Fun and entertainment Brazil

In the small pedestrian streets of Rio Vermelho, the Boteco do França is a little hidden, but the guests who scatter on the pavement make it possible to locate this small typical Bahian restaurant, with the red frontage. Bohemian and authentic atmosphere, the red and white tablecloths remind us of a former Brazil. One goes there to have a drink, but also to eat the various snacks offered on the menu, especially the bolinho de bacalhau (cod acras). It's also ideal for late-nighters, as it's one of the only places that stays open late at night.

If you thought Argentinians only knew Buzios, think again. They're also in Praia do Forte. In addition to hot and cold drinks, the Tango Café, owned by the same proprietor as the Tango bakery, offers sweet and savoury treats to be enjoyed on the spot. For the past few months, you've also been able to order light meals and mixed platters: a variety of quiches with salad, chorizo steak with French fries, in keeping with the owner's origins... Nice if you're getting tired of Bahian moquecas...

Not far from Pedra do Sal, where Cariocas who love samba gather on weekends, Angu do Gomes is a place full of tradition. In this traditional bar-restaurant, one comes to taste the traditional eponymous angu , a kind of doughnut imported from Africa by the slaves. Today it is a place of the bohemian Carioca where customers from different backgrounds honor a traditional and tolerant Rio where diversity is not fought, but honored. Angu do Gomes is definitely part of the neighborhood's renaissance. To discover.

Supplied with organic products from the MST, Objeto encontrado ("object encountered", the translation is easy) is both a café and an art gallery (objects displayed on the shelves, the counter and in the basement, in short "encountered" just about everywhere) where the tables are arranged on a covered terrace. The atmosphere is a little... Carioca, but without the sea. It's a very pleasant place to come for a coffee after lunch or an afternoon snack. The cheesecake is the house specialty and the coffees are top quality. Worth knowing.

The service is sometimes a little nonchalant and rough, but the place has character and is worth a visit. If you are not in a hurry, take your time to sit on the sofa or take a seat in the lounge with its wooden tables and mismatched chairs; a small terrace at the back is also available for those who want to get some fresh air. On the menu, quiches and tapiocas for a light lunch, and on the sweet side, several kinds of homemade cakes to try. The coffees are also of high quality and there are a few options of national vintages.

To call Igrejinha (little church) a bar may seem sacrilegious. The walls feature religious images and objects, but the evenings are anything but Catholic! What's special about the bar? Colorful landline telephones scattered around the room. If you've spotted someone you're interested in, but a little far away, you can make a call (the numbers are assigned according to the colors of the extensions) and try your luck! You can just have a drink. Gay bar with a great music program. Great cocktails.

A bar that is always in fashion, both informal and hipster.Balcão, which means "counter" in Portuguese, has no tables in its main lounge, but a long, 25-metre-long counter forms a kind of spiral where you can sit on both sides. The original layout of the place encourages customers to chat with their neighbours, whom they didn't know a few minutes before, but who cares about the bottle? The Balcão is frequented by an intellectual, trendy and very friendly clientele. The establishment is gay friendly.

This traditional café in Santos was inaugurated in 1939 and became a legend throughout the country. Customers from Rio, Recife, Fortaleza brought the famous "pasteis" back to their home towns. The Carioca café was frequented by the city's political personalities and even the former presidents of the Republic Getulio Vargas, Janio Quadros, Joao Gouart and more recently Lula came to eat there. The place is nevertheless very simple, but very nice for a coffee break accompanied by a pastel for the hungriest.

the Veloso Bar is named after the botequim in Rio where Vinicius and Tom Jobim composed the "Garota de Ipanema". By chance, a sign of destiny or a deliberate choice, the street bears the name "Veloso". There are only fourteen small tables in this renowned establishment in the Vila Mariana district, so you have to arrive early to get a seat. The thirsty come for the delicious and varied caipirinhas. Among the fifteen or so that make up the menu, the caipirinha with mandarin and dedo de moça pepper is exclusive to the house!

