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Estação República
Estação's buffet table is a neighborhood institution, featuring an extensive selection of salads, meats, pastas and vegetables. It's easy to indulge without breaking the bank. Sundays are family affairs here.
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Fasano Al Mare
One of the most anticipated restaurant openings of recent years, the lavish Fasano Al Mare opened in 2007 and was hailed an instant success by Rio's media. Seafood features Italian accents and comes beautifully prepared in dishes like risotto with saffron and rock lobster, seared tuna and whole fish baked in salt. This is one place where reservations are essential.
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Fellini
One of Leblon's top buffet restaurants, Fellini has an enticing selection of dishes: salads, pastas, grilled fish and shrimp, a sushi counter and the hallowed roast-meat counter. Fellini's modest dining room attracts a mix of hungry patrons - tourists, neighborhood folk and the beautiful crowd included.
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Fontes
Hidden in a nondescript shopping plaza, this tiny, low-key restaurant is worth seeking out if you're after a decent vegetarian meal. The menu changes daily but features shiitake-filled manioc pastries, green salads, roasted eggplant and the like. On Saturday, the rich, smoked-tofu feijoada always draws a crowd.
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Fratelli
On a quiet street in Leblon, Fratelli's large glass windows frame families and young couples enjoying a fine neighborhood restaurant. It's the food, however, that ought to be on display: creamy linguini with langosta (lobster), polenta with porcini and Brie and plump tortellini all pair nicely with Fratelli's decent wine selection.
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Frontera
Run by a Dutch chef, Frontera offers more than 60 plates at its delectable lunch buffet, featuring a medley of French, Thai, Italian, Indian and other world flavors. It has a cozier atmosphere than most per-kilo places.
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Galeria 1618
Equal parts bookstore, art gallery and bistro, the small, quaint Galeria 1618 opened in 2006 under the guidance of two French expats. In addition to tasty quiches, coffee, juices and desserts, the chef prepares excellent daily specials - risotto with shrimp, grilled tuna and the like.
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Galeto do Leblon
One of the pioneers on this street, Galeto do Leblon has been around for over 35 years. Although a recent renovation has created an airy, modern feel, with glass windows around the outside, Galeto still serves the traditional Brazilian dishes that have made it such a neighborhood favorite over the years. On Saturdays, stop in for excellent feijoada.
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Garcia & Rodrigues
Serving French food with a Brazilian accent (like roast veal à la Pantanal), Garcia & Rodrigues remains popular with Gallic expats in the city. Its two floors provide an elegant dining experience, though you can also sit in the café in front if you simply want a quick bite. Behind the glass counters surrounding the tiled floor, you'll find breads and cheeses, a good wine selection, homemade ice cream and good-looking desserts.
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Garota da Urca
Overlooking the small Praia da Urca, this neighborhood restaurant serves standard Brazilian fare at decent prices. The weekday lunch specials are good value, and you can enjoy views over the bay from the open-air veranda. By night, a more garrulous crowd meets here for steak and chope.
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Garota de Ipanema
A mix of tourists and neighborhood regulars pack the tables at the former bar where Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes once held court. Although the food is fairly standard Brazilian fare, one dish stands out - the picanha Brasileira, a scrumptious skillet of sliced sirloin brought sizzling to your table. Wash it down with a few glasses of ice-cold chope, and you'll realize why Garotas have been springing up all over the city.
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Gero
Elegance is the spice of choice at this handsome Ipanema favorite on posh Aníbal de Mendonça. Run by hotelier and restaurateur Rogério Fasano, Gero has some exquisite choices including tuna carpaccio, risotto with Tuscan sausage and the simple but delicious ravioli with tomato, mozzarella and basil.
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Guimas
A classic Carioca boteco with a creative flair, Guimas has been going strong for almost 20 years. Trout with leeks or the honey-roast duck with pear rice go nicely with the superfine caipivodcas (caipirinhas made with vodka instead of cachaça ). The small but cozy open-air restaurant attracts a more colorful mix of diners as the night progresses.
