16 Best Restaurants in The Amazon, Brazil

Run by the brothers Felipe and Thiago Schaedler, this restaurant specializes in top-notch regional Amazon cuisine. Fresh fish from the Amazon rivers reigns supreme here—you can't go wrong with the grilled tambaqui fish ribs served with tucupi farofa (palm heart fruit manioc flour). For dessert, try the banana cake drizzled with molasses. Popular with locals, the place fills up on weekends. Check the restaurant's website before going for English descriptions of their main dishes, as no menus in English are available in the restaurant, and most staff speak only Portuguese.

Twelve waiters, each with a different cut of beef, chicken, or goat, scurry around this large, sparkling clean restaurant. As if the delectable meats weren't enough, tables are also stocked with side dishes, including manioc root, pickled vegetables, and caramelized bananas. You can eat as much as you like for a fixed price of R$90 per person.

Regional cuisine, prepared to exacting specifications, has earned Lá em Casa its stellar reputation and made it a favorite of the locals. Consider trying Belém's premier dish, pato no tucupi (duck in a yellow manioc–herb sauce served with the mildly intoxicating jambu leaf). Crabs on the half-shell covered with farofa (finely ground manioc fried in margarine) is another good choice, as is açaí sorbet for dessert. Sitting on the patio overlooking the river and fringed by tropical vines and bromeliads, you feel as if you're dining in the middle of the forest.

In the Casa das Onze Janelas, the Boteca das Onze has thick stone-and-mortar walls stylishly adorned with antique instruments. The full bar has a complete drink menu with one of the largest selections of wines in the city. The patio has a view of the garden and river. A house favorite is the seafood platter for two. The all-you-can-eat lunch buffet is a good deal, and includes dessert but not drinks. The sunset happy hour is one of the most happening in town, usually with live music.

The many regional flavors at ice-cream shop Cairu include some unique to the Amazon, such as taperebá, graviola, and cajá (cashew fruit), as well as the more familiar cocó (coconut), mango, and chocolate. Juices, sandwiches, and soft drinks are also served.

To shake up the conservative cuisine scene on Macapá, the Salvador-born owner of Cantinho Baiano began cooking specialties from Bahia State. These dishes, especially the seafood moqueca (fried fish in vegetable, coconut milk, and dendê oil), are not to be missed. The excellent river view, soft music, and colorfully clad waiters add to the ambience.

Although the decor is clean and simple, the quality of the fish dishes speak for themselves—testament to which, it was chosen as the restaurant to host Pope John Paul II when he came to Manaus in 1981. Don't miss the house speciality caldeirada de tambaqui (tambaqui fish stew) and be sure to come hungry, as one platter comes with enough food for two people.

From gnocchi to ravioli, flawless preparation of the basics distinguishes this Italian eatery from others. Everyone in town knows this, so reservations are a good idea—particularly on weekends. Be sure to try one of their 600 varieties of wine on offer. Don't leave without ordering a scrumptious dolce Paula (ice cream–and–brownie dessert).

The green awning and red-and-white-check tablecloths are hints that this restaurant serves authentic Italian cuisine. Pasta dishes are delicious, especially the lasagna fiorentina (with a marinara and ground-beef sauce). A buffet is also available every day for lunch.

Since 1934 this has been one of the most popular and famous restaurants in town. The indoor dining area is enchanting, but the palm-lined patio is well lighted and inviting and has a good view of the river and the plaza. An extremely varied menu includes pizzas, sandwiches, steaks, and seafood.

Excellent sandwiches and a self-service buffet keep the Mistura Brasileira hopping. Try the beef fillet sandwich or the lasagna. The restaurant is housed in a hotel of the same name.

Ice-cold beers served in buckets, fruit caipirinhas, and pastéis de pato (deep-fried duck pastries) served with postcard-perfect views of the bay are why locals love Palafita. Palafita has music on weekend evenings. During the sunset happy hour, it is a great spot to mingle with locals.

Two blocks up from the plaza on Rua Antônio Augustinho Lobato is Restaurante Tribal. Quiet, clean, and friendly, it has excellent home-style grilled meat and grilled fish, and it's inexpensive.