Rio de Janeiro Entertainment

  1. 00 (Zero Zero)

    Housed in Gávea's planetarium, 00 is a restaurant by day, sleek lounge by night. A mix of Cariocas joins the fray here, though they mostly tend to be a fashion-literate, Zona Sul crowd. Playground, 00's Sunday party, has quite a following among house fans - gay and straight. In addition to rotating parties, the club also hosts CD-release parties.

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  2. Academia da Cachaça

    Although cachaça (cane liquor) has a bad reputation in some parts, here the fiery liquor is given a respect it nearly deserves. Along with tasty, inexpensive meals, this pleasant indoor-outdoor spot serves dozens of varieties of cachaça, and you can order it straight, with honey and lime, or disguised in a fruity caipirinha. For a treat (and/or a bad hangover), try the passion-fruit batida ( cachaça and passion-fruit juice).

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  3. Adega Flor de Coimbra

    In the same building that was once the home of Brazilian painter Cândido Portinari, the Adega Flor de Coimbra has been a bohemian haunt since it opened in 1938. Back in its early days, leftists, artists and intellectuals drank copiously at the slim, old bar looking out on Lapa. Today, it draws a mix of similar types, who drink wine and sangria with Adega's tasty bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish croquettes) or feijoada .

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  4. Allegro Bistrô Musical

    This small café in Copacabana's excellent music store Modern Sound features live music most nights of the week. Jazz and MPB groups play to a mix of Cariocas, predominantly aged 30 and up. Most groups play from to , though Allegro periodically becomes a lunchtime venue ( to ). The more popular groups attract a large audience, with people spilling out into the store. Reservations are available if you want to be sure to snag that table by the piano.

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  5. Amarelinho

    Easy to spot by its bright amarelo (yellow) awning, Amarelinho has a splendid setting on the Praça Floriano. Yellow-vested waiters serve plenty of chope here, wandering among the crowded tables, with the Teatro Municipal in the background. Amarelinho is a popular lunch spot but packs even bigger crowds for that oh-so-refreshing after-work brew.

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  7. Antonio's

    This new spot in Lapa has lots of old-school charm with its hanging lamps, wrought-iron trimwork and simple wooden tables (with a few seats on the sidewalk for taking in the street scene). Plenty of other drinking spots are nearby, if you feel like wandering.

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  8. Armazém São Thiago

    Part grocer, part bar, this hole-in-the-wall drinking establishment features a few stand-up tables and a counter. It doesn't look like much, and the neighborhood regulars would probably say it isn't - between sips of their beers - which is part of its charm. The crowds pack this place on weekends, with revelers spilling onto the sidewalks.

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  9. Asa Branca

    Near the Arcos da Lapa, Asa Branca attracts lovers of forró to its large, smoky dance floor. Recently renovated, this is one of the mainstays of Lapa, with a slightly older crowd packing in on weekends. In addition to some of the best forró in the city, the club also hosts samba and MPB.

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  10. Banca do Blues

    A rather nondescript banca (newspaper stand) by day transforms into a serious jam fest for blues bands certain nights of the week. It's a great street scene, with folding chairs, vendors selling beer and the clash of electronically amplified chords firing up the blues-loving crowd. The schedule changes, so call before making the trip. At the time of writing, bands were playing on Friday night, starting at about or .

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  11. Bar Bofetada

    Bar Bofetada is frequented by gay guys enjoying a beer after the beach, and is a good place to watch the boys catwalking up and down Rua Farme de Amoedo.

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  13. Bar d'Hotel

    The waves crashing on the shore are just part of the background of this texture-rich bar overlooking Ipanema beach. The narrow bar is like a magnet for the style set, who gather in the intimate space to enjoy tropical drinks to the backdrop of sea and ambient electronic music.

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  14. Bar da Ladeira

    Just around the corner from the Arcos da Lapa, this early 1900s house was recently converted into a live samba joint. The large area with its multiple rooms has a small dance floor, a pool table and plenty of little nooks and crannies. The samba bands get going around .

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  15. Bar do Mineiro

    Famous for its Minas Gerais cuisine, Bar do Mineiro is one of Santa Teresa's most traditional botecos - and an excellent place for a drink while catching up on the local gossip.

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  16. Bar do Serafim

    On a lively stretch of Rua Alice, the Bar do Serafim is a small, simple, convivial boteco serving tasty Portuguese appetizers and plenty of chope . It's been around since 1944 and remains an institution (and popular happy-hour spot) among neighborhood regulars.

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  17. Bar Lagoa

    With a view of the lake, Bar Lagoa is one of the neighborhood's classic haunts. Founded in 1935, this open-air spot hasn't changed much since - the bar still has surly waiters serving excellent beer to ever-crowded tables and in spite of its years, a youthful air still pervades the old bar.

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  19. Bar Luiz

    Well over 100 years old, this saloon and dining spot serves some of the city's best brew.

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  20. Bar Urca

    This simple neighborhood bar and restaurant has a marvelous setting near Urca's bayside waterfront. At night, young and old crowd along the seaside wall as waiters bring cold drinks and appetizers.

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  21. Baronneti

    One of Ipanema's only nightclubs, Baronneti has a sleek and trim interior with a choice of two dance floors. Given its prime Zona Sul location, you'll find a young, well-heeled crowd here. Eclectic DJs and fruity cocktails keep the fans returning again and again.

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  22. Beco do Rato

    One of Lapa's classic samba spots, this tiny bar has excellent live groups playing to a cheerful crowd. The outdoor seating and informal setting are an unbeatable mix. Marcio, the friendly owner, hails from Minas Gerais; to get the night started, ask him for a tasty cachaça (cane liquor) from his home state. Friday nights are particularly good to catch live samba.

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  23. Bip Bip

    For years, Bip Bip has been one of the city's favorite spots to catch a live roda de samba (informal samba played around a table). Although the ambience isn't much to speak of - just a storefront with a few battered tables - as the evening progresses, the tree-lined neighborhood becomes the backdrop to serious, improvised jam sessions with music and revelers spilling out onto the sidewalk. The schedule at the time of writing was samba on Sunday, chorinho on Tuesday and bossa nova on Wednesday. The music usually begins around .

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  25. Bombar

    Bombar is a popular Leblon nightclub that attracts a festive, neighborhood crowd to fill the upstairs dance floor. Downstairs is a bar for mingling among a mostly Zona Sul crowd.

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  26. Boteco Casual

    Hidden in a narrow lane leading off Praça Quinze de Novembro, Boteco Casual is one of several charming open-air bars on the colonial Travessa do Comércio. The scenic lane is a popular meeting spot and a festive air arrives at workday's end as Cariocas fill the tables spilling onto the street.

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  27. Boteco do Gomes

    A fairly new addition to Lapa, the Boteco do Gomes has the classical look of an old-time bar with brick walls, art-deco light fixtures, and tile floors. Patrons are a mix of musicians, students and Lapa hangabouts, who gather for a quick drink at stand-up tables in front or at the roomier tables in back.

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  28. Botequim

    Another of Botafogo's great neighborhood bars, Botequim is an old-school, down-at-the-heels watering hole serving a friendly crowd. The menu has plenty of appetizers and more substantial dishes if you need something to accompany those chopes .

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  29. Bracarense

    Opened in 1948, Bracarense is a classic Carioca watering hole, famous for its simple, unpretentious ambience and its heavenly salgados (bar snacks). A steady stream of neighborhood regulars enjoys over 20 varieties of the snacks (try the aipim com camarão - cassava with shrimp) to the accompaniment of icy-cold chope .

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