Gourmet products local specialties and wines Brazil

In some crafts, the art is passed down dynastically from father or mother to daughter or son. Kurt's grandchildren, who also run The Bakers, offer apricot cake, apfel strudel and a curious picada de abelha, a home-made chocolate cake. This patisserie has surely been offering the best desserts in the capital since 1942! The festival of millefeuilles is impressive, as are the macaroons and fruit tarts. The magazines Globo, Veja, or O Fluminense have not been mistaken in awarding it many prizes.

Sorvete Italia is a network of small shops with many addresses in Rio (25, including 3 on Copacabana) and preparing some of the best ice creams and sweet pastries in the city! One of the shops can be found in many places in the southern zone. Of course, you will find the classic flavours of Italian ice-cream parlours, but the originality of Sorvete italia is to offer flavours that are all Brazilian: so the Cuscuz, Tapioca, Açaí or Milho verde flavours will surprise you... or not. To be tested on a hot afternoon after the beach!

The Shopping Rio Sul is almost an institution in the South Zone, which aims to be the most chic in Rio. The Rio Sul has everything a shopping mall should have, a good variety of quality products, good restaurants and cinemas. More than two hundred shops, clubs, gymnastics academies and nurseries. Located just past the tunnel that runs from Copacabana to the city centre, it is the oldest shopping centre in the Zona Sul (45 years old in 2020), but still the largest, and you can find just about anything here.

It is impossible to pass through Belo Horizonte without visiting the central market. You can find everything there. It sometimes looks like a Moroccan souk, which we love. Its 400 shops offer fruits and vegetables, flowers, medicinal herbs, objects of piety and handicrafts. The popular stalls here are a tradition in BH. People talk with beer and picada in hand. There is even a cooking school where you can take free courses in mineira cooking. One of the 10 most beautiful markets in the world according to the "TAM Nuvens" guide.

There are several stills in the region to choose from for tasting good local cachaças. We recommend the Santa Luzia still in Rio das Flores. You can see how cachaça is made from sugar cane, how the still works and how the alcohol matures, in its infinite variations. In moderation, travellers with a passion for stills and traditional production can also visit the beautiful Vieira & Castro still factory, on the road to the Uniao fazenda.

Well, it's not the most glamorous address in Salvador, since the shops and cafés are in the Barra and Graça shopping areas, but it's a good place to go if you're feeling peckish or if you want to buy food. The Perini is also a delicatessen that has been open for almost 50 years. In the Barra shop, in addition to gourmet products (cold cuts, cheeses, wines...), there is a wide range of snacks and cakes to be enjoyed on the spot with a cafezinho . We come here for the quality of the products.

La Casa de Noca is both a shop and a pleasant café. You can find greedy and regional products: small cakes, typical biscuits, fruit jellies and many others. The decoration of the "café" part is very pleasant, with its wooden tables and its busy decoration, nicely kitsch. The "café da manha" is very pleasant. The buffet features cakes, pasteis de Belém, but also small savoury dishes, pizza, scrambled eggs. During the big crowds in the shop part, it is a pity that it is a bit too crowded.

An Italian ice cream shop run by a real Italian couple! They mix the know-how of their country of origin with Brazilian tropical fruits. A beautiful combination. An offer of 16 flavours that change every day, offering a different choice every time. The Gelato Preciosa is made in the ice cream parlour, prepared and made continuously during the day. The gelati are made from a combination of natural fruit, water and sugar. They do not contain dairy products, colourings or artificial flavours.

The young pastry chef Isis Lepechak has happily returned to the Bazaar Doce, where she had previously been trained. After a training stay in France, she took the plunge. Great good has come to her, she has brought a little extra refinement to an already respectable house. Isis prefers a more "saudavel" cuisine, with less sugar and fat. The "fondant au praliné", the dark cherry cream chocolate mousse (R$ 15 and 16), the salty (empadas) are to be discovered, for sure!

In Salvador, some ice cream parlors are very popular for cooling off in the hot Bahian summer. "A Cubana" is one of these "happy few". It is Salvador's oldest ice cream parlour, established in the 1930s, and has successfully survived the decades. A Cubana claims to be part of the Bahian heritage. This ice-cream brand offers many of its own flavours, including tapioca and caramel banana. Milkshakes are also available. Good pastries and salgados are available in all four stores.