The Piraja is a small corner of Rio in São Paulo. In the heart of São Paulo, it is a haven of peace surrounded by greenery. People come here for its famous happy hour and to taste the "petiscos" like the famous bolinho carioca, a pumpkin fritter filled with meat. The cachaças and caipirinhas are also famous and varied. Guaratiba is prepared with cloves, cinnamon and a special variety of lemon. The tables are spread out on the sidewalk with Portuguese motifs, and one could well believe to be in Copacabana...

Izakaya is the Japanese equivalent of a tapas bar that will immerse you in the traditional atmosphere of the land of the rising sun. Come here to drink sake or shochu (alcohol made from different cereals) or even beers. To accompany your drink, do not ask for sushi or sashimi, because you will be disappointed. At the counter or at the table, ask the waiters for advice and take the opportunity to taste other lesser known Japanese specialities. The prices are a bit high, but you are entering a reputable house.

An excellent place to have a drink and listen to music ao vivo (live), be it rock, jazz, blues, Brazilian popular music or reggae. One of the most festive places in Foz d'Iguaçu. Pearl Jam, Nirvana, all the Seattle and UW alumni will of course have a little twinge in their heart for this revival of the 90s. Those who love the ever-rich Brazilian alternative and rock scene won't be disappointed either. Raul Seixas fans, still numerous, can come and listen to covers of their idol's songs.

White block of triangular format with a red opening, the Ibirapuera auditorium is signed Oscar Niemeyer. The project dates back to the 1950s, but was completed between 2003 and 2005. The interior is just as incredible, with a long circular ramp and a large red sculpture on the ceiling signed by the artist Tomie Ohtake (1913-2015). A wide range of cultural events (classical and popular music concerts, theatre, dance...). There is a music school with 170 young students selected from the public school system.

The Salome Bar is above all a boteco, one of those regular bars where you can have a drink and eat in a family atmosphere, typical of Rio de Janeiro. It is a lively bar with a tasteful decoration (old-fashioned advertisements on all the walls), which proposes a copious menu of pesticides (in rodizio on certain days), happy hours on beer and other nightly revelations. On feijoada days, the seats are expensive... The atmosphere is young, festive and dancing, especially on concert nights. Very good cocktails based on cachaça.

The Praça Popular has become an essential part of Cuiabà's nightlife. The restaurants and bars compete with each other to make a name for themselves or to keep their customers. The Ditado Popular is a gastro-bar. It is the most popular, agitated, noisy, but also the warmest bar of Praça Popular. The local youth comes here to mass, and there are often concerts ao vivo. The place is in fact open like a huge terrace, pleasant and very simple. Seats are expensive, of course, at happy hour.

As its name suggests, the Casa da Praia is a place, which since its opening in 2001, has been dedicated to conviviality and good musical and human vibrations... in a beach spirit. The "casinha" has welcomed since its creation many regional and national music groups. An unpretentious great place to attend good concerts of Brazilian music. La Casa is also a thematic restaurant in the "Chacarà das pedras" district, with the same spirit: to offer a healthy, light, family cuisine from Brazilian beach huts.

Located in the eponymous Joaquim Nabuco street, the boteco do Joaquim receives groups of friends and work colleagues. Marked by the friendly spirit of the gaucha city, it is the always open bar of the Cidade Baixa. Perfect to drink a bem gelada beer that flows here or to follow a football match. A la carte, no great gastronomy, but dishes served with generosity. You will appreciate its carefully decorated interior, old bistro atmosphere, with mosaics and exotic woodwork, and its terrace under the arbour.

Porto Alegre is an alternative city and a city of art. Quentin's bar is a worthy heir of this tradition, with a rustic and industrial feel with its bricks. A bar dedicated to Tarantino cannot be a place of bad taste. The whole universe of the director is represented here with photos hanging on the walls and a quality musical background. As everywhere in Brazil, you can listen to concerts with a more or less distracted ear while sipping your beer, curled up in a big red sofa. A good place to go out in Porto Alegre.

Located in the historic centre of Fortaleza, the Cineteatro is a major landmark of the city. With its classical architecture, it is the repository of an important part of the history of the arts in the state of Ceará. A beautiful theatre in Art Nouveau style, the São Luiz underwent work in 2013-2014 and is now splendid. Theatre and cinema.

