10 Best Resturants in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Traveling in a new city is always exciting but sometimes overwhelming; how do you find the perfect restaurant without knowing the city, let alone the language? Since we at Brazil Nuts truly love food, we want to make sure all of our clients taste the best of Rio de Janeiro Brazil, quite literally! Below you'll find a list of Rio de Janeiro restaurants that are sure to satisfy every palette and budget.

FRONTERA

Brazilian /international

ADDRESS: Av. Ataulfo de Paiva, 630 - Leblon, Rio de Janeiro (other locations in Ipanema and Copacabana)

Is a wonderful option for those who like to pick with their eyes before they eat. The buffet service includes salads, hot dishes, Japanese rolls and sashimis, cut to order meats and dessert stations that serve a mix of Brazilian and international cuisine. The decor creates a cozy and friendly atmosphere with reproductions of old travel posters from all over the world.

GERO RIO

Italian cuisine

ADDRESS: Rua Aníbal de Mendonça, 157, Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro

PHONE NUMBER: (21) 2239-8158

Under Rogério Fasano’s management, Gero opened its Rio branch in 2002, in the wake of the São Paulo restaurant’s success. In just two years it has won the Discovery Trophy (2003) and Best Italian (2004) awards, both given by the weekly magazine Veja Rio, as well as the Best Chef and Best Restaurant awards voted by Rio Show . The menu drawn up by chef Salvatore Loi is based on classic Italian cuisine such as lamb cutlets stuffed with foie gras and farfalle pasta bow-ties with ossobuco veal shank and mushroom stew. The decor was selected by Aurélio Martinez Flores, who was also the architect for the São Paulo restaurant, and it has the same clean and uncomplicated decoration. Gero has already become a highpoint of Rio’s night life, drawing socialites, entertainers, journalists, and high society.

GIUSEPPE GRILL

Barbecue and seafood

TBA

ADDRESS:Avenida Bartolomeu Mitre, 370 - Leblon, Rio de Janeiro

PHONE NUMBER: (21) 2249-3055

Located in the exclusive neighborhood of Leblon, the sleek Giuseppe Grill combines sophistication and simplicity to offer what many consider the best steak in Rio de Janeiro. Specializing in charcoal-grilled churrasco (barbecue) and seafood, the restaurant serves prime cuts of Brazilian and Argentine beef, fish fresh from the market, and traditional desserts. Additionally, the diverse and ample wine cellar allows guests to choose the perfect accompaniment to their meals.

Aside from the quality of the food, the owners of Giuseppe Grill pay great attention to the restaurant’s ambiance. Modern design, subtle lighting, and paintings by leading Brazilian artists give the restaurant a comfortable, contemporary feel. The result is a truly unique dining experience that integrates style and art with gourmet tastes.

GULA GULA

Brazilian food and Salads

TBA

ADDRESS:Rua Henrique Dumont, 57 - Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro

PHONE NUMBER: (21) 2259-3084

Gula Gula opened in Ipanema and became such a hit that it has franchised info other parts of the city. The charming Ipanema location, located on a rather quiet side street, makes it popular with locals and tourists alike.

Gula Gula's fare tends to be trendy and light, serving quiches and salads, but they also serve traditional Brazilian dishes with a modern twist. The dishes are quite artful, and the menu changes, offering "experiments" such as "Nosso Baiao de Dois", made with black rice & beans cooked together, collards, jerked beef, sausage, etc. Also, the "Queijo Minas" quiche is excellent, and is made with a popular white cheese that originated in the state of Minas Gerais.

The list of choices goes on and on, and if your palette calls for something fresh and trendy, you will find it at Gula Gula.