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Gula Gula
In a recent move to a cozy villa on Ipanema's western edge, Gula Gula continues to remain one Ipanema's culinary favorites - which means a lot in a neighborhood ever in search of the new. Quiches and salads are tops at this casual spot, but those in search of heartier fare can opt for grilled meats or other Brazilian dishes. Gula Gula is franchising fast, with locations in Centro (3852 1174; Rua Primeiro de Março 23A) and Leblon (2284 8792; Rua Rita Ludolf 87A) among other places.
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Hideaway
Aptly named, Hideaway is secreted inside a converted 19th-century house. The all glass ceiling (with lush greenery framing the outside) and minimalist design give a contemporary polish to the place. Although there are better places to eat pizza, Hideaway remains a current favorite for the good vibe - particularly in the small lounge adjoining the restaurant - and the live jazz and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) nights, which are currently on Tuesday.
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Intihuasi
A welcome newcomer to Flamengo - and one of Rio's only Peruvian restaurants - Intihuasi is a small, sweetly decorated spot serving excellent ceviches, seafood soups and other classic dishes from the Andes. Wash those tamales down with a pisco sour or Inka Cola.
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Jasmin Mango
Well-placed beside the bonde (tram) stop on Largo do Guimarães, Jasmin Mango is a charming spot to linger over sandwiches, quiches, pastas, pizzas and desserts. The airy patio attached to the tiny café is a particularly fine spot for taking in the street scene.
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Juice Co
This stylish two-story restaurant serves much more than just tasty, freshly squeezed juices. In an überdesigned lounge-like setting, you can sample a wide range of fare - focaccia sandwiches, salads, risottos, grilled fish and roast meats, any of which can be paired nicely with one of 60 juice concoctions.
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Kilograma
A mix of young and old converge on this excellent lunch buffet during the day. There's a vague art-modern glow to the place, giving it a splash of style - which is a rarity among a quilo (per kilo) self-serve restaurants. Kilograma features lots of fresh fruits and salads, good cheeses, roast meats and sushi.
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Koni Store
New in 2006, Koni is the current craze of Rio with a growing number of stands opening across town. The recipe is simple - temaki (a seaweed hand roll) stuffed with salmon, tuna, shrimp, roast beef or a combination - which can then be devoured at one of the tiny bistro tables. It's stylish, tasty and cheap - a few reasons why you'll have to wait in line among club kids for a roll at on a Friday night.
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Kurt
Entering a true patisserie should delight all of your senses, and Kurt does just that. The flaky strudels and palm-sized tortes with strawberries and kiwifruit lie illuminated behind the glass counter. The smell of cappuccino hangs in the air as classical music plays overhead. A few round tables then set the stage for the most rewarding sensory experience: tasting these delicate cakes and pastries.
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La Fiorentina
One of Leme's classic Italian restaurants, La Fiorentina attracted Rio's glitterati in the '60s. Today, its beach-facing outdoor tables draw a loyal, mostly neighborhood crowd, who come to feast on the 15 different flavors of pizza and a well-stocked bar.
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La Trattoria
Old photos, simple furnishings, hearty dishes and the constant din of conversation have made this trattoria a neighborhood favorite for over 30 years. Shrimp dishes are the Italian family's specialty - they've won over many diners with their espaguete com camarão e óleo tartufado (spaghetti with shrimp and truffle oil).
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Lamas
This classic Brazilian restaurant opened in 1874, and has fans from all over. In spite of the mileage, dishes here hold up well, and those omniscient waiters in starched white coats will tell you what's hot in the kitchen. You can't go wrong with grilled lingüiça or filet mignon with garlic.
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Le Blé Noir
Flickering candles and subdued conversation make this restaurant a real date-pleaser. Le Blé Noir offers over 50 different varieties of crepe, and pairs rich ingredients like shrimp and artichoke hearts or Brie, honey and toasted almonds. Call for a reservation or wait and enjoy a cocktail on the patio.
