17 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Rio, Brazil

Often cited as one of the best restaurants in Búzios, French-inspired Cigalon is an elegant establishment with a veranda overlooking the beach. Though the waiters are bow-tied and the tables covered with crisp linens and lighted by flickering candles, the place still has an unpretentious feel.

Carefully prepared Tuscan and Sicilian dishes are at the fore at this charming candlelit spot set off Paraty's main square. Evening live-music performances lend a touch of festivity to the proceedings, and the covered outdoor space means that diners can enjoy meals alfresco even when the famously torrential Paraty rains start to pour.

Overlooking beautiful Praia Brava, relaxed but sophisticated Rocka is one of Búzios's gastronomic highlights as it focuses on superbly fresh, locally sourced seafood that's combined with seasonal fruit, vegetables, and herbs to wonderful effect. A favorite with surfers, come well before lunch so you can spend the day lounging on sun beds or arrive just before sunset when locals stop by for cocktails.

It's off the beaten track—ask a local for directions—and only open on weekends, but this rustic, riverside restaurant is really something special. "Trutas" means trout and that's what you'll find on the menu—trout, trout, and more trout served fresh from the river in many imaginative ways: as appetizers mashed into a pâté or baked in cassava-dough pastry, and as entrées grilled or cooked with a choice of almond, mustard, or orange sauce. The restaurant seats only 22, so reservations are a must. On sunny afternoons, the food is served alfresco.

Seafood is always excellent at this long-standing favorite on Paraty's dining scene, and it's a great place to try giant shrimp when they are in season. The bustling restaurant—usually packed with tourists—is in an elegant colonial house decorated with cachaça labels (the caipirinhas here are another strong suit) and 19th-century pictures of the city. The name of the place comes from another of its specialties: banana da terra (plantain), which is incorporated into many dishes, among them grilled fish with garlic butter, herbs, plantains, and rice.

A pancake house might seem an unlikely meeting point for partiers, but this Belgian-owned crêperie is indeed the hangout of choice for many hip young things in Búzios. Locals and tourists alike flock to the street-side tables after dark to soak up the scene and listen to live DJ sets while tucking into their choice of over 50 savory and sweet fillings. By day it's a quieter affair and popular with families.

Expect fresh, well-prepared seafood and weekly live music during high season at this longtime favorite, which is often cited as the best restaurant in the village of Abraão. Stroll straight from the beach still wearing your Havaianas to try Dona Cidinha's specialty, fish with half-ripe bananas, or the famous moqueca , which many islanders claim is the best in Rio de Janeiro State.

Inside the pousada of the same name, this restaurant serves local seafood prepared using Italian cooking techniques. After dark, you can dine alfresco on the beach by candlelight, or just pop in for a cocktail and nibbles from the bar.

On the flagstones of Ilha Grande's main square, this simple restaurant serves up more than four dozen types of pies, from simple margheritas to exotic seafood combinations or dessert pies; salads and other dishes are available at lunchtime. This is a great spot for evening meals on Friday and Saturday nights, when live bands play in the square.

Near the water in a quiet part of town, this seafood restaurant is a great place for a romantic dinner, with candlelit tables and a good wine list. On chilly days, heat lamps warm the café tables out front, while evenings are enlivened by music from local musicians (which comes with an additional cover charge).