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$$$ | Centro |
A Parisian-like café and restaurant in an 18th-century building, this beautiful establishment serves delicious sandwiches, soups, and pastries, as well as full entrées. It's especially appealing on a rainy day to sip a cup of coffee or a glass of wine here to the accompaniment of a good novel. The happy hour bar downstairs, Escadabaixo, is the town's most popular hangout for wealthier ouropretanos and tourists. Escadacima is a small shop within the restaurant with a good selection of local and imported wine and beer.
Rua Conde de Bobadela 122, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Centro |
A large and welcoming restaurant above a jewelry store, Casa do Ouvidor has won numerous awards for regional dishes such as tutu, feijão tropeiro, and frango com quiabo. The portions are generous. Since the restaurant's opening in 1972, it has hosted former President of France François Mitterand, actor Richard Dreyfuss, author John Updike, and many other luminaries. Try to sit by the windows, which look out on the street below and save room for the homemade sweets.
Rua Conde de Bobadela 42, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | |
Patrons of the Estalagem rave about the feijão tropeiro and frango ao molho pardo, just two of the Brazilian dishes prepared by friendly chef Beth, who often makes time to come and greet diners. Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere is elegant. Light music and an attentive staff make this an appealing place to dine.
Rua Ministro Gabriel Passos 280, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, 36325–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., No credit cards
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$$$$ | Rosário |
Ouro Preto's finest restaurant is in the Solar Nossa Senhora do Rosário hotel. An elegant atmosphere with formal place settings, attentive service, and soft Brazilian music makes this the ideal spot for a quiet, romantic dinner. The chef, whose menu changes frequently, focuses on Italian and French fare with a mineira accent: you might find intriguing, perfectly prepared dishes such as carne seca (beef jerky) risotto with Gorgonzola cheese. The dessert options include doce de leite (caramel), a Minas specialty, as well as international options like petit gâteau (cake). Argentina, France, Italy, and Brazil itself are among the nations whose wines are represented on the excellent list.
Rua Getúlio Vargas 270, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Santo Agostinho |
What is widely considered Belo Horizonte's best Italian restaurant attracts a well-heeled clientele. Tuxedo-clad waiters serve selections from the extensive wine list as well as steak, seafood, and pasta dishes. Consider the grilled fillet of lamb with saffron risotto in a mushroom-and-garlic sauce; the gnocchi di mare, with spinach and potatoes, topped with a white clam and scallop sauce; or the badejo, a local white fish baked and dressed in a seafood sauce. The restaurant allows its diners into its kitchen to see the preparation of food. With its beautiful wood paneling and an extensive bar, Vecchio Sogno has the feel of a 1940s jazz club.
Rua Martim de Carvalho 75, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30190–090, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sat. No dinner Sun., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | |
One of Brazil's best restaurants for comida mineira, the Viradas do Largo (also known as Restaurante da Beth) serves dishes such as chicken with ora pro nobis (a Brazilian cabbage) and feijão tropeiro with pork chops. Some of the ingredients, such as the borecole (kale), are cultivated in the restaurant's backyard. The portions are generous, enough for three or four people, but you can ask for a half order of any dish. The restaurant is also a market, with typical arts and crafts from Minas Gerais. Reservations are essential on weekends.
Rua do Moinho 11, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, 36325–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues., Credit cards accepted
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$ | Centro |
Within the same building as the Tourist Information Office of Praça Tiradentes, Café Cultural is the perfect place to rest a bit and enjoy a cold drink and a quick bite. Quiches, little appetizers, and cakes are served, and the extensive beer list includes local gems such as the Backer beer. Ambient music and comfortable sofas allow you to sit back and watch the world pass by the café's large windows. A small bookstore and a collection of teas and local craft items are also available for purchase.
Rua Claudio Manoel 15, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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This well-respected restaurant specializes in comida mineira. Diners' favorites include pork steak with tutu and pork tenderloin with feijão tropeiro (a dish of beans, cooked eggs, and toasted cassava flour). You can order à la carte from the menu or head over to the self-service buffet.
Rua Direita 113, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | Funcionários |
A popular gathering place for local journalists, artists, and intellectuals, the old-school House of Tales has an unpretentious and varied menu that includes fish, pasta, and typical mineiro dishes. The filet surprise, a large steak coated in bread crumbs with a cheese and ham filling, is a popular choice. In tune with its bohemian clientele, Casa serves well past midnight.