Be careful on the square in the evening, the place is in the middle of Fortaleza and at sunset the place empties, all shops close their doors. It is best to go there by taxi.

Anexo Praia was founded in 2009 as a beach day club. Relax on comfortable sofas and cushions facing the sea. Enjoy the sunset over the beach while sipping a cocktail. Buzios lovers declare loud and clear that it's on this Manguinhos beach that you can see the most beautiful sunsets on the entire peninsula. The cuisine features dishes with an emphasis on seafood. Indonesian furniture, a touch of Orientalism and a vibe reminiscent of Ibiza. Jazz, bossa and lounge music. What else?

As in Cuiabà, the capital of the other Mato Grosso, the local bar chain Salome has set up shop in Campo Grande. From its first bar in Sorocaba, in the suburbs of Sao Paulo, the chain has established its chic botecos in many cities, including Campo Grande. The Salomé Bar in the "morena" city has become in only 7 years, a sure value to have a drink in a chic and fashionable botequim. On the large terrace, there are beers and hearty dishes that clog the stomach. Ao Vivo music and football on big screens.

It is the great competitor of the Capitao on Schimmelpfeng Avenue. So this is the other popular place in Foz de Iguazu to go out for a drink downtown. Also open since the early 2000s, it's the same concept of a huge bar, with large tables, screens to watch football, flowing beer, and loud commercial background music (live music every night). Happy hour also from 4pm to 8pm. For the thirsty, some mugs can hold up to 1.5 litres of beer.

Bar Augusta 472 is a mecca of São Paulo's nightlife and party scene. It is without doubt the rock temple of the most rock'n'roll street in São Paulo. This establishment, whose reputation is well established, is the place to be for lovers of saturated rock, pop, punk and metal guitars. Those who would like to attend a good concert, it is there, you are not mistaken. You can also and more prosaically attend the matches of the various clubs of São Paulo. The place closes late and attracts the last night owls of the street.

Another bucolic place that fits in perfectly with the soft, provincial atmosphere of Pirenopolis. Pe di Café is a welcoming place offering quality coffees and various kinds of hot and cold drinks. Doughnuts, cakes and other sweet treats are on the menu. The apple chai(maça) with cinnamon and milk is a pure delight. The cappuccino frappé is also a specialty to know. We can also mention the chocolate brownie. Well, you'll have understood, it's the ideal place for a gourmet snack!

The Old Five is an institution in Natal. The location, a few hundred meters from the Morro do Careca, is a big factor. The feet in the sand, rocked by the music, the life is more beautiful, inevitably. For those who want to enjoy the atmosphere of the beach even in the evening. The Old Five offers tables on the sand and a subdued illumination in the evening thanks to candles and street lamps. You can go there to drink, but also to eat and listen to live music. Frequented by tourists, but also by locals.

The Alagoana has a lively atmosphere! This pleasant bar-botequim offers beers, caipirinhas and various snacks to enjoy duringhappy hour or until nightfall. The decor is gently old-fashioned, giving it the unmistakable look of a "botequim", the traditional Brazilian bars that are the soul of Rio. You can sit out on the terrace or enjoy the lounge decorated with beautiful antique furniture. MPB concerts are regularly scheduled at the end of the day, and Saturday lunchtime, as in Rio, is feijoada day!

Samba has always been played in this industrial wasteland district on Monday, the workers' day off. At the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture, the Renascença club is the meeting place for real samba. The samba roda brings together the best musicians and dancers. Few tourists know about the rendezvous, not even the hipsters who frequent the Pedra do Sal in the Centro. Authentic atmosphere guaranteed. You can eat acarajés, caldinhos and pasteis. The club is a closed and secure place with taxis waiting in front.

For more than 20 years, Café Mostarda has been a lively spot in the nights of Campo Grande, ideally located on Afonso Pena Avenue, in the heart of the "morena" city. Mostarda is a bar-restaurant with a large outdoor terrace that is often crowded. The gente bonita spills out into the night on weekends. To drink a cocktail, to eat on the go at a good price, to attend a concert, the café Mostarda is a must. It's always lively on weekends. Some good bands play there some evenings!

