Fortaleza
One of Brazil's most famous ice cream shops, though with a terribly misleading name: there are actually 150 flavors here, including caipirinha (made with…
Must-see restaurants in Brazil
Rio Grande do Sul
Unlike many of the trattorias in the region, Mamma focuses on quality, not quantity, and is a mainstay in Vale dos Vinhedos. The owner, a former…
São Paulo
Brazilian-Italian-American pizzaiolo Andre Guidon imports everything humanly possible from Italy – and this small, family-run affair epitomizes the…
Santa Teresa & Lapa
At this beautifully restored mansion, you can sit on the back terrace with its sweeping views or in the charming, airy dining room, and feast on rich,…
Paraná
In her own home a few blocks behind the historic district, Norma cooks up real-deal barreado (meat stew) true to its original recipe (simmered for 24…
Belo Horizonte
This intimate brick-walled bistro with candlelit back patio is one of Belo's most romantic addresses. Award-winning chef Leonardo Paixão peppers his menu…
Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul
Head past the pride of wooden lions to find fantastic takes on regional cuisine: perfectly grilled picanha with a full entourage of sides, rice slow…
Rio de Janeiro State
Verdant, flowery grounds and a gorgeous mountain setting enhance the mood of relaxed elegance in the lovely glass-walled dining room of Pousada da…
Santa Catarina
Hidden down a pothole-ridden track that will surely have you believing you are marching to your demise, you'll find Tais running the show at this…
São Paulo
Sushi superman Keisuke Egashira speaks broken Portuguese, arriving a few years back after 23 years at Tokyo's Sushi-Kan. This uneventfully simple, raw…
Minas Gerais
At this edge-of-town hideaway, run by the same family for nearly two decades, everything is lovingly homemade – roast chicken, pork cheeks, artisanal…
Belo Horizonte
Run by the affable Dona Nelsa, this long-standing local institution 15km northwest of Belo Horizonte is renowned for its fabulous comida mineira (typical…
Salvador
The best Bahian buffet in town. The cooking school SENAC spreads a tempting array of regional dishes, including several varieties of seafood, moqueca …
Ilhabela
On the island's south end, this award-winning seafooder is most famous for its top-end shrimp dishes, but you can't go wrong with anything you encounter…
Belém
One of the best places in Belém to eat, no matter what you're hungry for. The bustling complex has almost a dozen restaurants, most with indoor and…
Manaus
However you get your tambaqui (perhaps the tastiest of all Amazonian fish) prepared here – stewed, grilled, ribs – the execution is perfect. They serve…
Rio de Janeiro State
Don’t miss this local favorite beside a rushing river just off the Teresópolis–Friburgo highway. The menu ranges from linguiça (spicy Portuguese sausage)…
Minas Gerais
Mariana’s best por-kilo place offers a sumptuous buffet of mineira cuisine – from freshly grilled meat to feijão tropeiro (beans mixed with toasted manioc…
Goiás
Dating from the late 18th century, this once-enormous sugar plantation has been restored and opens to visitors on weekends, when a magnificent brunch…
Paraty
Creative taste combinations and artistic presentation make this one of Paraty’s classiest restaurants. Meat and fish dishes are supplemented by inspired…
Bonito & Around
There are a few fish dishes at this likable rustic restaurant, but the star of the show is the chargrilled boneless pacu served with plump capers and…
São Paulo
This Pinheiros pizza Paulistana warrior will leave you questioning (for a minute, anyway!) if pizza ever originated elsewhere. Do as Brazilians do: keep…
Bahia
Portinha is several steps up from most per-kilo restaurants you'll find. There is a plethora of meat and seafood dishes on offer, most of which are…
Espírito Santo
At this sweet, unassuming family-run place, Dona Pedrolina prepares delicious home-cooked meals, as she's been doing for 25 years – in between lull…
Arraial do Cabo
From humble origins selling codfish fritters from a beachside stand in 2008, the ‘Tuga’ (Portuguese guy) has built this wonderful family-run restaurant…
São Luís
Showpiece for the São Luís branch of Brazil's best-known cooking school, this place gets packed at lunchtime for its superb all-you-can-eat buffet, which…
Búzios
This down-to-earth waterfront joint stakes its reputation on well-made, reasonably priced fish dishes – from fried fish with rice and salad to full-on…
Búzios
There's no more blissful spot to catch the sunset than the outdoor deck of this gastrobar in the waterfront Porto da Barra complex. While away the early…
Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul
On weekends in particular, this family-run churrascaria heaves with local families and skewers featuring succulent cuts of beef and pork, chicken hearts,…
Minas Gerais
Just downhill from Praça Tiradentes, Ouvidor has garnered numerous awards for its authentic comida mineira over the past four decades, with specialties…
Minas Gerais
Authentic Italian antipasti, pasta and risotto dishes – including several vegetarian offerings – coupled with a prime corner location below Tiradentes'…
Rio de Janeiro State
Food and setting are equally enticing at this sweet little house in the woods between Mauá and Maringá. Sporting a gorgeous riverside deck, it's…
Ilha Grande & Vila do Abraão
Every evening, Argentine expats Cris and Nel invite up to 10 prereserved guests into their secret garden in Abraão village for wonderful home-cooked…
Recife
As near as por kilos restaurants can get to a gourmet experience, Chica Pitanga offers a changing array of diverse dishes every day. The dozen or so salad…
Brasília
It's worth a trip to the edges of Lago Sul – a R$40 or so taxi fare – for Marco Espinoza's authentic upscale Peruvian fare. His whole team hails from Peru…
Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul
This place rightfully deserves its reputation as the best peixaria (fish restaurant) in town, with a superior buffet accompanying the hearty mains. The…
Espírito Santo
Celebrating more than half a century in business, this award-winning restaurant with a spacious, airy dining room down by the mermaid statue on Ubu's…
Ilhabela
Hidden from the main road along the island’s southside is this upscale beach shack, firmly planted into the sands of one of Ilhabela's best and most…
Espírito Santo
With award-winning moquecas (featuring everything from whiting to shrimp to lobster) and torta capixaba (seafood frittata with olives and hearts of palm),…
Goiás
Tables at this contemporary gem – tucked away in a residential neighborhood a short walk from the main road – are shrouded in candle-lit romanticism and…
