98 Best Bars in Brazil

More than 500 types of the rumlike liquor cachaça—the main ingredient in caipirinhas, Brazil's national cocktail—line a huge wall at this traditional Brazilian botequim. These casual bars generally specialize in cold bottled beer, snack foods, and caipirinhas.

Bohemians, musicians, and poets hang out at this large and lively bar and restaurant in Santa Tereza, a neighborhood worth exploring itself. Grab a seat outside and order a cold lager and the rochedão (the big rock), a hearty dish of steak, eggs, potatoes, rice, and beans.

The liveliest of Santa Teresa's many drinking dens and the hub of much social activity, this enduringly popular boteco anchors one end of the neighborhood's main drinking and dining strip. Some excellent snacks are served here—the pasteis de feijao (fried pastries filled with black beans) being a firm favorite with locals—as well as hearty plates of meat-based comida mineira (cuisine from Minas Gerais State). A street-party atmosphere prevails on Sunday afternoon, when the bar is standing room only and revelers spill out onto the road outside.

An eclectic bar-restaurant with Middle Eastern flair, Beirute has been in business since 1966. During its first decade it drew politicians making deals; today the gay-friendly place attracts a wide range of people. It's known for its ice-cold beer and Lebanese snacks. There's also a branch in the Asa Norte.

In a huge colonial blue house in an old industrial neighborhood, Blue Space is one of the largest gay nightclubs in São Paulo. Every Saturday and Sunday, two dance floors and four bars, along with lounge and private rooms, fill with a large crowd, mostly 40 and over, interested in the house DJs and go-go-boy and drag shows. Cover charges average R$30.

Chilled draft beer, tasty snacks, and a view of the beach make Boteco one of the most popular bars in town.

Near the Teatro Amazonas, Botequim is a great place for a drink and features live bands that play a mix of MPB (música popular brasileira, or Brazilian pop music), samba, bossa nova, and other Brazilian styles on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

With a name right out of New Orleans, it's no wonder that Bourbon Street is where the best jazz and blues bands, Brazilian and international, play. Most performances start at midnight, but Sunday shows tend to start earlier. Cover fees average R$30.

A trip to Bracarense after a hard day on the beach is what Rio is all about. Crowds spill onto the streets while parked cars double as chairs and the sandy masses gather at sunset for ice-cold chopp and some of Leblon's best pork sandwiches, codfish balls, and empadas.

Disco balls dangle over the dance floor at gay Bubu, where shirtless is the new fully clothed. Drag performers strut their stuff at Sunday matinees, and the last Thursday of the month is girls-only night. Cover fees average R$50.

While this laid-back spot is also recommended for coffee, crepes, and great-value lunches, it is the lime caipirinhas made from artisanal cachaça that draw the crowds who want to enjoy cocktails while watching the sunset over the Bahia de Todos os Santos.

Established in 1962, this cantina is a cultural landmark beloved by middle-aged locals, who flock here on weekends for its standard Italian fare. The portions are enormous—and cheap—and the service is efficient and courteous. This could be a good option for the start of your evening: order a porção (sharing snack platter) and a glass of cold lager.

At what's widely considered the best place in town to dance forró (music/dance from Brazil's Northeast), you'll find people of different ages and styles coming together on the dance floor. Xiboquinha is the official forró drink, made with cachaça (a Brazilian sugarcane-based alcohol), lemon, honey, cinnamon, and ginger. The doors open at 8:30 pm Wednesday and Thursday, and 10:30 pm Friday and Saturday; the hours on Sunday are from 7 pm to midnight.

A carioca is a person from Rio de Janeiro, and Carioca Club has the decor of old-style Rio clubs. Its large dance floor attracts an eclectic mix of up to 1,200 college students, couples, and professional dancers who move to samba, gafieira, and pagode from Thursday through Saturday starting at varying times. Cover fees average R$30.

Giving new meaning to the concept house party, Casa 92 was fashioned out of a converted domicile. The living room has been fitted with disco lighting; the patio and terrace each have bars. An upstairs dance floor resides where a bedroom otherwise would. The music is eclectic with an emphasis on (what else?) house. Cover fees average entry R$50.

With its multiroom layout, old-school arcade games, and small junk shop, this shabby-chic venue has the look and feel of a house party. The club's youngish crowd appreciates the adventurous musical policy: don't be surprised if the DJ follows a 1960s Beatles track with down-and-dirty favela funk. It's closed Sunday to Tuesday.

A former brothel in a bright-pink mansion on the Laranjeiras hillside is now a hipster hot spot for live music and dancing. A young, casual chic crowd heads here at the weekend for open-air dancing, karaoke (something of a trend in Rio), samba, and occasional feijoada-fests.

Occupying a vast outdoor space under the gaze of Christ the Redeemer, this collection of bars, restaurant, and shops throngs with people after dark, when the air is filled with the tipsy chatter of locals relaxing over dinner and drinks.

This is one of Cuiabá's liveliest and largest bar/restaurant combinations, with live music every night. Try the jacaré (caiman).

If you prefer music in a relaxed environment, head to Cosanostra Caffé, which has live MPB (música popular brasileira) and jazz. Catering to locals and expatriate foreigners alike, it serves food from an extensive menu, including tasty pizzas, until late in the night.

Electronic music is the main attraction at this popular club with a Death Star–meets–Studio 54 appeal. As many as nine DJs, often including internationally renowned turntablists, spin music several nights a week. The terrace here has views of a park of Oscar Niemeyer design. Cover charges dip as low as R$20 but sometimes exceed R$100.

Put your name on the list ahead of time or arrive early to pay a discounted rate, depending on the event.

The city's first microbrewery, Dado Bier has expanded into a full-fledged restaurant, an ample space decked out in expanses of dark wood. Dado biers include a weiss bier, a red ale, and a chocolate stout.

Inspired by London's rock-and-roll scene, Downtown has live rock and blues music Thursday through Saturday.

A club with a London pub look, Downtown is a good place to be on Saturday night when local bands play. The club is especially popular with teenagers and twentysomethings.

When it comes to ending the night, Filial is considered by many to be the best bar in town. Many musicians stop by for an after-hours taste of its draft beer, along with the flavorful snacks (such as bolinho de arroz, or rice fritters) and meals (try galinha afogada, a stew with incredibly moist chicken and rice).