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Rio Sul Shopping
The biggest shopping center you can reach without heading to Barra, Rio Sul has over 400 shops, featuring both the prominent and the obscure, cinemas, restaurants and - at least on weekends - overwhelming crowds.
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São Conrado Fashion Mall
Rio's most beautiful mall features all the big names - Armani, Versace, Louis Vuitton - and all of Brazil's most recognizable designers. It's located in the posh neighborhood of São Conrado, near the Hotel Intercontinental.
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Shopping da Gávea
Shopping da Gávea touts itself as the preferred mall of artists and intellectuals, which may or may not matter to you when you're laying down serious cash for those sneakers. There are 200 stores, four performance theaters and numerous restaurants, including La Pasta Gialla, Brazil's bruschetta capital with 29 different types.
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Shopping Leblon
The hottest, newest shopping destination in Rio is this glittering multistory shopping center packed with top-name Brazilian and foreign labels. There are plenty of tempting stores that will drain your vacation funds as well as good restaurants, a cinema and a lavish café, complete with a piano player and an expedition jet hovering over the tables.
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Shopping Siqueira Campos
One of Rio's first malls, this quirky shopping mall packs an intriguing mix of stores along an upward-winding ramp. You'll find numerous antique shops, jewelry, no-nonsense art galleries, a pet shop and dozens of other surprising finds that you won't come across in Leblon. There's also a grocery store on the first floor.
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Sociedade Anônimo
The 'Anonymous Society' is a playful store full of young women's fashions (good for both the beach and a night out) as well as colorful jewelry, kids clothes, silly post cards, bags of plastic dinosaurs, Buddhas in little cases and other assorted toys and accessories that may be just the thing for an inventive night on the town.
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Sollas
Designer Carla Guglielmetti has gained a notable following for her sexy eye-catching footwear at this glammy Ipanema boutique. Styles range from the understated to the bold, with stripes and animal prints featured on some of her flats and platforms. She also has handbags and fashionable leather sandals for men.
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Sub & sub
Sub & Sub has an array of gear for outdoor adventure: climbing and mountaineering, diving, snorkeling, camping and hiking. The knowledgeable staff can also recommend courses for those interested in learning a new craft.
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Tabacaria Africana
The sweet fragrance of pipe tobacco is embedded in the walls and furniture of this tiny shop facing the Praça Quinze. Regulars sit at the table in front slowly drawing on the pick of the day while the afternoon drifts by, smoke like. In back, the glass jars contain a variety of flavors and aromas. Let the shopkeeper put a mix together for you.
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Talho Capixaba
This tiny deli and grocery store is one of the city's best spots to put together a takeout meal. In addition to pastas, salads and antipastos, you'll find some of the city's best sandwiches. At weekends, to accommodate the crowds, Talho Capixaba puts a few tables out on the sidewalk for customers to enjoy the tasty bites alfresco.
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Teargas
Daring men's and women's fashions are for sale at this innovative store and design studio in Ipanema. Stylized T-shirts (including one bearing the company logo, a gas mask), intricately embroidered button-downs, sleek jackets, pants and jeans are suitable not just for the mass demonstration, but for the posh after-party as well.
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Toca do Vinícius
Bossa nova fans shouldn't miss this store. In addition to its ample CD selection of contemporary and old performers, Toca do Vinícius sells music scores and composition books. Upstairs a tiny museum displays memorabilia of the great songwriter and poet Vinícius de Moraes. Occasional concerts in the afternoon fill this neighborhood with smooth bossa sounds.
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Trilhos Urbanos
Vying for attention near La Vareda, Trilhos Urbanos stocks a small but interesting assortment of handicrafts. Works by local artists and artisans are for sale - photographs, picture frames, paintings and works in metal.
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Unimagem
The choice of professional photographers in the city, Unimagem has a good selection of new and used cameras (SLRs, TLRs, point-and-shoot) as well as all the accessories (tripods, film, paper). It also runs a superb developing lab: black-and-white, color, slides and of course digital images. It can also provide a one-hour developing service for both slide and color film.
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Urucum Art & Design
This small, trim shop is in the same complex as the cinema Estação Ipanema Make your choice from the vases, block prints, playful sculptures, pottery and other artworks for sale.
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Vale das Bonecas
Youthful street fashion is the focal point at this small Ipanema boutique. Local designers play with color and material here - not always successfully. But if you're looking for something a little edgy, the Vale das Bonecas (Valley of the Dolls) is a fine destination.
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Vertical Shopping
This 1950s high-rise was transformed into a shopping center back in 2002, giving Centro its very own nine-story mall. Check out sexy beachwear in Farm and Totem Praia, shoes at Sollas and Via Mia and youthful fashions at Juliana Faro.
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Via Parque Shopping
With 280 stores, six movie theaters and abundant restaurants, this is the heart of Rio's consumer culture. It's also home to one of the big concert arenas, Claro Hall.
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Vit
In a small but flourishing block in Jardim Botânico, this rambling antiques shop is a fun place for browsing while checking out the neighborhood. You'll find old globes, furniture from the '30s to the '60s, stylized lamps, vases, crockery and other curios from the past.
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Wöllner Outdoor
The great outdoors, and the shirt and shorts you'll need to enjoy it, seem to be the inspiration for Wöllner. Clothes and accessories are ruggedly styled, not unlike Abercrombie and American Eagle. Once you've browsed the selections, grab a cafézinho (small black coffee) and a chocolate tort at the café in front.
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Zona Sul Supermarket
A Rio institution for 44 years, Zona Sul supermarket has branches all over the city. The one in Leblon is the best of the bunch, with fresh-baked breads, imported cheeses, olives, French Bordeaux, prosciutto and many other delicacies.
