The best restaurants Rio De Janeiro

This is without a doubt the best Asian restaurant in Rio, quite simply. In a warm and wooded decor, Nam Thai gives pride of place to Thai dishes, not hesitating to spice up some of them to give them almost the original flavour of the kingdom of Siam. Some dishes are unavoidable: the Nuea Massaman (beef strips, coconut sauce, almonds and curry of aniseed and cinnamon, very spicy!), or the Pad Pong Garee (shrimps, ginger, sweet peppers and Indian curry). Try it with your eyes closed!

A fixture in the heart of Búzios for 25 years, Bar do Zé (which is not just a bar, but one of Búzios' top-rated restaurants) has made a name for itself with its fine cuisine featuring fish and sweet-savory combinations, such as grouper with banana and cashew nuts, and its setting facing Praia do Armação, on the Orla Bardot. Its straw hut style gives it a rustic chic feel. Candlelit evenings add to the romanticism of the place. Seating close to the terrace with a view of the sea lends itself perfectly to dinner for two.

Another interesting address if you want to eat on the go in Abraao while looking for dishes that are pleasing both to the palate and to the wallet. The Paes & Cia company, which has numerous stores in Rio, offers its sandwiches in the island's small town. It's an excellent place to enjoy hearty hamburgers (including the local specialty, Big Pães e Cia), cold sandwiches and pizzas, accompanied by a glass of Guarana. And don't forget to finish with a good açaí! Good value for money.

In the very pleasant and cosy setting of Parc Lage, this establishment is making a name for itself in Rio, and rightly so. Le Plage Café serves good-quality breakfasts, lunches and dinners. A comprehensive menu offers both light dishes, salads and sandwiches, as well as a choice of hearty dishes. Delicious coffee and jazzy background music. An enchanting place to start the day, but also to end it, as the menu offers a good choice of cocktails, to be consumed in moderation, and well-crafted tapas.

Many Argentinians spend their holidays in Ilha Grande... Parrilha is their national dish. The menu of this restaurant is entirely dedicated to meat products. In its rustic decor, under a large roof of woven palms, you'd almost think you were in a restaurant in the land of the Pampas. The smell of grilled meat greets diners. Provoleta and salads are offered as side dishes, and the eight main courses are all meat-based. You can try the veggie parrillada, with a good glass of Argentinian wine. A good address.

It's easy to understand why this "feet in the sand" restaurant (translation of Pé na areia) is located on the front line of the seafront. It offers diners a romantic terrace with subdued shade lamps. Of course, it's not the only restaurant of its kind in Vila do Abraão, but it's a very pleasant one. Music ao vivo on weekend evenings. Dishes for 2 are rather generous. The wine list is quite good and the service efficient. An excellent address, fairly priced and very elegant.

A traditional churrascaria , with good meat! It is indeed gaucho owners who developed the concept and we give them a real know-how as much for the food itself as for the reception, always efficient and super professional. We aspire to limit our consumption of meat for the good of the planet and the Amazon, but for the cold winter evenings, it allows to resist, certainly.

For those who want to try an original and quality adventure, the restaurant "Vernissage" is an interesting address to try in this "little Finland". A nice restaurant in the middle of nature, by the river, which has built a good reputation in the region. On the menu, trout (of course!), shrimps, salmon, fondue, duck, wild boar, among others. For the winter evenings, the cassoulets will be very appreciated. It is also an art gallery. The prices are a bit high, but they are justified.

Pimenteira Imperial is a good restaurant by the kilo that has been established in the city for many years. Admittedly, the setting isn't the most typical (it's in a shopping mall), but the dishes are good, fresh and varied, and the value for money is decent. The vegetables are well prepared. Its location in the heart of Itaipava makes it easy to get to if you're spending a few hours in Itaipava, on your way to Petropolis or Rio de Janeiro. The gallery above is a little less fast food. A good alternative for a quick bite to eat.

