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With nearly a thousand restaurants, Rio's dining choices are broad, from low-key Middle Eastern cafés to elegant contemporary eateries with award-winning kitchens and first-class service. The succulent offerings in the churrascarias (restaurants specializing in grilled meats) can be mesmerizing for meat lovers—especially the places that serve rodízio-style (grilled meat on skewers is continually brought to your table—until you can eat no more). Hotel restaurants often serve the national dish, feijoada (a hearty stew of black beans and pork), on Saturday—sometimes on Friday, too. Wash it down with a chopp (the local draft beer; pronounced "shop") or a caipirinha (sugarcane rum, lime, and sugar).
A block from Ipanema Beach, Margutta has a reputation for outstanding Mediterranean-style seafood, such as shrimp panfried in olive oil, white wine, and garlic; and lobster baked with butter and saffron rice. There's a handful of vegetarian options including mixed-vegetable risotto with truffle oil.
Blink and you could miss this hip Botafogo eatery housed in a tiny white colonial building and furnished entirely with pieces from the 1950s to the 1970s. The French–Brazilian owners have created a relaxed, casual dining space where they prepare hearty portions of tasty comfort food and award-winning cocktails that draw a bohemian crowd.
While rising star Felipe Bronze has long been known for his avant-garde Brazilian tasting menus, his approach has found a welcomed simplicity since he moved fine-dining restaurant Oro from its Jardim Botanico location to Leblon in 2016. The menu, which changes every 45 days at this light-filled open-floor-plan restaurant, features a series of small, elaborately prepared dishes, including a tiny burger made of duck confit and foie-gras powder and served with guava "ketchup."
Set overlooking the vast Guaratiba flatlands and enveloped in dense forest, the seafood-focused menu at this casual restaurant is best known for its moqueca stew and spectacular sunsets. The colorful flora and glorious vistas give the feeling of being far out of town (you'll need a car to get here), but it's a great place to stop between visits to Grumari beach and Sitio Roberto Burle Marx.
Traditional Spanish seafood casseroles are a strong suit at this small restaurant on a shady street, which has been attracting locals for more than 70 years; the waiters, clad in white suits, add to the nostalgic 70's atmosphere. A line snakes around the block at peak hours, but it's worth the wait to find a table: the food, served in generous portions big enough to share, is terrific.
Bringing the concept of Italian stuzzichini (tapas-style small plates of food for sharing), Stuzzi has evolved into a star of Leblon's Rua Dias Ferreira foodie strip. It's the perfect late-night spot for a light dinner or snacks while sipping from the array of expertly shaken cocktails.
Vegan restaurants are a growing trend in body-conscious Rio, but few are as established and well-loved as the Vegetarian Social Club. The all-you-can-eat organic lunch buffet includes tasty and wholesome soups, whole-grain rice, colorful salads, and many soy-based dishes, while dining in the evening is à la carte.
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