The best bars and cafés Brésil Nordeste

In this Bahian den as we like them, far from the aseptic globalization, under the effigy of the late Raul Seixas, the Espaço D'Venetta is a musical bar which proposes "ao vivo" music every weekend. In addition to the varied music known for its quality (MPB, samba, chorinho...), the customers also come to appreciate the variety of cachaças proposed by the house: a hundred! one can sustains oneself with beers, as well as typical home-made dishes of the area: carne de sol, saparapatéu (tripe), moqueca de peixe...Comey by taxi

In the charming Carmo district of old Salvador, Cafélier is both a restaurant and a pleasant café with a lovely view of the sea. For those who visit outside mealtimes, or just for a snack, you'll find coffees, fruit juices, banana tarts and light meals. Access to the dining room is via a pleasant, eclectically decorated room. The terrace, surrounded by bougainvillea, is relatively large and comfortable. Here you can admire the sunset over the Bay of All Saints.

One of the "places to be" in old Salvador. The place may not offer much in the way of comfort to its customers, but it's highly prized for its root and cachaça infusions. The atmosphere is popular and lively, and you often have to elbow your way to the counter. Cravinho" is the name of an eponymous cocktail made with cachaça, honey, lemon and cloves(cravo in Portuguese). Glasses or bottles are filled directly from the barrels. Local legends say it's an aphrodisiac. A bon entendeur...

A restaurant-bar ideally located on the Beira Mar. According to some, Coco Bambu is the best seafood restaurant in the whole state of Cearà. Beautiful setting and lively atmosphere in the evening. One would think one was in the middle of the Amazonian forest. All this has a price that can be considered as salty and that can make some people run away, but the portions are more than generous and serve more than two people. The quality is there and considering the quantity of shrimps served, it is worth it! You can eat at the buffet at noon.

Brazil, and the Nordeste in particular, obviously know how to preserve these traditional places that have a little extra soul. The Bodega do Veio is one of those timeless places that seem to have come out of a dirty photo album yellowed by time. Mix of shop and bar, you can find everything in the Bodega do Veio! You can shop there or sit on the terrace and try its dishes. Its cod salad is famous in town. In the evenings too, there is a varied musical programme. A must-see!

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...

Evenings in Lençois are often pleasant, over a gelada, caipirinha or other cocktail. The Catingueiro, pub and brewery, is a warm welcome for those who still have some strength left after long walks along the winding paths of the chapada diamantina. This pleasantly decorated craft brewery offers good beers (such as Viena and IPA). The establishment closes late on this busy street, and the music is very good. You can't eat here, but there are restaurants nearby.

In this beco das cores, "alley of colours", there are shops open late at night, but also several bars that offer concerts (from Thursday to Saturday). Nice atmosphere on the terraces, a good place to start the evening if it promises to be long, as it is often the case in Arraial d'Ajuda. Beco das Cores is another interesting place for those who want to listen to music ao vivo and/or visit art galleries. It is a very hip and relaxed environment, lively for those who want to enjoy the night.

In Rio Vermelho's lively, bohemian neighborhood, Novo Postudo has established itself as the place to be for live music concerts. It's the place to come to hear jazz and rock in a very pleasant setting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the busiest days of the year. It's a place we love, frequented mainly by artists, journalists and academics. Novo Postudo is also a restaurant. If you arrive early, you can choose a seat on the terrace, where the view is superb. You can enjoy a cold beer as the sun sets.

The Mercado de Peixe, once a popular night spot for the city's young people, has undergone a facelift and become the "vila caramuru". Gone is the old-fashioned charm of the place, replaced by a more cosy atmosphere, although some would argue that it has lost some of its original authenticity. Whatever the case, the market's small bistros offer food and drink throughout the day and into the night. Ideal for a pick-me-up after visiting the previous addresses. Dishes and snacks at low prices, accompanied by beers and caipirinhas.

The small seaside resort asserts itself by the quality of its restaurant services and its pleasant bars. The Bar do Souza is an icon of Praia do Forte. It is both a bar and a pleasant restaurant. Its wooden tables, in the semi-enclosed courtyard with trees, and its red walls make for a pleasant stopover before a possible return to Salvador. The Bar do Souza offers excellent "ao vivo" music almost every night. Try the fish fritters(bolinho de peixe). The kiwi caipirinha is worth trying.

In this rustic and romantic setting, with earthen walls, one has the impression of entering the winding streets of some medieval town in old Europe. Since 2007, one can enjoy noon and evening, beers, passion fruit caipirinhas and rock'n'roll animate the evenings of Boobalai. The house also serves several kinds of sandwiches, very good picanhas (chapas, Trio Nordestino) for meat lovers. The house specialty is the hamburgers (booba nordestino, underground and bacon). Amateurs, do not hesitate! Good live music!

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.

Good music, refined lighting, rattan furniture, naturally talk to the neighbours. Grill, a good caipirosca.

The difference with caipirinha is that we put vodka instead of Cachaça Pitu. Beautiful sea view. Live music concerts, film projections, and there is a feast of the full moon every month.

An idealized pub by a Californian. More than 150 types of cocktails to be tasted.

In a rustic style and a family atmosphere, the Dona Amelia restaurant welcomes its guests for lively forró evenings, from midnight or 1am. Concerts are often held during dinner. The forro bands are usually of excellent quality. In the restaurant, the traditional pineapple shrimp are also featured. The service sometimes takes a while, but that is part of the atmosphere in the North East.

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.

Chopp da bixiga is a popular bar-restaurant. As in many places in Brazil, it has the traditional red or blue plastic chairs and tables and isothermal containers. A very famous place in Fortaleza that serves the original chopp de vinho (draft beer made with red wine). It is accompanied by "macaxeiras fritas" (cassava chips) and carne do sol. You have to arrive early to get a table. Close to the Dragão do Mar cultural centre, in a big house from the beginning of the 20th century. A nice place to know.

Lively, popular evenings washed down with cachaça, sometimes with live music. A few tables next to the fish stalls serve beer. This is an open ^19th-century building, transformed into a fair with numerous booths. Dozens of traders offer typical regional products, liqueurs, cachaças and spices. On some Friday evenings, starting at 7 p.m., there's a presentation of Tambor de Crioula, a typical Maranhão round dance.