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...Read More

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. La Taperia

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Spanish restaurant in Brazil that matches the outstanding food and cocktails served at this vibrant bar-restaurant overlooking the bay...Read More

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Spanish restaurant in Brazil that matches the outstanding food and cocktails served at this vibrant bar-restaurant overlooking the bay in Rio Vermelho and packed with locals every night of the week. Located in a converted town house, tables are scattered through a series of small rooms, styled with vintage Spanish prints on exposed-brick walls. While the most sought-after spot is out on the terrace, if you are in a hurry, opt for one of the stools along the bar and tuck into the delectable menu, featuring inventive salads, fresh seafood, and world-class paella. While the extensive wine list offers Spanish classics, don’t miss the expertly prepared cocktails, such as the jabuticaba caipiroska (a vodka caipirinha made with native jabuticaba fruit).

3. 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...Read More

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.

4. 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...Read More

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.

5. São João Batista

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6. Thaicoso

A compact menu of delicious, fresh-flavored Thai dishes changes daily at this affordable, alfresco spot, with a handful of candlelit tables set out in front...Read More

A compact menu of delicious, fresh-flavored Thai dishes changes daily at this affordable, alfresco spot, with a handful of candlelit tables set out in front of the vibrant pink facade of ecelctic design shop Quadrado 13. The green papaya salad and sweet-and-sour slow-roasted pork make a particularly welcome change from endless moqueca. A great spot for cocktails, too.

7. 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...Read More

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.

8. Bar do Rô

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9. 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...Read More

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.

10. 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...Read More

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.

11. 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...Read More

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.

12. 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...Read More

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.

13. Capim Santo

Located in the heart of the Quadrado, Capim Santo—which means lemongrass in Portuguese—is one of the best restaurants in town. Open since 1985, the family-run...Read More

Located in the heart of the Quadrado, Capim Santo—which means lemongrass in Portuguese—is one of the best restaurants in town. Open since 1985, the family-run business retains an essence of informality and coziness, even though service is super sharp and the healthy, seafood-based menu sophisticated enough to warrant a second branch in São Paulo. Highlights include fresh fish cooked in lemongrass and lobster served in a whole pineapple. Reservations in high season are a must, where regular live music, the flickering candlelight, and jabuticaba caipirinhas make this one of the hottest, and most romantic, spots in Trancoso.

14. 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...Read More

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.

15. 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...Read More

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.

16. 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...Read More

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.

17. 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...Read More

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.

18. 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,...Read More

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.

19. Pinnochio’s Pizzaria e Restaurante

Located just off one of Barra Grande’s charming sandy streets, this no-frills wood-oven pizza place is always packed with groups of friends sharing enormous pizzas,...Read More

Located just off one of Barra Grande’s charming sandy streets, this no-frills wood-oven pizza place is always packed with groups of friends sharing enormous pizzas, pasta, and homemade lasagna at alfresco tables scattered under an almond tree. Italian owner Marco ensures that the service is quick and the thin-crust pizzas are some of the best in Bahia; try the Primavera, with Parma ham and rocket.

20. Pizzeria da Gente

Arguably the best-value dining experience in town, this hole-in-the-wall spot is a local favorite for its tasty thin-crust wood-oven pizzas and ice-cold beer, which can...Read More

Arguably the best-value dining experience in town, this hole-in-the-wall spot is a local favorite for its tasty thin-crust wood-oven pizzas and ice-cold beer, which can be ordered to take away or enjoyed at one of the metal tables set out in the street. Still hungry? Stop off next door for a sugar high at Pavê e Comê, a dessert-only café run by charismatic granny Sonia, who specializes in classic Brazilian treats such as pavê de chocolate com caldo quente e sorvete de maracujá (chocolate cake with hot sauce and passion-fruit ice cream).