This nice bar-restaurant is located directly on the largo das Forras. Normally, this is one of the only bars in the city where the beers served are cold. The atmosphere is lively, especially at the end of the week, when there are ao vivo concerts. On the scale of Tiradentes of course. Currently, only the restaurant is working. The pizzas, the Minas specialties, the Lebanese Quibés, the pasteis de angu, the fries gratinated with bacon and cheese, washed down with local beers or cachaça in moderation, leave a taste of return. A must-see.

This magnificent theater, inaugurated in 1929, became the Renault Theater after its latest "naming" in 2012, after having been known by Paulists as a cinema under the names "Paramount Theater" and "Abril Theater". This majestic establishment, with its neo-classical and Art Deco facade, the first sound cinema in Latin America, is undoubtedly one of Sampa's finest theaters. With a capacity of 1,500, it plays host to the great Broadway and European musicals. "Les Misérables", among others, has been presented here twice.

The Mimobar is a pleasant space with a deliberately rustic decor. A lovely outdoor space with plenty of chairs for friends to relax in. The site is surrounded by a bar and a few food truck-style outlets (excellent burger served in a black bun). Good background music, young, hip clientele. It's worth noting, however, that if you go there in the evening, and cross the small park, you shouldn't walk around with your phone in your hand. At best, ask the cab to drop you off in the parking lot in front of the bar. A bit disorganized.

Café Ernesto is a small, contemporary and sophisticated café-resto about a 20-minute walk from the city's shopping centre (7 minutes by taxi). It has established itself as one of the best restaurants in its category. It serves a good coffee, but also some delicious international dishes based on local products (the slate is renewed every day) in a cosy atmosphere. Some dishes are more than enough for two people. The "pintado" (local fish) is excellent. Good and charming. Good music selection.

"Culture and gastronomy. Open since 1985. Part bistro, part café, part second-hand bookshop, Sebinho is a place where Brasilienses like to meet up and pick up a bit of reading material. If you forgot to bring a book to accompany you on your trip, this is the place to find one (books in French, English, Spanish, Portuguese...). You'll find some great classics. You can also eat in (very decent bistro cuisine) and start your reading on the terrace. Service, however, is a little disorganized.

Brazil, as many people do not know, is the other country of beer. The Bonito beer, as its name indicates, is entirely dedicated to this hopped beverage. Respecting the spirit of the times, it is a micro-brewery that produces its own beer. Beer lovers (and the not-so-lovers will also find themselves there) will not miss a visit to this cerveja bar where you can serve yourself directly from large stainless steel barrels. Good local beers to try and a slice of pepperoni pizza to wash it all down. Some evenings, ao vivo music.

The Rosario 26 is both a bar and a restaurant of Arabic specialities. A bar in the centre with a pub-like decor, to be recommended for a drink as well as to try some good Arabic specialities to munch on the terrace. Located on the lively Rua do Lazer, the establishment opened in 2014 and offers two "atmospheres", restaurant and bar. Specialising in Arabic cuisine, it offers a varied menu for those who want sophisticated dishes, and for those looking for a snack. Rosário 26 Pub specializes in Pirenópolis beer.

This hotel-bar-restaurant-art gallery, which appears to have been designed by Gaudí, is perched on the heights of Catete, in the heart of a pacified favela, and offers a remarkable view of the Sugar Loaf. Jazz concerts, bed & breakfasts, Indian cuisine evenings or simply a "classic" bar - there's no shortage of opportunities to come here. A van service is organized to get you there. One of the city's most original and popular venues. The Maze project has been described as unique by National Geographic, which says it all!

On the corner of Praça do Carmo and São Pedro, the Casbah Mourisco bar and pub is located on the first floor of a large Moorish-style house in Olinda. In recent years, it has become a meeting point for tourists and trendy locals alike. In the large and very pleasant "Casbah" courtyard, you can sample traditional dishes for lunch, in buffet form. Throughout the day and well into the night, sweet and savory snacks (petiscos) and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are served. A fine address.

