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Casa da Matriz
Artwork lines the walls of this avant-garde space in Botafogo. With numerous rooms to explore (lounge, screening room, dance floors) this old two-story mansion embodies the creative side of the Carioca spirit. Check the website for party listings.
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Casa Rosa
In the first decades of the 20th century, Casa Rosa was one of the city's most famous brothels in Rio's red-light area. Times have changed somewhat and today the demure Pink House is one of Rio's best nightspots. It has a large outdoor patio between several dance floors, where different bands play throughout the night. Saturday is the best night to go, though Casa Rosa's new Sunday roda de samba party also draws its fans - a good mix of Cariocas.
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Champanharia Ovelha Negra
One of Rio's best happy-hour scenes, Ovelha Negra draws a mix of locals who come for the lively conversation and the 40 different varieties of champagne and prosecco (Italian sparkling white wine) - the specialties of the house. It's a tiny bar, opened in 2005, but with a classic boteco feel.
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Choperia Brazooka
A popular new addition to Lapa, this three-story beer house has lots of nooks and crannies where you can while away the night over ice-cold drafts and tasty finger foods. The 20- and 30-something crowd packs this place, so arrive early to score a table.
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Club Six
Near the Arcos da Lapa, Club Six is a huge industrial space housing three dance floors, five bars and a number of spots for lounging scattered about the building. It's a top pick for dancing, with DJs spinning house, hip-hop, trance and MPB till daybreak.
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Cobal do Leblon
Leblon's flower-and-produce market features a number of open-air bars and restaurants. A vibrant, youthful air pervades this place, and it's a major meeting spot in the summer.
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Conversa Fiada
'Conversa Fiada,' which can mean chit-chat or nonsense depending on the context, is an apt title for this lively Leblon bar. With its deep-red walls, an open-sided setting and a laid-back crowd it's earned a place among the top neighborhood botecos .
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Copa Café
One of Copacabana's best new bars, Copa Café has sleek contemporary design, a satisfying menu and plenty of tasty drink concoctions.
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Copacabana Palace Poolside Bar
Even if you can't swing the overpriced rooms, you can still soak up some of the decadence that the Palace delivers. The poolside bar offers dozens of sumptuous libations on a lovely outdoor terrace, a setting suitable for young duchesses and weary travelers alike. If you're looking for something more stately, head inside to the elegant piano bar, open to midnight).
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Cosmopolita
Behind the stained-glass doors of this 1906 saloon, Cosmopolita's bar is a fine setting in which to daydream over a few cocktails before hitting the samba clubs up the street. Or to just wait for the sunrise.
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Da Graça
The colorful Da Graça is one of Jardim Botânico's liveliest bars. The décor is festive and kitsch: rising up to the tall ceilings are walls draped with shimmery fabric, and brightly hued lamps decorate the entrance. On weekends, the sidewalk tables and the inside of the bar gather a loud but fun crowd.
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Dama de Ferro
Dama de Ferro has one of the best dance floors in town, and a fun, mixed crowd packs into this place in the late hours.
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Devassa
Serving perhaps Rio's best beer, Devassa makes its own creamy brews, before offering them up to festive crowds at its two-floor chopperia (beer hall). Top picks: sarará (wheat beer), ruiva (pale ale) and mulatta (a mix of dark and light beer with a shot of coffee). An occasional Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) band adds to the din on the upstairs level.
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Espelunca Chic
A popular newcomer on the Rio scene, Espelunca is a friendly bar that has boteco charm - open-sided, wood tables, minimal décor and waiters bustling about under trays of chope and piping hot appetizers, including tasty mini moquecas (seafood stew). There is another branch in Copacabana (2236 4090; Rua Bolívar 17A, Copacabana).
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Espírito do Chopp
One of many open-air venues in the Cobal, Espirito do Chopp fills up its plastic tables most nights with a festive, low-key crowd. The beer flows in abundance here, and there's always music nearby - either here or at one of the neighboring bars.
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Fosfobox
This subterranean club is hidden under a shopping center near the metro station. Good DJs spin everything from funk to glam rock, and the crowd here is one of the more eclectic in the club scene.
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Garota da Urca
A neighborhood crowd gathers over chope and salgados in the evening at this low-key spot.
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Garota de Ipanema
During its first incarnation, this small, open-sided bar was called the Bar Veloso. Its name and anonymity disappeared once two scruffy young regulars - Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes - penned the famous song here that changed history (and the name of the street, too). Today, you'll find plenty of tourists here, but little inspiration aside from the ice-cold chope.
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Goia Beira
Another handsome bar on Largo das Neves, Goia Beira is a small, intimate spot serving a range of tasty cachaças . The open-air scene gets lively on weekends, with an occasional band playing out on the square.
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Guapo Loco
This colorful Mexican restaurant and bar is one of Leblon's livelier spots for the under-30 crowd. Things get rowdier as the night progresses, helped along no doubt by the wide variety of tequilas on hand. Guapo Loco also serves decent quesadillas, tacos and fajitas if hunger strikes after working the tiny dance floor.
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Horse's Neck
Formerly a British-style pub, this place has been reborn as a creature from Africa, with leopards being the animal of choice when it comes to the print on seat cushions and wall hangings. Just like before, it's still a peaceful place to grab a drink, with an inviting balcony overlooking the ocean.
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Jiló
This lively open-sided bar opened in 2005, adding a splash more color to an already festive street. Creamy chope, a tasty appetizer menu and the inviting, informal ambience have paved the way for its popularity, with the bar and its sidewalk tables packed on weekend nights.
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Jobi
A favorite since 1956, Jobi has served a lot of beer in its day, and its popularity hasn't waned. The unadorned botequim (bar with table service) still serves plenty; grab a seat by the sidewalk and let the night unfold. If hunger beckons, try the tasty appetizers (the jerked beef and the codfish croquettes are tops).
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Jota Bar
This sleek, trim bar features DJs most nights (beginning at ), a young, fairly hip crowd and a talented group of bartenders. If Jota Bar doesn't suit, you'll find several other decent bars just around the corner.
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Le Boy
Trannies and pretty boys gather at this festive Copacabana dance club for dancing, drinking and perhaps debauchery. Super popular, Le Boy shouldn't be missed.
