Geneal Leblon ★ 4.5
Geneal Leblon sells hot dogs of toasted bread, sausage and house sauce on Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, Rio de Janeiro, from a chain that began with street carts.
OrderCachorro-quente: toasted bread, sausage and the house sauce
25 budget eating worth the trip across Brazil, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Brazil guides.
Castelões ★ 4.5
Castelões has baked its wood-fired pizza on Rua Jairo Gois in Sao Paulo's Bras district since 1924, now run by third-generation owner Fabio Donato.
OrderPizza Casteloes (thin-sliced artisanal calabresa and mozzarella)
Ponto Chic ★ 4.5
Ponto Chic is the budget-friendly Paissandu lanchonete in Sao Paulo credited with inventing the Bauru sandwich, still served at the counter today.
OrderSanduiche Bauru
Bar e Lanches Estadão ★ 4.5
Bar e Lanches Estadao, opened in 1968, is a 24-hour lanchonete in central Sao Paulo, its roast pork pernil sandwich a cheap and filling late-night fixture.
OrderSanduiche de pernil (roast pork leg sandwich)
Opus ★ 4.4
Opus has sold pernil sandwiches on pão francês from a bar on Rua Gonçalves Dias in Centro, Rio de Janeiro, since 1968, with very cold chope for the afternoon.
OrderSanduíche de pernil assado with cheese on pão francês
Rotisseria Sírio Libaneza ★ 4.4
Rotisseria Sírio Libaneza sells esfihas, kibbeh and Arab sweets from a small hall in Galeria Condor at Largo do Machado, Rio de Janeiro, closed on Sundays.
OrderEsfiha with meat, cheese or greens, and the ricotta kibbeh
Speranza Bixiga ★ 4.4
Speranza Bixiga is the Tarallo family cantina in Sao Paulo credited with the capital's first Margherita pizza, still baked on Rua Treze de Maio.
OrderPizza Margherita and Tortano
Casa Paladino ★ 4.3
Casa Paladino sells sandwiches and omelettes with fillings the customer picks, on Rua Uruguaiana in Centro, Rio de Janeiro, inside a grocery open since 1906.
OrderSanduíche triplo on pão francês, with egg, ham and cheese
Restaurante Adriano ★ 4.3
Restaurante Adriano serves home-style lunches of fish, chicken and beef with rice and beans on Rua Real Grandeza in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, until 16:00.
OrderFilé de peixe à milanesa with roast potatoes and broccoli rice
Seok Joung ★ 4.3
Seok Joung has served unadapted Korean home cooking on Rua Correia de Melo in Sao Paulo's Bom Retiro district since it first opened there in 2001.
OrderBulgogi, bibimbap and banchan
Casa Clipper ★ 4.2
Casa Clipper sells pernil sandwiches and chope from 08:00 to 23:30 on Rua Carlos Góis in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, a heritage bar open since 1945.
OrderSanduíche de pernil, with a draught chope
Baixela ★ 4.2
Baixela is a Copacabana botequim near Posto 6 in Rio de Janeiro, second in O Globo's 2025 best-PF ranking, with a chicken parmigiana plate for R$42.
OrderFrango à parmegiana: boned chicken thigh with melted cheese, rice, and purê or fries
Casa Garabed ★ 4.2
Casa Garabed sells its wood-fired Armenian esfihas by the piece in Sao Paulo's Santana district, cheap counter food since the shop opened in 1951.
OrderEsfiha de cordeiro com pignole (lamb and pine nut esfiha)
Esquimó ★ 4.1
Esquimó, founded in 1962 on Travessa do Ouvidor, serves a PF plate with three sides, a refresco and pudding in the Beco das Sardinhas, Centro, Rio de Janeiro.
OrderPF: bife à milanesa, fígado acebolado or hamburguesa acebolada, with three sides, refresco and pudim
Rotisserie Bologna ★ 4.1
Rotisserie Bologna sells its chicken and catupiry coxinha at the counter on Rua Augusta, its home since 1951, open around the clock except Sunday night.
OrderCoxinha de frango com catupiry
Angu do Gomes ★ 4.0
Angu do Gomes, born from street carts in 1955, serves angu with offal, ground beef or chicken and corn at R$34.90 at Largo da Prainha, Rio de Janeiro.
OrderAngu with beef offal, or with ground beef and olives, sausage, or chicken and corn
Leiteria Mineira ★ 3.9
Leiteria Mineira is the last leiteria in Rio de Janeiro, serving mingau, coalhada and arroz doce plus a changing lunch menu on Rua da Ajuda in Centro.
OrderMingau, creme de maizena, coalhada and arroz doce, plus lunch portions that change each day
Bibi Sucos ★ 3.9
Bibi Sucos Leblon serves fresh juices, açaí and sandwiches on Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva in Rio de Janeiro, daily from 08:30 to 23:30, at the first Bibi.
OrderFresh juices, including the house cocoa and strawberry blend, and açaí
Casa Porto ★ 3.9
Casa Porto serves petiscos and a daily plate on the upper floor of a sobrado at Largo da Prainha in Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, with a picadinho carioca at R$48.
OrderPicadinho carioca, the plate of the day
Bar do Léo ★ 3.9
Bar do Léo has run its Republica boteco on Rua Aurora in Sao Paulo since 1940, pouring draft chope alongside made-to-order sandwiches and quick plates.
OrderSanduiches feitos na hora e pratos rapidos (made-to-order sandwiches and quick plates)
Casa do Pastel ★ 3.9
Casa do Pastel keeps its Rua Tuiuti pastel counter in Tatuape open around the clock, the brand's first unit since 1981, frying pastel, esfiha and pizza.
OrderPastel (fried Brazilian pastry)
Siri Tijuca ★ 3.8
Siri Tijuca is a seafood house on Rua dos Artistas in Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, open since 1963, with pratos-feitos under R$30 and a siri pastel at R$8.90.
OrderFilé de peixe with rice and pirão
Aroma e Sabor ★ 3.8
Aroma e Sabor runs a second-generation pay-by-weight buffet above Rua Sao Bento in Sao Paulo, its rooftop looking out on the Mosteiro de Sao Bento.
OrderSelf-service by weight: salads, hot dishes, home-style cooking
Pavão Azul ★ 3.7
Pavão Azul serves pataniscas, shrimp risotto and home-style plates with rice and beans near Copacabana beach, on Rua Hilário de Gouveia, Rio de Janeiro.
OrderPatanisca (cod fritter), or a bife with rice, beans, farofa and fries
Tapí Leblon ★ 3.6
Tapí Leblon fills tapioca crêpes with carne seca, brie or smoked salmon on Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, from 08:00 to 22:00.
OrderTapí Baião: tapioca with carne seca, creamy requeijão and biquinho pepper
Book food experiences in Rio de Janeiro
Guided tour · 10 hours
Rio de Janeiro: full-day tour of wineries and vineyards
Immerse yourself in Brazilian wine culture with a Rio winery tour, vineyard exploration, and guided wine tasting experiences.
from$253 Check dates
Guided tour · 8 hours
Rio de Janeiro: Coffee Farm Tour with Tasting
Discover Brazil’s coffee legacy in Rio’s Coffee Valley: colonial farms, expert-guided tours, tastings, and cultural immersion.
from$223 Check dates
3 hours
Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Cooking Class in Rio de Janeiro
Enjoy a few hours of local Brazilian culture and join this fun hands-on cooking class. Learn about local cuisine and how to make traditional recipes. After, enjoy eati...
from$219 Check dates