Rua Rio Grande do Norte 1065, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31130–131, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Centro |
The best place for a mineiran buffet in Ouro Preto is in this vividly decorated eatery near the Casa dos Contos. The large dining room has beautiful furniture designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and the cupboards are decorated with antiques and candles. On the gorgeous balcony in the back, you can sip jaboticaba (a purple grape-like fruit) drinks as you peruse the countryside.
Rua São José 167, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner, Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | São Pedro |
Roughly 32 traditional Minas dishes, like feijão tropeiro, frango com quiabo, and frango ao molho pardo, are available at this reasonably priced buffet restaurant. The food is the only reason to go, as the place—in an old house devoid of taste—lacks charm. Children get significant discounts.
Rua Padre Odorico 38, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30330–040, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner on weekends, Credit cards accepted
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$$$$ | Funcionários |
This casual Italian eatery is popular with Brazilians celebrating the end of the workday with appetizers like the champignon Recheado (mushroom stuffed with shrimp and prosciutto), and entrées like tournedo Amici Miei (filet mignon wrapped in bacon and marinated in garlic and olive oil). The pizza is arguably the best in town. The restaurant is often packed both inside and on the large outdoor patio; you may need to wait for the staff to find you a table.
Rua Tome de Souza 1331, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30140–130, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun., Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | |
Along with its romantic, candlelit settings and smart decor, Monastério's main draw is its variety of fondues. Order the tasty fondue mineiro, a mix of pork, sausages, and beef. Risotto and pasta options are also available, and there's a good selection of local and foreign wines.
Rua Ministro Gabriel Passos, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch
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$$$ | |
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Avenida Amazonas, Namaste serves excellent Indian dishes. The decor is simple but the food more than makes up for it. Start with the meat and vegetable samosas and then move onto such classics as lamb biryani or chicken tikka masala. The English-speaking staff offers fast and attentive service.
Av. Francisco Sá 355, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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$$$$ | Centro |
An excellent restaurant just oozing with charm, O Passo serves local meat and pasta dishes in addition to pizza. Large bay windows, subtle colors, and candlelight—as well as jazz and Brazilian popular music (MPB) played live on weekends—create a sophisticated but accessible atmosphere that attracts young couples and families. Among the many tantalizing pizzas worth a try, the calabresa with azeitona (wafer-thin slices of cured pork sausage sprinkled with black olives) and the quatro funghi (with four types of mushrooms) stand out. An extensive list of artisanal beers is also available. Try to book a table outside with a view of the river.
Rua São José 56, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Antônio Dias |
Couples looking for a hearty meal seek out this trattoria in a beautifully decorated house next to the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception. The restaurant serves large pasta portions, often flavored with the house's signature and flawless arrabiata sauce; another good choice is the polenta with a sweet-and-spicy pork-sausage ragout. The wine list showcases Italian vintages. Save room for the lush yet light tiramisu.
Rua Bernardo de Vasconcelos 98, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Sun.
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$$$$ | Centro |
On the 25th floor of the Othon Palace hotel, this romantic restaurant has spectacular urban vistas. Start off with a cocktail at one of the outdoor candlelighted tables by the pool before coming inside for dinner. Although à la carte options are available, the feijoada on Saturday, a special meal that centers mainly on pork and beans accompanied by rice and collard greens, is the thing to come here for. On Saturday night, there is often live music.
Av. Afonso Pena 1050, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30130–003, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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This self-service restaurant is highly sought after by travelers who come to the village of Bichinho to shop for craft items. Patrons serve themselves from a wood fire inside the simple kitchen and the food is authentically mineiran: the fixed-price, all-you-can-eat buffet features dishes such as frango com quiabo (chicken and okra), collard greens, and slow-cooked beef stews. On weekends, arrive early to avoid long waiting times. The card machines are known to fail, so bring cash.
Rua Deputado José Bonifácio 64, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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This combined store, coffee shop, and restaurant serves unusual dishes such as jaboticaba ice cream. The gnocchi, Argentine meat, frango de Angola (marinated chicken), and chorizo beef are all worth a try, as is, for dessert, the goiabada frita (fried goiaba fruit jam). Reservations are essential on weekends.
Rua Direita 52, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, 36325–000, Brazil
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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$ | Funcionários |
A snack bar located right next to the Cultural Circuit Praça da Liberdade with more than 50 years of tradition, Xodó holds a place in many locals' hearts. The elaborate sandwiches and hamburgers are the main draws here. Try the x-gourmet, a mighty sandwich with prime steak, bacon, cheese, salad, mustard, and caramelized onion. You can order from a selection of delicious milk shakes. For dessert, go for the Italian-style ice cream, served with a variety of toppings with typically Brazilian flavors such as açaí berry.
Rua Gonçalves Dias 1364, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
