98 Best Bars in Brazil

For the serious dance-music enthusiast, Fosfobox, in the heart of Copacabana, plays the best underground tunes, as well as rock and pop. Dancers cram onto the floor in the industrial-feeling basement, while an upstairs bar offers opportunity for conversation. It's closed on Monday and Tuesday.

A popular hangout spot that attracts an electic, artsy crowd, Galeria Joana D'Arc is a cluster of small cafés and bars, among them Café Poire, Anjo Solto, Barnabé, and Oriente Médio.

This is the original Garota (there are branches all over the city), where Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes penned the timeless song "The Girl from Ipanema." The place serves decent food and drink, but it's the historical significance that draws the crowds. Occasional live-music events take place in the upstairs lounge.

A flirtatious clientele frequents this hot spot. Named for a Barcelona neighborhood, Gràcia is clothed in Catalan imagery and serves tapas and Sangria from the region. Sidewalk seating is available when the weather cooperates.

Authentically carioca and a fine place to experience Rio spirit, the bar at down-to-earth Jobi stays open on weekends until the last customer leaves. Don't be fooled by the unassuming exterior—Jobi serves some of Rio's most delicious bar snacks and is one of the best-loved bars in the Zona Sul.

This popular pub is the place for live music on the island. A roster of local and nationally known bands performs everything from blues, rock and roll, and reggae to Brazilian popular music. It's also a great place for drinks and snacks.

The dance club Josefine is popular with the GLS crowd—gays, lésbicas, e simpatizantes (gays, lesbians, and sympathizers).

Rock and pop cover bands perform at this Down Under–themed pub. Seven international draft beers and happy hour specials make Kia Ora popular after businesses close. Cover fees average R$40 women, R$50 men.

One of Brasília's less pretentious and more relaxed places for a drink, this bustling bar serves cheap and popular Middle Eastern snacks as well as the all-important ice cold chopp (draft beer).

This cosmopolitan bar and restaurant has become one of the most popular places in town for Brasília's young and alternative set, drawn here by the stylish interior design, international cuisine, imported beers, and DJs who know how to read a crowd.

Specializing in some of Brazil's finest institutions—strong and fine-tasting cachaças (Brazilian rum), mouthwatering moquecas (stews), and, of course, live samba—Mangue Seco's location on the popular Rua do Lavradio makes it a perfect place to start a night out. Arrive at sundown, grab one of the sidewalk tables, and watch Lapa life unfold as you sip a caipirinha and browse the menu.

One of the best places in Santarém to get a drink is Mascotinho, where tables are set outside and there is occasionally live music. It has passable food and is usually breezy since it's on the river.

One of BH's best bars operates out of a small grocery store in a bohemian enclave. By day the owner sells eggs, cereal, and soap. In the evening, tables are placed on the sidewalk, and he serves iced beer and incomparable appetizers. At the back, there is a great panoramic view of the city.

BH's most modern and well-equipped nightclub is also its premier house-music venue.

Repeatedly selected as Recife's best beach bar, O Biruta is a great spot to watch the moon rise over the beach while enjoying a refreshing cocktail and seafood snacks. There's live samba music every Saturday.

This wood-paneled local drinking spot serves up more than 50 types of flavored cachaça infused in giant barrels, including house specialties like cinnamon, clove, and jambu fruit, as well as traditional caipirinhas and tasty snacks.

A self-proclaimed "gringo" hangout, this is a good place to catch international sporting events, perhaps that major one back home it's killing you to miss. O'Malley's has three bars, a game room, and more than a dozen TVs spread across two floors. Seven beers are on tap, along with more than four dozen by the bottle. Bands play nightly, so there's always a cover after happy hour ends. Cover fee averages R$20.

A popular place for winding down after work, Pinella stocks a large selection of beers. Live music or DJs keep things lively.

One of four comparable and fashionable bars at the corner of Mourato Coelho and Aspicuelta streets, Posto 6 pays homage to Rio de Janeiro and its Botafogo soccer club. The bar gets gold stars for its chopp and escondidinho de camarão (a lasagna-type dish with shrimp).

Salsa, merengue, zouk, and Latin pop predominate at Rey Castro; and during the breaks between live performances, you can take dance classes. The Caribbean-influenced drinks and snacks include mojitos and ham croquettes. Cover fees range from R$22 to R$70.

This bar tops nearly everyone's list of hip places to sip a drink, listen to great tunes, and people-watch.

The Status is a great place to hear live music. The large, warm space houses a café/bar and a bookstore. On Sunday morning, there is a buffet breakfast with music.

A bar with character, Taverna Pub is in the basement of a stylized medieval castle. It's popular with locals in their twenties and tourists who stay in the partnering hostel upstairs (Lua Cheia).

A major lesbian hangout in Itaim, this venue offers dining, live music, and dancing. Ten acts divvy up the showtimes from Wednesday to Saturday; on Sunday a nine-piece all-girl samba band takes the stage. When the bands stop playing, DJs spin music late into the night. Cover fees average R$20.