Must-see restaurants in Brazil

  • Abendbrothaus

    Santa Catarina

    This Sunday-only feast is the most coveted table in Santa Catarina for marreco (stuffed Garganey, a kind of small duck); in fact, the menu's only item…

  • Maní

    São Paulo

    Rustic-chic Maní will astound you. Run impeccably by the 2014 Veuve Cliquot World's Best Female Chef, Helena Rizzo, it's often rightfully touted as Sampa…

  • Ostradamus

    Santa Catarina

    Atmospheric tables line the glass-enclosed deck at this incredibly cinematic seafood restaurant. You can slurp oysters served over a dozen ways, but don't…

  • Salomé

    Rio de Janeiro

    Run by the same people behind Ipanema's enormously popular Canastra, Salomé brings a dash of style to the Leme beachfront. The easygoing open-sided bistro…

  • El Born

    Rio de Janeiro

    Named after Barcelona's hippest, foodie-loving neighborhood, El Born fires up some of Rio's best tapas plates, such as Galician-style octopus, spicy…

  • Churrascaria Palace

    Rio de Janeiro

    This elegantly set dining room is one of the best churrascarias (traditional barbecue restaurants) in town. Aside from juicy, high-quality cuts of meat,…

  • A Casa do Porco

    São Paulo

    Chef Jefferson Rueda's casual temple of swine is a wonderful descent into all things pork. Delicious and decadent specialties such as porco san zé (R$48…

  • Tuju

    São Paulo

    Delicate flavors and unconventional Brazilian ingredients inventively spun to delight your taste buds are hallmarks of top chef Ivan Ralston, who still…

  • Valle Rustico

    Rio Grande do Sul

    Wine country's best restaurant sits down a lonely and dark Vale dos Vinhedos dirt road – don't worry, it's open – where you'll find a wood-beamed dining…

  • Restaurante do Antônio

    Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses

    Get yourself here by foot, horseback, car, boat, on a tour or any way you can to experience the wonderful grilled shrimp at this rustic culinary…

  • Manu

    Curitiba

    Manoella Buffara is one of Curitiba's hottest chefs and her pedigree backs up her impressive creations, which appear on a nightly-changing tasting menu…

  • Restaurante do Lago

    Rio Grande do Sul

    Chef Marcos Barberi pumps a ton of personality into his restaurant with a rustic, fireplace-warmed space full of antique furniture, colorful knickknacks…

  • Shin-Zushi

    São Paulo

    Barely a blip from Paraíso metro station is this outrageously good and authentic sushi hotspot where brothers Robinson and Ken Mizumoto execute an…

  • Mocotó

    São Paulo

    It's worth the trek to Zona Norte for a meal at this darling of regional restaurants, where the city's most likeable and impressive young chef took over…

  • Casa Camolese

    Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa

    One of the most talked-about openings in recent years is this beautifully designed eating, drinking and entertainment space overlooking the Jockey Club…

  • Futuro Refeitório

    São Paulo

    A former Pinheiros parking lot has been transformed into this unapologetically trendy canteen that bills itself as the future of eating. Indeed, low-key…

  • Pimenta de Cheiro Toque Toque

    São Paulo State

    It's worth the 25km drive west from São Sebastião's cultural center to pretty Praia Toque-Toque Pequeno, where this open-air seafooder excels at both…

  • Giuseppe Grill

    Ipanema & Leblon

    One of Rio's best restaurants, Giuseppe Grill aims for perfection and it rarely disappoints. Chargrilled meat and fish plates are outstanding, as are…

  • Cabana do Sol

    São Luís

    This huge two-story picture-windowed 'cabin' is a memorable spot for Maranhense cuisine. It’s pricey, but the enormous standard portions can serve four,…

  • Zazá Bistrô Tropical

    Ipanema & Leblon

    Inside an art-filled and whimsically decorated converted house, Zazá serves beautifully prepared dishes with Asian accents, and uses organic ingredients…