Walking around Praia do Forte always makes you hungry and the visitor is then delighted to find the "panaderia do tango". This bakery is a very good choice to buy your rolls during your stay, but also for a snack during the day or to taste a delicacy with dulce de leche. For almost twenty years in Brazil, the owner (Argentinian, as you may have guessed) still couldn't do without this ingredient, almost sacred in his home country, in his kitchen!

Casa Nordeste is a mix of a large souvenir shop, local delicacies and a coffee shop. You can find many regional products in the Casa do Nordeste. The prices are affordable. The cashew nuts come directly from the production of the local "cajueiros". Customers can taste the products on the spot, the nuts are sold in bulk. All the options are salted, roasted, caramelized... A must stop for those who are on the road to Northern Alagoas. Since 2015, a new address exists in Ponta Verde.

Another magical address that only Rio knows how to offer to the audacious. In a neo-classical French style palace from 1920, worthy of the Thousand and One Nights, Casa Julieta offers the traditional chá da tarde, that is to say tea time the Brazilian way!Fine pastries and quality teas in a unique setting. The pastries and teas are just like the place, refined. What a joy to know that you can enjoy a place that would have been destroyed in 1977 if the town hall had not intervened. A magical place to know for sure.

The first shop of the brand was opened in 2004, since then two other addresses have been opened, one in Asa Norte and the other in Águas Claras (suburb of Brasília). The quality of the cakes, biscuits and breads is undeniable. Customers arrive early in the morning to have a coffee and a pão de queijo, and the end of the day is also a busy time, with tables quickly filled. The products are also sold to take away.

Well, it's not a little secret place since there are almost two thousand franchised Rochinha shops. However, after walking down Francisco Loup Avenue, or after a few good surfing hits, you can enjoy the flavours of Rocinha ice cream on the coastal avenue. For thirty years this local brand has been offering ice creams and popsicles made from a wide variety of fruits. Milho verde (corn), coconut, jabuticaba, avocado, currant, the range is varied! The company is also very committed to the sustainability of the products it markets.

Named the city's best ice cream parlour by Veja magazine in 2018, Frida & Mina have been winning over local fans ever since. The store is a victim of its own success: there's often a queue. The tasks are well divided. Thomas is in charge of production, Fernanda of sales. But the wait is worth it when you taste the delicious ice cream. A wide choice of tempting flavors for products made naturally with carefully selected fruit. Unless you opt for coffee and dessert... There's plenty to choose from.

Italian tradition always brings the certainty of quality food, ice cream or wine. Here, Cuore di panna is an ice cream parlour with Italian know-how! Artificial colours, preservatives and flavours are forbidden here. Only fresh cream, milk, fruit and selected raw materials are used to make the ice creams sold in this space opened in 2012 in small quantities. The fruits offer superb sorbets with tropical flavours (mango, passion fruit...). Ideal for the climate of Natal!

Every Sunday, the "art and gastronomy" market unfolds on the cobblestones of São José Street, with street artists, jazz processions, art and craft stands and restaurants that set up tables on the pavement for the occasion.This historic shopping street is restored to its former glory and is closed to cars so that pedestrians can enjoy this true cultural corridor. Artists and craftsmen display their wares and bars and restaurants set up tables on the sidewalks.

It is a bit like the trendy glacier in Brasilia, especially because it has made people talk about it by winning many prizes displayed on the wall behind the window. As a result, the space facing the attractive window is far from sufficient when there are too many people rushing in, and you will probably end up knowing more about where to eat your ice cream. In short, we'll come to taste these sweet delicacies, not to settle down. The ice creams are excellent and the flavours offered smell of Brazilian essences (maracujà, cupuaçu, açaí...).

Ice cream lovers won't want to miss a stop at this Brazilian ice cream parlour, which makes artisanal Italian-style ice creams! Made with natural, creative products... A real treat. You'll find both classic flavors and more original ones, renewed according to seasonal produce (gelato is milk-based, sorbetto water-based). Some flavors are even alcoholic, like pineapple, coconut and vodka ice cream, or Champagne, mango and chantilly. This artisan won a national award in 2018. A pretty little courtyard for tasting.

The Suplicy Café is undoubtedly one of the most famous cafés in town, which in itself is a huge guarantee of quality, as both the drink and the eponymous place where it is enjoyed are brought to Sampa on a religious level. The establishment offers special vintages, but other drinks, both hot and cold, are also available on the menu (tea and fruit juices). On-site sales and roasting. The establishment resembles the large coffee chains found in France, a little cold and impersonal, but with a cosy business atmosphere.

