The best restaurants Salvador

The Carmo district has become a popular area for foreigners and Soteropolitanos alike, while maintaining a real social mix. A quality vegan restaurant could not fail to find its place here. And Rango Vegan has done just that for Brazilians and tourists who don't like meat products. The tropeiro mineiro will feature rice and cauliflower, and the vegan lasagne bolognese will be accompanied by an interesting chestnut cream. In the afternoon, sandwiches and falafels are available. An address worth knowing.

As its name suggests, Restaurant Takê has been honoring Japanese cuisine for almost a quarter of a century. With its sober decor and welcoming atmosphere, the menu features fine Japanese and international cuisine. Culinary innovation is the watchword of the men at the piano. An excellent sushi rodizio is offered to guests. Guests can choose to eat à la carte or try the tasting menu. Quality honored by numerous culinary magazines.

For the past 40 years, Chef Franca has established his "brotherhood" in this bohemian, bustling district of Rio Vermelho. Many say you come as a customer and leave as a friend. Carne do sol (dried meat), grilled meat with onions, cod fritters, as well as seafood (try octopus with rice or arroz de polvo), fish and chicken. The dishes are numerous and are served in different rooms, including one overlooking Rio Vermelho beach and another decorated in the traditional "casas de Yemanjà" style.

In the quiet, residential district of Barra, those looking to avoid meat dishes and thus help preserve the Amazon may have found the place for them. B-Vegan is a small, but very successful vegetarian sandwich shop in the green fast-food style (with a healthier, tastier version), which is on the rise. In addition to the traditional R$20 falafels and vegetarian kibés, there are 100% vegan burgers for R$19. It's not unusual for there to be a bit of a wait on weekends.

Behind a wooden door, in the bohemian district of Rio Vermelho, stands a magical garden, hidden at the end of an alley. Surrounded by a beautiful yellow house, Manjericao is a vegetarian, vegan and organic restaurant. The name "Manjericao" (basil) reflects the owners' love of nature in all its forms, both around us and on our plates. You can eat by the kilo, everything is fresh, light and tasty. The desserts are delicious, as are the fruit juices. The little "micos" monkeys seem to enjoy the place. Another Bahian cuisine.

An emblematic establishment in the Barra district, with its sailboat look, the Barravento has reopened its doors after being closed for several years. It has been redecorated and refurbished. People come here to eat seafood, with friends or family of course, but also to enjoy the view of the sea, at the foot of the "Mirante", and perhaps to be seen. You can enjoy an aperitif with a welcome happy hour ("filé aperitivo" at R$59) or try more complete dishes (picanha, moqueca...) in a wide range of prices.

The Zulu bar-restaurant is ideally located on Laranjeiras street, in the heart of Pelourinho. Its reputation is well established. Salads, regional dishes, everything is good value for money. The moqueca (camarao or fish) is top-notch, and one dish is more than enough for two. For lighter snacks, the chicken and mango salad is a real treat for the taste buds. The menu is varied and vegans are not forgotten. Last but not least, on certain evenings you can watch the Olodum youth butacada.

The Ulisses bar and restaurant, in the lively Santo Antonio alem do Carmo district, has established itself as one of Salvador de Bahia's places to be. From its beautiful terrace overlooking the Bay of All Saints, you can sip a fruit juice or a caipirinha while watching the Por Do Sol. The regional cuisine on offer is top-notch. Live music on certain evenings. A real traditional boteco atmosphere. A simple, authentic Bahian place.

Restaurant Poro has moved across the street to its new quarters, but the quality of the food hasn't changed. The view from the terrace is enchanting at night, embracing the Bay of Tous les Saints. In addition to excellent cocktails (such as the "oeil du tigre", invented by the chef), the cuisine at the bar is innovative, varied and tasty. Special, creative menus are regularly offered (such as for Valentine's Day). The chef systematically offers vegan dishes to open up his establishment to all gourmets.