The restaurante bom Sabor is an interesting option in Araruama. Admittedly, it's a little sanitized, but it's functional and pleasant. Bom Sabor offers a buffet of quality food by the kilo. We come here especially for its Japanese sushi options. (sashimi, sushi, makimonos uramaki and ossomaki. Hot sushi is also available. The "combos" are made up of different assortments and contain up to 80 pieces. Open only until 4pm, however.

On Fora beach in Trindade, 30 kilometers from the city of Paraty, Vagalume do Meio is a seafood restaurant. Logically enough for a beach restaurant, it serves fish, seafood and grilled meats. The seafood risotto is hearty enough for 3 or 4 people. The shrimp portions are also generous. Fish in shrimp sauce (molho de camarao), seafood caldeiradas, lobster tails... In short, a simple and interesting gastronomic experience.

Bartholomeu has become one of the best restaurants in Paraty. For the meat of course, but not only. It must be said that the chef, Don Julio, is an Argentinean who has been living in Brazil for a long time. So he knows about meat. But his menu goes far beyond the "picanha". He offers a delicious modern international cuisine, inspired by Argentine recipes. Try the picanha with Roquefort cheese, it's a success. Excellent wine list (Argentinean, of course!). The plate reflects the decoration: sophisticated and refined.

The small door and the long corridor of the entrance do not suggest such a space... When you enter the establishment, it is an explosion of colors. The place is decorated with care and you can sit in the room or on the patio. In this decor with hippie accents and a Zen atmosphere, we find on the menu perfectly executed Thai specialties, with delicate flavors, carefully presented in banana leaves. Pad Thai, of course, but also shrimp curry and vegetarian dishes. The service is very pleasant.

For a few years now, this store of Amazonian culinary specialties has brought the flavors of Pará to Rio de Janeiro and seduced the demanding Cariocas. It must be said that the virtues and flavors of the acai, an Amazonian berry, are now known far beyond the borders of Pará. The Tacacà do Norte store is entirely dedicated toaçai na tigela, (açai ice cream). The neighboring store Tacacà do Norte Gourmet, offers typical Amazonian dishes, such as the eponymous tacacà or the vatapa, a shrimp soup. A change of scenery guaranteed!

Restaurante do David has been serving seafood dishes for over thirty years. On the terrace or in a simply decorated dining room, you can enjoy all kinds of classic dishes (many seafood dishes) of good quality for the advertised price, even if lovers of spices will be disappointed. Octopus Provençal is one of the house specialties. Otherwise, lobster lovers can choose from the aquarium on the terrace in summer, under the owner's smiling eye. Feijoada on Fridays.

Argentinean restaurant, to satisfy the strong community of holidaymakers hermanos (brothers, that's how Brazilians call their southern neighbors). Obviously, the best meat in asado (barbecue) in all its forms: picanha, entrecote, olho de bife... All to be accompanied by a good bottle of Malbec. Very pleasant patio. Tango shows are offered on Tuesday nights. Obviously, if you don't like meat, you will lose a bit of the soul of this restaurant which puts forward the Argentinean traditions.

It's hard to miss this red establishment on the Orla Bardot with its enthroned Buddhas. This large establishment run by a Frenchman is a restaurant, a louge and a music bar. The diversity of the offer is in no way incompatible with the unquestionable quality of each of the activities on offer. Pizzas, seafood pastas, paella, shrimp or lobster moqueca - the dishes are varied, good and good value for money. Every evening, from 8 p.m. onwards, musical groups provide talented entertainment for guests' meals.

If the name "Michou" is very well known in Parisian nights, in Brazil, it has been associated for a long time with a famous pancake house in Fluminense. This fetish restaurant in Rua das Pedras de Búzios has a little eponymous brother in Cabo Frio, although it is not as well known by tourists as the historical restaurant in Buzios, it is just as pleasant. On the menu are sweet and savory pancakes for all tastes. A nice and popular place on the promenade along the Praia do Forte.