One of the oldest pastry shops in São Vicente, opened in the 1920s. The cakes are made in the traditional way, by hand and in large copper pans. In addition to a well-deserved reputation as a pastry shop of excellence, you can also come here for the superb view of the sea and the Pensil Bridge. We love the authentic Brazilian atmosphere, where the owner almost seems to live. As often in traditional places, the place is kitsch and charming. A must-see!

This French pastry maker, who has been in Brasília for some years, is one of the most famous in the city and remains very faithful to his country of origin. His creations are tasty and sought by lovers of French delicacies. On the map, you will find a few: Belle Hélène pear, opera, mille, macaroons… Salted pies and chopsticks are also available. The frame is very pleasant and charming with its green terrace. A good option for a snack, a brunch on the weekend or just to take a coffee.

This cachaçaria offers an impressive collection of cachaças (more than 400 kinds), cigars and local products. The name Cana Caiana is also that of a cachaça from Paraty. Paraty is historically a region of sugar cane and also cachaça. You can taste some varieties in this specialized shop (in moderation of course). The knowledge of the sellers will allow them to advise you according to your tastes. Some cachaças are flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, others are amber and aged in barrels.

This "cachaceria" (cachaça shop, the local alcohol) lives up to its name "miracle of Minas". This beautiful shop offers an endless range of cachaças, liqueurs, local chocolates, soapstone items, condiments. It is not a tourist trap, but a concentrate of quality products "made in Minas" that presents itself, like a miraculous catch. A place not to be missed for shopping before leaving the beautiful Ouro Preto.

We will never stop repeating it. Brazil is also a country of chocolate, and not only of cocoa. We know how to process the products of the pod. Prawer Chocolates have become a classic in Gramado. For more than 40 years, this traditional brand has been feeding the appetites of gourmets in the region, but also in São Paulo. Frequent internships in France, Belgium and Switzerland have led to the development of high quality chocolates. In addition to the chocolates, you can taste good waffles, ice cream and hot chocolate.

Founded in 1982 in the town of Canela, the first Caracol chocolate factory - named after the Caracol waterfall, the most visited tourist attraction in the region - was moved to Gramado in 2001. Until then, the chocolate was not produced in local factories, but only melted and processed into products. This small factory has several shops in town and also in Canela. You can often taste the thick homemade hot chocolate there. The shop on Rua Coberta also has a gourmet area. The options are numerous.

Not far from the bus station, the store features handicrafts and food products produced by members of the nearby Italian colonies. Sausages, cheeses, mate, grape juice and biscuits are among the most sought-after items. Italian coffee is not forgotten as there is also a roaster.

Right next to the shop, in the stone ovens, the settlers bake their homemade breads and cakes: you can buy them directly and still warm! The Italian tradition continues and reminds us of its importance in the region.

Acai is an Amazonian fruit with well-known energizing properties. Since our discovery, in 2014, in this small friendly bar entirely dedicated to acai, where you can have an excellent acai juice before spreading out in the evenings of Cuiabà. The young proprietor's ethic is to promote the best products and welcome his guests. The atmosphere is relaxed, with students from nearby schools banging away and young executives enjoying the calm of the place. A little place we love. Two other addresses in town.

Since 1945 this pastry shop welcomes curitibanas families. It is located in street XV, one of the postcards of the city. The recipes have not changed much in 65 years and the portions are quite copious, sometimes even too much! The prizes are really within the reach of all scholarships. For a gourmet snack with tea or coffee, petits fours, jam, butter and shortbreads (for 2 people), ask for the café completo. Today the place looks a bit old-fashioned, but it's still a famous address in town. An address just the way we like it!

The beaches of seaside towns often have their own market/fair. In Rio, the Copacabana and Ipanema markets are well known. The residential district of Boa Viagem, with its 20 km of beach, also has its own daily market, from 5pm to 10pm. Near the pretty little church of Praça Boa Viagem, stalls appear every evening as if by magic, offering regional dishes served by ladies in traditional costume, handicrafts and jewelry. Locals and tourists mingle in a relaxed atmosphere.