  • Cruzeiro do Pescador

    Praia da Pipa

    On the southeast edge of town, about 1.5km from the center, what looks like a typical mess of a house hides a don’t-miss culinary experience. Chef Daniel…

  • Aprazível

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    Hidden on a winding road high in Santa Teresa, Aprazível offers beautiful views and a lush garden setting. Grilled fish and roasted dishes showcase the…

  • Zuka

    Ipanema & Leblon

    One of Rio's best restaurants, Zuka prepares mouthwatering cuisine. Try zingy ceviche with Brazilian piquinho pepper or the confection-like delicacy of…

  • Casa Momus

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    One of the best and loveliest restaurants in Lapa, Casa Momus has a small but well-executed menu of Mediterranean-influenced dishes. Start with prawn…

  • Genesis Resto Bar

    Rio Grande do Norte

    What comes off as a tad ramshackle at first glance reveals itself as Gostoso's most adorable bistro, serving up a choice few gussied-up dishes – curried…

  • Feijoada da Lana

    São Paulo

    Lana, a journalist by trade, and daughter Luísa, offer their hugely popular version of feijoada, Brazil's national dish, inside a smallish Vila Madalena…

  • Agridoce Café

    Porto Alegre

    Don't judge a cafe by its facade! Enter the fascinating Victorian-vintage world of Agridoce and you'll quickly learn which Southern Brazilian cafe is…

  • Camarões Potiguar

    Natal

    This bright, stylish and creative homage to the shrimp is arguably Natal's best dining experience, and it's permanently packed. Start with a traditional…

  • Tordesilhas

    São Paulo

    Chef Mara Salles creates some of the very best contemporary Brazilian cuisine in the city at dependable Tordesilhas. There is a palpable lean on…

  • Libertango

    São Paulo State

    This lowlit Argentine-style parilla, run by a hands-on Brazilian family who keep the hospitality on overdrive (Jorge is especially personable, chatting…

  • Komah

    São Paulo

    Set well off the culinary eaten track in Barra Funda, friendly Chef Paulo Shin (a D.O.M. alum) nevertheless draws in droves for his authentic Korean…

  • Atelier das Massas

    Porto Alegre

    Crammed with as much character as artisanal pasta, this dive-like pasta bar should go on your immediate to-do list – never mind the curmudgeonly old…

  • Mesa da Ana

    Fernando de Noronha

    Husband-and-wife team Ana (a Cordon Bleu grad) and Rock (pronounced 'hockey;' Noronha's resident artist eccentric) serve only eight to 10 people per night…

  • Lilia

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    You could easily miss the low-key entrance to this tranquil lunch spot. Covering the top two floors of a 19th-century building, the restaurant has an airy…

  • Bistro Caiçara

    Jericoacoara

    Right in the center of town, this place is a real crowd-pleaser for Chef Apolinário's more-creative-than-most menu which includes plenty of seafood:…

  • Xian

    Rio de Janeiro

    One of Rio's loveliest new additions is this spacious, theatrically decorated dining room, open-air cocktail bar and nightclub, all set rather…

  • Patuá da Baiana

    São Paulo

    It's expensive; we probably shouldn't even include it, but the experience at Bahian beauty Bá's 'secret' underground restaurant in her own home is just…

  • Botequim Mercatto

    Goiás

    They had a good idea here: take the traditional Brazilian bar-restaurant, focus on upmarket food, but keep quantities big and the chope (draft beer)…

  • Flor do Luar

    Amazonas

    One of the Amazon's best restaurants, Flor do Luar sits on a floating pontoon on the Rio Negro and serves fabulous food and cold beers. The specialty is…

  • Lasai

    Rio de Janeiro

    Inside an elegant early-20th-century house in Humaitá, Lasai dazzles critics and foodies with its deliciously inventive cuisine. The award-winning carioca…

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