PORCAO RIOS

Barbecue

TBA

ADDRESS:Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, s/nº Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro

PHONE NUMBER: (21) 3461-9020

This famous Brazilian steak house is a place where guests have the opportunity to taste unique flavors. An “all-you-can-eat” restaurant style, with a particular way of roasting the meat on a special Brazilian grill that preserves the meat’s natural flavor and leaves each cut full of its natural juices. Besides the 30 different varieties of the finest meats (Served Brazilian style, sliced to your preference right at the table), the restaurant maintains a buffet full of delectable salads and scrumptious hot dishes, all created by chef Wilson Leal. The Churrascaria Porcão Rio is a culinary reference point in Rio de Janeiro, and offers an astonishing view of the local landscape, in front of the Guanabara Bay and the Sugar Loaf Mountain. Capacity: 300 people.

Positioning itself on famed foodie road Rua Dias Ferreira was a bold move for Stuzzi, but happily the bar and its tucker can hold its own even in such illustrious company.

Chef Paula Prandini comes fresh from a stint at Michelin-starred restaurant Il Griso in Lombardy, and learned her trade in France and Italy. The name Stuzzi comes from the Italian stuzzichini, meaning those little dishes you can have as starters or share with friends, tapas style. While there are some larger portions available, this is resolutely a bar rather than a restaurant so the food is designed to complement the social scene rather than take over.

Decor-wise, the emphasis is on understated chic with grey walls softened by the use of dark woods, with a few seats outside. Suzzi's location means it's perfectly placed for a pre-meal drink before heading to one of the many statement restaurants lined up on the same street.

SUSHI LEBLON

Japanese

TBA

ADDRESS: Rua Dias Ferreira, 256 - Leblon, Rio de Janeiro

PHONE NUMBER: (21) 2512-7830

Considered by many the best Japanese restaurant in Rio de Janeiro, this is also one of the hottest spots in the city. Located in the upscale neighborhood of Leblon, you will find a complete menu of fresh and traditional sashimis and rolls, as well as unique creations by their prized sushiman. The chef often introduces recipes that go beyond Asian cuisine, like the intriguing sea-urchin ceviche or the delicious ussuzukuri of sea bass seasoned with a Brazilian chili pepper. If you prefer it cooked – as 40% of all patrons do – try the sesame seed crusted tuna accompanied by rice noodles tossed with shiitake mushrooms and citrus sauce. For drinks, order one of the 10 labels of , national and foreign sake. Keep your eyes open for celebrities; Mick Jagger, Madonna and local artist have dined there. Reservations are strongly recommended.

MANUEL & JOAQUIM

Portuguese

TBA

ADDRESS: Praça João Pessoa 7, Lapa, Rio de Janeiro

PHONE NUMBER: (21) 2232-3775

A Rio tradition, this Portuguese bar offers an exquisite menu and excellent chopp. The restaurant offers Portuguese appetizers such as breaded cod and skewered kaftan, national fare such as feijoadas on Fridays and Saturdays (a particularly notable option), and even Colombian appetizers such as pastries made with corn and jerked meat. Great food and beer can be enjoyed inside, soaking in the ambiance, or outside, enjoying what Lapa has to offer.

APRAZIVEL

French-Brazilian

TBA

ADDRESS: Rua Aprazível, 62 - Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro

PHONE NUMBER: (21) 2508-9174 and (21) 2507-7334

A charming old house in a beautiful cobblestone hilly street in Santa Teresa, the restaurant takes up several rooms and spills over into the garden where a panoramic astonishing view of downtown Rio and the Bay of Guanabara is revealed. The kitchen serves up a variety of Brazilian cuisine, with an emphasis on tropical flavors. Capacity: 80 people.

POBRE JUAN

Brazilian/international

ADDRESS: Fashion Mall in São Conrado & Village Mall in Barra da Tijuca

PHONE NUMBER: (21) 3324-5381 (Fashion Mall) or (21) 3252-2637 (Barra)

he successful enterprise Pobre Juan, already known in São Paulo, is now to be found in Rio de Janeiro. They offer a delicious and attractive menu with noble cuts of Argentinean and Uruguayan meat. With units in the most exclusive shopping malls in the city (Fashion Mall in São Conrado, and Village Mall in Barra da Tijuca), the establishment has already won prizes and they often have queues at its doors at night, in the weekends.

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