Must-see nightlife in Rio de Janeiro

  • Canastra

    Ipanema & Leblon

    Run by a trio of Frenchmen, Canastra has become one of the top nightlife destinations in Ipanema. Most nights, the crowd spills out onto the streets, and…

  • Palaphita Kitch

    Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa

    A great spot for a sundowner, Palaphita Kitch is an open-air, thatched-roof wonderland with rustic bamboo furniture, flickering tiki torches and a…

  • Bar 1928

    Rio de Janeiro

    Tucked away on an otherwise quiet backstreet, Bar 1928 specializes in cocktails and superior bar food. The street-side veranda gets packed early on…

  • Explorer Bar

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    A gorgeous multilevel garden with fairy lights is the centerpiece of this charming cocktail bar. Beautifully conceived cocktails (around R$30) showcase…

  • Fazenda Paradiso Café

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    This excellent family-run cafe provides true ‘farm to cup’ service. Several kinds of coffee (all grown on the family farm in Minas Gerais) are roasted on…

  • CoLAB

    Rio de Janeiro

    CoLAB is one of Botafogo’s increasing number of lively bar/restaurants attracting a predominantly young crowd with a combination of international cuisine,…

  • Café Secreto

    Flamengo & Around

    This excellent little coffee shop, hidden down an alleyway off bustling Largo do Machado, is well worth searching out. The expert staff – including a…

  • Brewteco

    Ipanema & Leblon

    A pillar of Rio's growing microbrew-loving community, Brewteco has nearly two dozen taps featuring unique craft beers – nearly all of which are from Rio…

  • Bar dos Descasados

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    This stylish bar with outdoor seating has lovely views over the city (looking north). You can enjoy decadent cocktails (including a caipirinha made with…

  • Bar Astor

    Ipanema & Leblon

    Not visiting São Paulo? No problem. One of Sampa's best bars has now become a mainstay of post-beach revelry on prime real estate along the Ipanema…

  • Nosso

    Ipanema & Leblon

    Located in the heart of Ipanema, this supremely stylish cocktail bar and restaurant, complete with swanky rooftop terrace, feels like it has been plucked…

  • WineHouse

    Rio de Janeiro

    WineHouse is a stylish yet unpretentious wine bar – a welcome break from Rio’s traditionally expensive and starchy wine-drinking scene. A blackboard lists…

  • Hocus Pocus

    Rio de Janeiro

    Helping to lead Rio's craft-beer revolution, Hocus Pocus opened this beer hall in 2016 to provide its fans with easy access to its brews. There are over a…

  • Comuna

    Rio de Janeiro

    This creative space is equal parts bar, art gallery and independent bookseller (and indie publishing house). There’s always something afoot in the…

  • Academia da Cachaça

    Ipanema & Leblon

    Although cachaça has a sordid reputation in some parts, at this bar the fiery liquor is given the respect it (nearly) deserves. Along with dishes of…

  • Vaca Atolada

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    For an authentic samba experience, head to this simple, brightly lit, tile-covered eating and drinking den. You'll find a samba de roda (table with samba…

  • Bar Urca

    Rio de Janeiro

    This much-loved neighborhood bar and restaurant has a marvelous setting near Urca’s bayside waterfront. At night, young and old crowd along the seaside…

  • Bar Londra in the Fasano hotel, Ipanema..

    Baretto-Londra

    Ipanema & Leblon

    You'll find one of Rio's most glam bars here inside the Hotel Fasano, offering a vision of decadence matched by few of the city's night spots. The…

  • Belmonte

    Flamengo & Around

    One of the classic botecos in Rio, Belmonte is a vision of Rio from the '50s. Globe lights hang overhead as patrons down ice-cold drafts from the narrow…

  • Adega Portugália

    Flamengo & Around

    Overlooking leafy Largo do Machado, Adega Portugália has an ideal location for enjoying a bit of open-air drinking and eating in an untouristy corner of…

  • Noo Cachaçaria

    Rio de Janeiro

    This cozy little bar is one of the highlights of the growing oasis of drinking dens in the otherwise drab neighborhood of Praça da Bandeira. While the…

  • Estrelas da Babilônia

    Rio de Janeiro

    In the uppermost reaches of the Babilônia favela, Estrelas da Babilônia has a picturesque open-air setting with an unrivaled view of the mountains and sea…

  • Palaphita Gávea

    Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa

    Overlooking the Jockey Club Brasileiro, this sprawling open-air bar and party space is a wonderful mess of rustic wooden structures, thatch-roofed bars…

  • Bar do Gomes

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    Although the sign says 'Armazém do São Thiago,' everyone calls this place Bar do Gomes. Regardless, this atmospheric drinking den with its old photographs…

  • Curto Cafe

    Rio de Janeiro

    Though it's tricky to find, and it has all the charm of a department store, Curto Cafe shouldn't be missed if you're a coffee fan. Staff prepare excellent…

  • Hop Lab

    Rio de Janeiro

    This beer-lover’s paradise offers 30 draft beers on rotation – more than any other bar in Rio – many of which are locally brewed. The English-speaking…

  • Bastarda

    Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa

    Lovers of good coffee and cycling unite at this artfully designed space tucked away in Jardim Botânico. The roasted beans are prepared as you prefer …

  • Garota de Ipanema

    Ipanema & Leblon

    During its first incarnation, this small, open-sided bar was called the Bar Veloso. Its name and anonymity disappeared once two scruffy young regulars –…

  • Bar Léo

    Rio de Janeiro

    A great place to retire after a day of exploring, Bar Léo serves ice-cold brews with just the right amount of froth. The setting on a pretty cobblestone…

  • Herr Brauer

    Flamengo & Around

    Dedicated to the great beers of the world, this cozy drinking den serves some 80 labels: Belgian beers, such as Duvel and Deus; German labels, including…

  • Sofá Café

    Rio de Janeiro

    You'll find Copacabana's best coffee inside this roomy and atmospheric coffeehouse – part of a chain. You select your beans and your preferred method of…

  • Booze Bar

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    Though unimaginatively named, the Booze Bar deserves high marks for bringing quality beer to Lapa. You'll find nearly a dozen intriguing microbrews on…

  • Belmonte

    Ipanema & Leblon

    An icon in Leblon, Belmonte always draws huge crowds: it's pretty much a massive street party every night, with beer-drinking revelers spilling onto the…

  • Sarau

    Santa Teresa & Lapa

    Just past the Arcos da Lapa and tucked inside a building covered with an enormous mural, this place is hard to miss. There's live music – samba and forró …

  • Bodega

    Rio de Janeiro

    A hip little spot with furniture and fixtures made of recycled products, Bodega stocks an impressive array of craft beer from near and far (including Rio…

  • Pavão Azul

    Rio de Janeiro

    A Copacabana classic, Pavão Azul is a simple open-sided bar where huge crowds gather on the sidewalk out front to drink ice-cold chope (draft beer) and…

  • Bar do Oswaldo

    Rio de Janeiro

    Going strong since 1946, this Barra classic serves some of Rio's best batidas (icy cocktails of cachaça and fruit juice). On weekends there's often live…

  • Jobi

    Ipanema & Leblon

    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…

  • Café e Charutaria Lolló

    Rio de Janeiro

    This standing-only coffee counter serves one of the most authentic cafezinhos (small cup of black Brazilian coffee) in town. Drinkers exchange R$2 at the…

  • Cafe 18 do Forte

    Rio de Janeiro

    The best place for a coffee or a microbrew in the Forte de Copacabana, this outdoor cafe serves a fine array of craft beers from Rio (Hocus Pocus, Three…

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