The Estação Julio Prestes is a historic train station in São Paulo that was inaugurated in 1930. Today the station is still in operation and houses the Secretariat of Culture of São Paulo and the Sala São Paulo, the concert hall of the state symphony orchestra, the largest in Latin America with 1,500 seats on 1,000^m2.

Good to know: about two Sundays a month it is possible to attend a recital for free. However, tickets must be collected in advance

The imposing theatre of São Paulo is also a lively place that regularly offers shows, ballets and operas. It is one of the largest opera houses in Brazil. For more than 110 years, it has been a temple of classical music and dance, but it is also and above all a place that is deeply rooted in the present. Numerous artistic and educational projects within the framework of the municipal schools. Program available on site or see with the tourist office.

Tiradentes is a place full of surprises. Teatro Casa de Bonecos has been offering high-quality puppet shows for many years. The owner, who is also one of the proprietors of the Tres Portas pousada, took part in the Charleville-Mézières World Puppet Festival. Since 1980, in addition to shows, this small traditional house has welcomed groups for workshops and training courses. Every Friday and Saturday, from 6 p.m., the children's souls of spectators aged 7 to 97 are stirred by so much fantasy.

This pub is a self-declared "the most welcoming place in the country". As you can see, it's an iconoclastic bar with a strong identity. An underground bar where the owner, a bearded gentleman always in flip-flops, serves bikers and a public of all kinds. The decor has gained in class after the renovation, but the place has not lost its special atmosphere. Various beers and portions to be shared concocted by the owner make the joy of the customers. Blues, Jazz, sometimes MPB, a place to know.

More than 40 years ago, in 1977, the Clube do Choro de Brasília was founded by musicians who used to meet at the home of the French flutist Odette Ernest Dias. The modernity of Brasilia is not antithetical to the preservation of the country's traditional and popular music. The Clube do Choro is a high place of music, dedicated mainly to the choro, of course, but which has for vocation to spread the Brazilian music and which will not leave indifferent the music lovers on their journey. It is the oldest musical center in Brazil of the genre

A football club that turns into a dancefloor in the evening! Very good atmosphere and musical programming with Djs or samba, forro and rock groups.

Brasília's national theatre reopened in 2018. To attend a ballet performance, the national orchestra or a concert of current music. Its amazing architecture in the shape of a truncated pyramid, inspired by Aztec constructions, is the result of a project by Oscar Niemeyer (started in 1960). Two of the pyramid's sides are covered by Athos Bulcão's creations, making it one of the artist's most monumental works.

In addition to the exhibition halls, the CCBB has a theatre and open-air concerts are regularly held there. The building, with its original architecture mounted on stilts, was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and inaugurated in 1993. The various contemporary art galleries are worth a look. The CCBB is one of the most visited cultural spaces in the country. Good café-restaurant on the spot with some well-made regional specialities on the menu.

For more than 10 years now, on the praia brava, the Rocka has been attracting sunset lovers to this beautiful beach. And there are many of them. Bar-lounge and restaurant, the Rocka is an enchanting place by its location on the seafront. The fish dishes are certainly good, but the pleasure can also lie in this confrontation with the elements, lying on deckchairs. Out of season, supreme pleasure, one can sometimes meditate alone, his caipi in hand, lulled by the sound of the waves and sea birds.

The Sambarock Café is a sure bet in Jeri. Located in the main square, at the heart of the town's kiteboarding scene, the Sambarock is a musical bar, with a variety of musical groups providing a pleasant, festive atmosphere. In addition to its "bem gelada" beer and cocktails, Sambarock's other hallmark is its menu, which features dishes that are always well executed. Salmon, seafood, pestiscos, thin-crust pizzas - everything leaves a taste of home. The smiling service is undoubtedly a factor.

It is a botequim with a strong identity, of course, since it was bought by enthusiasts of the place who could not bear the idea of seeing it sold to Grand Capital to make a bar of a big chain without soul. The adega Perola has remained a place of conviviality, where discussions between people who did not know each other two minutes before are made around large tables. A zinc, affable waiters in white shirts who are busy. They serve small dishes in a bohemian atmosphere very Copa "pé sujo" or dirty feet, nickname of the "real" botequins.