Mediterranean cuisine restaurants Rio De Janeiro

Wooded and large volumes in this crested pizzeria in the Jardim Botânico district. The menu consists of about thirty pizzas, which some consider to be the best in Rio. Taste in particular the Margherita Gourmet, really delicious! The prices are slightly salted (between 40 and 50 R $ per pizza!). Best pizzeria of the city in 2010 by magazine Veja Rio.

The Manoel e Juaquim restaurants are now part of the Copacabana landscape. In this botequim that faces the orla , regulars and tourists mingle. Portuguese tradition obliges, one will try the cod croquettes, the fried manioc with cheese or one will sustenance of the copious house picanha , washed down with an amber chopp of Brahma. The dishes are generous, in the image of the spirit of the house which treats each guest with respect and sympathy. The service is professional and familial, which is not always the case in high season in Copacabana.

The Trattoria restaurant is perhaps one of the best value for money establishments in the city. In a slightly retro atmosphere (checkered tablecloths), with brick walls a few steps from the Copacabana Palace, a Turinese chef and her family have been cooking since 1976. You'd expect to see mafia-style chefs at the table. Pasta, of course, has pride of place and is available in both land and sea versions. The Neapolitan shrimps are a real delight. A good canteen, with your eyes closed, for sure.

Marius Degustare is a restaurant not to be missed in this wonderful city. It's a far cry from the sleek design of the Lasai and its almost surgical cuisine. Here, in a decor that gives the impression of entering a pirate's lair, the restaurant offers a gargantuan buffet featuring noble products, especially seafood such as lobster, oysters, crab? The service is top-of-the-range and rich in colour. It's quite simple, the Marius is unanimously acclaimed. Of course the note is salty too...

The Cipriani is the main restaurant of the Belmond Copacabana Palace. The service is of impeccable class and taste. It overlooks the patio and the pool, in a setting with a taste of paradise. The cuisine is tinged with a northern Italian influence: Chef Carli used to run the kitchens at the Cipriani Hotel in Venice. Try the thinly sliced lamb with goat cheese ravioli and Dijon mustard tarts! You can reserve the chef's table in the heart of the kitchen (990 reais), a must... expensive!

Here of course, as its name suggests, we enter a place dedicated to Italian gastronomy. Open since 1999, this Italian establishment enjoys an excellent reputation. We go there to taste a fabulous roast duck and an excellent lamb chop. The grilled wild boar will also convert all those who are hostile to game. On the sea side, the Grigliata Mista Di Mare for two people is a pure pleasure (395 reals all the same). Impressive wine list. Top-of-the-range service. A gastronomic evening in Leme is guaranteed!

Its bolinhos of bacalhau (cod balls) are ranked among the best in Rio; to be enjoyed with a draught beer, it is one of the Cariocas' favorite appetizers. Portuguese origins are still very present (discover bacalhau a patuscada for example or bacalhau spiritual). You can also choose a very good grilled octopus with red pepper. The dishes vary throughout the week and can be delivered. The wine list offers excellent Lusitanian wines. Very popular in the neighbourhood.

Opposite the São Bento monastery, which gave it its name(mosteiro means monastery in Portuguese), this Portuguese-inspired restaurant, run by José Temporao, has been offering excellent fish dishes (including the delicious Mosteiro cod) or shellfish (octopus in saffron rice) for almost half a century. There are of course the famous Portuguese pasteis. The quality of the cuisine and service is rightly recognised by many food critics and even more guests.

A casual Resto-pizzeria attended mainly by a gay clientele. You can enjoy a beer or a caipirinha while admiring the beach. 

Originally from São Paulo, the other pizza capital of the world, Pizzaria Bráz is one of the best in Rio. In this traditional setting in the Jardim Botânico district, the great Italian classics are the basis of the menu, but many variations are offered, from the classic award-winning caprese to the basic Neapolitan... or theimigrante. The wine list allows to highlight the flavours of the place. For dessert, the traditional panettone and tiramisus will satisfy the specialists.

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!