Giuseppe Mar is a restaurant in Barra's Village Mall, dedicated entirely to seafood. The restaurant's trademark is a display case filled with ice, fish and seafood brought in daily by the teams of divers and fishermen. Depending on the day's arrivals, guests can choose from grouper, whiting or sea bass for their dishes. The prices are high but the menu, very well prepared, will certainly justify exceeding the budget.

In the beautiful "Village mall" of Barra de Tijuca, Adega Santiago (a franchise that can be found in São Paulo) features Spanish and Portuguese cuisine. We recommend the seafood dishes (cod, paella, black paella, tuna salad, cod fritters), which are very good. Vegans can try a very good veggie paella. On a nice wine list, you can find excellent Chilean wines. The seats near the large windows offer a superb view of the beach of Barra. A bit expensive.

You won't necessarily appreciate its location, in a shopping center, especially the one in Barra, far from the center and south of Rio, where tourists are usually to be found. However, once you're there, it's clear that the Gabbiano is a fine Italian restaurant, well worth "relocating" to this remote area for an evening. In fact, everything is done to make you love the place. The restaurant was designed by the architect Bel Castro, the waiters are super pro and the food very good. L'ospitalità italiana!

The owner, Yves, a French in love with Paraty, cuisine our good olds pancakes: mozzarella and tomato of Provence, tuna and olive or chocolate. One regales oneself at handsome price.

Brittany in the middle of Copacabana... It is not so common and it is worth mentioning, even if the pancakes are certainly one of the elements of the Breton heritage the most known worldwide! The "blé noir" is a nice little creperie with an accordion concert every Wednesday. The prepared pancakes are very good and copious enough to be shared by two. Savory and sweet crepes of course! Victim of its success, the place is often crowded, you sometimes have to wait in line for a table.

For lovers of Asian cuisine, Mr. Lam appears more and more as a must. The place itself, near the lagoa, in one of the most popular neighborhoods of Rio, is already an invitation to travel. This magnificent residence propels us to China, under the protective shadow of the Ming statues. Chef Lam has "repatriated" many of his dishes from his London and New York establishments. Traditional satay dishes (shrimp and chicken), spring rolls but also an interesting tasting menu at R$ 300. Worth knowing!

In the pleasant Gavea district, near the Jockey Club, Braseiro da Gavea is a veritable institution. In a rather sober and cosy setting, the food is simple and of high quality. The traditional picanha takes the lion's share. The side dishes are also of high quality (rice with broccoli, potatoes, sausages...). Arrive early on weekends, as tables fill up quickly. Beer and caipirinha accompany the dishes. The service is very professional, the setting pleasant...What else?

Here, we are not in the standards of the great restoration but it is precisely what we like to find at random in the streets of Rio. In the district of Catete, very central between the commercial and cultural activities of the Centro and the beaches and animations of the South zone, the rotisseria Sirio Libanesa is an interesting option. In this small restaurant, often crowded, you can find the classic esfiha, the kibe, very good fruit juices. A good plan, cheap.

The quiet Las Sorrentinas restaurant is one of the few places on Ilha Grande to delight the palate of gourmets and novices alike. This cozy, wood-framed restaurant is run by Argentinian chefs, but the reference to Sorrento is unmistakable. A wide variety of homemade pasta dishes are lovingly prepared. Try the house specialty, pasta a la Sorrentine, a large ravioli generously filled. The desserts are excellent. The maracuja mousse is incomparable.

L'Atelier Cafeteria offers simple, good food in a pleasant setting, lively day and night. Salads, wraps, crêpes and tapiocas are served generously indoors, on the terrace, on the beach or on the sidewalk. Cocktails are served in moderation, and can be enjoyed while watching the sunset. With ao vivo music on certain evenings, very competitive prices and a very attentive staff, it's easy to see why this is such a popular address.