In the heart of Pelourinho, on Maciel de Baixo Street, Uaua has been serving North-Eastern specialties for decades... and that in itself is a guarantee of quality. The décor is reminiscent of the austere lands of the North East. Yet it's a pleasure to come here, because the dishes perfectly convey the sincerity of Nordeste cuisine and its inhabitants. You can of course try the typical Bahian dishes, but specialties like carne do sol or carne verde are excellent, and the manioc fries are like no other.

You can't come to Salvador de Bahia without tasting the traditional acarajés, derived from African culinary traditions. Of course, not everyone likes this red bean fritter fried in palm oil or dendê. If you're curious, don't miss the Dinha stand on largo do Santana. You can usually spot the long queue in front of this stall, where ladies dressed in the traditional white Bahian costume are bustling about, derived from the traditional garb of the lands of the Gulf of Guinea from which their ancestors were uprooted.

Mistura is one of the best fish and Mediterranean restaurants in Salvador. Chef Andrea Ribeiro's main source of inspiration is simply the sea. The suggested starter is the seafood salad with octopus, shrimp, lobster, fresh mussels and raw oysters. Try the linguine with lobster. The menu also offers classic pasta and meat dishes. The decoration, in wood and bricks, designed by the architect Sydney Quintela, is refined and brings an extra soul to this beautiful address. A beautiful address.

Sorriso da Dada is a Salvador tradition. Now it's Dada's daughters who take charge of the restaurant in Pelourinho. The famous chef, a true legend in Salvador (she's on TV and billboards, a bit like choumicha in Morocco, for those in the know), runs her other restaurant, located in her former home (Sabores da Dada). Both are great places to discover Bahian cuisine. The food is deservedly renowned and the atmosphere assured, but get your wallets ready.

Amado is a contemporary Brazilian Michelin-starred restaurant run by Paulist chef Edinho Engel. Amado's cuisine has a French culinary touch, but the influences are international and varied. For starters, why not try the salmon tartar with wasabi and caviar cream, followed by a variation of moqueca with caju and shrimp, or shrimp-stuffed squid with mandioquinha mousseline. Enjoy the superb view of the bay as you savor these dishes.

Bahian and Brazilian cuisine is strongly focused on meat and fish products. However, fans of vegetarian, vegan and organic cuisine will find restaurants and establishments in Bahia that will meet their expectations. Since 1994, the Ramma Cozinha Natural restaurant in the Barra district has been welcoming lovers of fresh, healthy cuisine. No eggs, no fried food in hot or cold dishes. You'll find fish and chicken, but the heart of the menu is based on quality products. A must-try!

In the bohemian district of Rio Vermelho, the Casa de Tereza restaurant has been an institution for many years. Chef Tereza Paim has successfully met the challenge of offering an innovative cuisine that combines art, culture and gastronomy. Local artists are called upon to decorate the restaurant's various lounges, and Bahian culture and its African origins are duly honored. Whether it's a menu from the sea or from the land, everything is created with high-quality ingredients. A successful challenge to "sustainable" cuisine. Worth knowing.

Leila drew on the origins of Bahian food to create her restaurant. The result: African-influenced food and Baiano recôncavo. The air-conditioned main room is reminiscent of a candomblé terreiro. As for the food, lots of shrimp, seafood, peanuts and cashews form the basis of this gourmet cuisine, also inspired by dishes prepared in public markets. For the main course, the choice is between the seafood feijoada, a house specialty, theEfo (of African origin prepared with taioba, a green leaf full of vitamins), the coconut Mariene (Leila's creation), a real favorite of this place.

The Quatro Amici pizzeria is a cosy place in this lively and quiet area of Barra, a few meters from the Farol beach. It is a pizzeria with a chic restaurant service (valet parking at the entrance). The façade and the interior show a real aesthetic research. The alternation of bricks, which gives a vintage aspect, with the wood of the ceiling and the bright white walls, gives a cosy and pleasant aspect. The pizzas and Italian dishes are of good quality. The food and wine lists are rich and of high quality.