | Centro

    This churrascaria in a picturesque wooden bungalow is your best bet for experiencing the ubiquitous southern Brazilian espeto-corrido (a continuous service of grilled meats). They also serve a fixed-price buffet with less advertised gaúcho dishes such as arroz de carreteiro (rice with dried beef), farofa (sautéed cassava flour), and cooked cassava. Traditional-music performances take place on Friday and Saturday.

    Rua Dona Úrsula 1069, Cambará do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, 95480-000, Brazil
    054-3251–1005

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon., No credit cards
  • 20. Galpão Crioulo

    $$$$ | Centro

    One of Porto Alegre's largest churrascarias, Galpão Crioulo serves traditional espeto-corrido—a prix-fixe, never-ending rotation of tender roasted and grilled meats brought to the table, accompanied by a salad buffet. If a full espeto-corrido sounds too much, ask for the miniespeto (a small sampler skewer of all meats). Another option is the comidas campeiras (countryside food) buffet, with plenty of dishes featuring rice, beans, and squash. You can also try chimarrão (a maté tea) at a tasting booth where the staff demonstrates the traditional way to drink it. Gaúcho musical performances take place in the evening.

    Rua Otávio Francisco Caruso da Rocha, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91110-440, Brazil
    051-3226–8194

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted

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