In this welcoming pastry, you will get the traditional Rocambole Rocambole, a kind of jam bag. You can choose between more than twenty different shades of this traditional pastry.

For those who love cup cakes, then this shop could be heaven. This little pastry shop offers great savory and sweet pies, chocolate cakes and excellent coffees. Enough to satiate oneself with happiness in the rich hours of Mariana. It is ideally located a few meters from the meeting point of Mariana, the Gomes Freire square, with its garden-like trees that offer shade to all those in search of rest or meditation. A little English touch, for sure.

You can't come to Tiradentes without tasting the local pastries: rocamboles. This tradition dates back over 100 years. The "O Rocambole & Cia" store is inseparable from this traditional sweet product. Here, you'll find twenty different flavors (dulce de leche, chocolate, guava). Rocambole & Cia promises traditional Minas Gerais products, doce de leite, guava, Minas Gerais cheeses, delicious cornbread, cubu and the famous pastel de angu. Local cheeses are also available. A place to discover.

Tokyo Dome is a popular lanchonete in the Mercado Municipal. Contrary to what its name might suggest, this little stall does not sell Japanese specialties. In this pleasant public market, this small restaurant sells delicious pastéis (salted fritters) with meat, cod, mozzarella, caiman, sweet and sour and other types of "salgados" as well as excellent fruit juices. The number of visitors is enough to explain the interest of the place. Try the pastel "rucula, dried tomato and mozzarella". A pleasant place.

Torta de Sorvete was founded in 1987. This pastry shop is specialized in very sweet ice cream cakes. The first and only specialty was the ice cream pie, traditionally made with meringue, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Today, other pies and quiches and new flavors have completed the pastry menu, such as the Swiss pie with dulce de leche and chocolate ice cream and the Marta Rocha pie with egg jam. Nice for summer days.

The Passarela do Descobrimento, known locally as Passarela do Alcool, is a must-see meeting point. During the day, it is a real open-air shopping area. You can find just about anything here: restaurants serving regional cuisine, cafes and bars, but also clothing and souvenir stores, handicraft stores and, at nightfall, "batidas" stands. It is a place to gather "before night".

The Dragao do Mar cultural centre is definitely full of resources to discover. The Santa Clara Café is one of those places full of serenity that deserves to be known. Located in the heart of the cultural centre, this small café has a pleasant decoration and a beautiful view on the whole place. Ideal to have a coffee while studying the Petit Futé. Let yourself be tempted by the iced coffee with vodka, cream, sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream... or the small coffee cake with chocolate.

The Cairu ice cream parlour produces some of the best regional fruit sorbets in the city and beyond. Even in the little kiosk at Docas you'll find an incomparable choice of flavors! Cairu will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2024, and has a dozen locations in the city. Its brand is already being exported to Manaus, São Paulo and Rio. You have to be daring and let yourself be guided by your instinct, by the sometimes...surprising, yet natural colors of these products, which some chefs have chosen to embellish their menus with.

In the shopping center of Moinho de Ventos, the Press Café is both one of the best cafes in the city and one of the best pastries. There are countless prizes awarded by Brazilian gastronomic magazines. The millefeuille with doce de leite is one of the house specialties! You can also enjoy flavoured coffees and sandwiches made with quality products. Today, the chain offers no less than 6 cafés and restaurants, as well as the elegant "press shop" that supplies the group's pastries.

As its name indicates, if the specialties of our sweet France miss you, you will find here croissants, quiches, tartlets and chopsticks. At the end of the day you may wait for your hot breads!

Since 1931, this has been one of Salvador's traditional ice cream parlors. The shop is located in the lower town, in a traditional district where time seems to have stood still. Ribeaira is the beach where fishing boats and saveiros rest at low tide. A typical Bahia spot, ideal for rest and relaxation. It's hard to choose from over sixty fragrances! Caipiroska (vodka and lime), suingue bom (wine and pineapple), agua de côco (coconut water) are just some of the options. Today, the ice cream shop has 6 outlets.

It's often said that Minas Gerais is another "cheese country". Of course, these dairy products are not as varied as their counterparts in old Europe, but they're well worth knowing. The Ouro Canasa Q'jeiria store is entirely dedicated to cheese in all its forms. It offers a wide variety of artisanal products from Mineiras and Brazilian farms. You'll also find fine hams and mouth-watering chutneys. Last but not least, the staff are particularly knowledgeable and generous with their explanations.