Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa
Colorful Bar do Horto is one of Jardim Botânico's most charming bars. The decor is festive and kitsch: walls covered with shimmering fabric and an…
Must-see nightlife in Rio de Janeiro
Ipanema & Leblon
Barzin is a popular spot for post-beach drinks; its open-sided ground-floor bar fills with animated chatter at all hours. Upstairs you can catch a…
Rio de Janeiro
Easy to spot by its bright amarelo (yellow) awning, Amarelinho has a splendid setting on the Praça Floriano, with the Theatro Municipal in the background…
Santa Teresa & Lapa
Near the entrance to Mem de Sá, the Leviano Bar is part of a new crop of slightly more upscale drinking and dance spots. Watch the passing people parade –…
Ipanema & Leblon
Opened in 1948, Bracarense is a classic carioca watering hole, famous for its simple, unpretentious ambience and its heavenly salgados (bar snacks). A…
Rio de Janeiro
More bottle shop than bar, this friendly space is nevertheless a must-visit for any self-respecting beer lover. You'll find an impressive selection of…
Rio de Janeiro
On a lively street sprinkled with bars, this boxy, wood-lined space has a tiny outdoor patio that makes a peaceful spot for sampling appetizers such as…
Ipanema & Leblon
Overlooking the Praça General Osório, Shenanigan's is a friendly, Irish-style pub with imported beers, exposed brick walls and a couple of tiny balconies…
Rio de Janeiro
Paying homage to the eponymous bohemian American writer, this club has a downstairs dance floor and bar, and an upstairs level for live bands playing rock…
Santa Teresa & Lapa
Going strong since the 1980s, Buraco da Lacraia always makes for a riotous night out. You’ll find glamorous and trashy visitors, bizarre drag shows,…
Flamengo & Around
Hidden down a narrow cobblestone side street off Rua do Catete, Bar do Zé has bohemian charm and remains little known to most cariocas (Rio residents)…
Rio de Janeiro
One of the top beer bars in Copacabana, Escondido has a rotating selection of microbrews such as American pale ales (IPAs), stouts and ciders, including…
Santa Teresa & Lapa
This ancient rough diamond of a bar is tucked away on a backstreet. Floor-to-ceiling shelves are crammed with dusty old bottles of cachaça (high-proof…
Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa
In an area commonly referred to as Baixo Gávea, Hipódromo is one of several bar-eateries responsible for the local residents’ chronic lack of sleep. Most…
Rio de Janeiro
Vintage film posters and the odd Star Wars figurine adorn the old stone walls at this atmospherically lit space at the north end of Centro. The after-work…
Rio de Janeiro
With a peaceful beachfront location, this casual, breezy bar is a relaxing and largely local spot to enjoy a draft or a filling meal. Like the other…
Rio de Janeiro
Mud Bug is a buzzing, warmly lit sports bar that has a rustic, all-wood interior where cariocas and foreigners mingle over football games, bar bites and a…
Rio de Janeiro
Atop Pão de Açúcar, the handsomely designed Clássico Beach Club serves excellent cocktails, which go down nicely with the satisfying appetizers (ceviche,…
Ipanema & Leblon
Among Rio's countless juice bars, Bibi Sucos is a long-standing favorite. Here you'll find more than 40 juice varieties (R$8 to R$21), and a never-ending…
Rio de Janeiro
Yet another reason why Botafogo may be surpassing Ipanema in the cool factor these days, this always buzzing rock-and-roll-loving bar and bistro serves…
Rio de Janeiro
When you need a break from upmarket drinking and dining, head to Fuska 2.0, a hole-in-the-wall gathering space where a fun crowd gathers at tables on the…
Ipanema & Leblon
On a lively bar-lined street, this small drinking den gathers a mix of locals and gringos who come for margaritas, bottles of Sol and a small selection of…
Ipanema & Leblon
While many other LGBT bars have closed in Rio, Galeria keeps going strong, with a fun mixed crowd, nice decor and a throbbing dance floor in a great…
Rio de Janeiro
Rio's best gay dance club has a spacious dance floor, excellent DJs and lots of go-go dancers. Saturday nights are when the big parties are held. On other…
Rio de Janeiro
Calavera is one of the newest gastropubs to open in Humaitá. You’ll find creative snacks (including outstanding burgers), craft beer and a hipster-leaning…
Flamengo & Around
On a bar-sprinkled stretch of Flamengo, this wooden, barn-like bar has outdoor seating on the raised veranda in front, and cooler (air-conditioned)…
Rio de Janeiro
With a vaguely professorial air, this wood-lined cafe and bookshop is best known for its cachaça (sugarcane alcohol) menu, which includes more than 100…
Rio de Janeiro
One of many open-air venues in the Cobal, Espírito do Chopp fills up its plastic tables most nights with a festive, low-key crowd. The beer flows in…
Ipanema & Leblon
Located on Rua Farme de Amoedo, Ipanema's most gay-friendly street, this popular bar is a great after-beach spot. It draws a mostly gay crowd, though all…
Rio de Janeiro
Hordes of young drinkers spill out onto the sidewalks around Alice Bar, merging with the crowds from nearby bars to make this one of the liveliest spots…
Ipanema & Leblon
Named after the original bar, now the Garota de Ipanema, where Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes penned the famous song 'The Girl from Ipanema,' the open…
Rio de Janeiro
Perfectly positioned, this open-air bar and eatery looks out on wide Av Atlântica, with the beach in the background. Owing to its breezy location, it…
Ipanema & Leblon
A fine contender in Rio's burgeoning craft-beer scene, Noi creates some satisfying brews that go down nicely with snacks like bolinhos de feijoada …
Ipanema & Leblon
Something of a novelty for cariocas, Lord Jim is one of several English-style pubs scattered about the Zona Sul. Darts, English-speaking waiters and a few…
Rio de Janeiro
Hidden in a narrow lane leading off Praça XV (Quinze) de Novembro, this place is one of many popular open-sided drinking spots tucked into Rio's old…
Rio de Janeiro
Cariocas have found creative ways to spend a summer evening while the economic crisis still grips the city – namely stopping by well-positioned snack bars…
Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa
With a view of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas across a busy road, Bar Lagoa is one of the neighborhood's classic haunts. Founded in 1935, this open-air spot…
Ipanema & Leblon
A young mix of cariocas and gringos stirs things up over cheap cocktails at this battered old favorite in Ipanema. A porch out the front overlooks the…
Rio de Janeiro
Artwork lines this space in Botafogo. With numerous rooms to explore (lounge, screening room, dance floors), this old mansion embodies the creative side…
Ipanema & Leblon
Set in a bright blue house with a small front veranda, the Tap House lives up to its name with a rotating selection of 20 or so microbrews on draft, from…
