Rio de Janeiro eats in its botecos as much as its restaurants. The corner bar with draught chope, a glass counter of petiscos and bolinho de bacalhau is the city's common room, and each April and May more than 150 botecos across Rio, Niterói and the Baixada compete in Comida di Buteco. Feijoada belongs to Fridays and Saturdays, often with a roda de samba, and on 23 April it is cooked for São Jorge. Portuguese immigrants left the bacalhau houses, the adegas and Confeitaria Colombo, open since 1894; Bahian cooks in Pequena África sold quitutes, and moqueca and acarajé came from Bahia too; Syrian and Lebanese traders made kibbeh and esfiha everyday food around the Saara; and Northeastern migrants built the Feira de São Cristóvão. Street stalls sell iced mate, Biscoito Globo is sold at the city's tourist spots, and açaí is usually eaten blended with fruit and granola. At the top end, Lasai and Oro hold two Michelin stars and six more rooms hold one, while the Rio Gastronomia festival, in its 16th edition in 2026, fills the Jockey Club.

Peak seasonYear-round
Dining hoursLunch from about 12:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 19:00, with many kitchens serving until...
TippingRestaurants and bars commonly add a 10% service charge to the bill

Food festivals coming up in Rio de Janeiro

All Rio de Janeiro food festivals
Carnaval do Rio 5-13 Feb 2027 Carnaval do Rio Street food

Book food experiences in Rio de Janeiro

See all 835 bookable experiences in Rio de Janeiro

Signature dishes in Rio de Janeiro

The plates that define eating in Rio de Janeiro.

Coxinha

Coxinha is a teardrop of dough around shredded chicken, breaded and fried; in Rio's botequins it is a petisco, with a rabada version at Bar do Momo and a coxinha fondue at Bar da Frente.

Where Bar do Momo, Bar da Frente

Where to eat Coxinha in Rio de Janeiro →

Empada

Empada is a small crumbly pie with a lid, baked with shrimp, siri crab, palm heart or chicken; Rio's botequins sell it from the counter next to a draught chope.

Where Bar Urca, Restaurante Salete

Where to eat Empada in Rio de Janeiro →

Moqueca

Moqueca is a stew of fish or seafood with tomato, onion and coriander, brought to Rio from Bahia; vegetarian versions use heart of palm in place of the fish.

Where Aconchego Carioca, Marine Restô, Bar Lagoa

Where to eat Moqueca in Rio de Janeiro →

All Rio de Janeiro signature dishes →

Restaurants to know in Rio de Janeiro

A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Rio de Janeiro.

Sult

$$ItalianBotafogo

Sult in Botafogo cooks Italian dishes with Brazilian ingredients from an open kitchen, and it is a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick in Rio de Janeiro.

OrderThe meat lasagne with Grana Padano fondue and breadcrumbs, the chef's signature dish

More about Sult →

Haru Ichiban

$$JapaneseCopacabana

Haru Ichiban in Copacabana serves sushi, sashimi and temaki from chef Menandro Rodrigues, with a separate 16-course omakase counter, in Rio de Janeiro.

OrderThe omakase menu, or the 16-course UMAI counter experience, which is booked separately

More about Haru Ichiban →

Mr. Lam

$$$ChineseLagoa

Mr. Lam serves Peking-style Chinese dishes in a three-floor house by Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, with duck lacquered in a special oven, in Rio de Janeiro.

OrderPeking duck, the whole lacquered bird served with pancakes, cucumber and spring onion

More about Mr. Lam →

Rubaiyat Rio

$$$SteakhouseJardim Botanico

Rubaiyat Rio grills more than ten cuts of beef inside the Jockey Club Brasileiro by the botanical garden, with a terrace over the track, in Rio de Janeiro.

OrderA premium cut from the churrasco grill; on Saturdays the traditional feijoada with a dessert buffet

More about Rubaiyat Rio →

Aprazível

$$$BrazilianSanta Teresa

Aprazível is a family-run Brazilian restaurant in the Santa Teresa hills with terraces and a gazebo, listed in the Michelin Guide, in Rio de Janeiro.

OrderThe ceviche in tucupi sauce with plantain chips, or the free-range galinhada caipira

More about Aprazível →

Artigiano

$$ItalianIpanema

Artigiano near Jardim de Alah makes more than 30 fresh pastas by hand in the Emilia-Romagna tradition, a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick in Rio de Janeiro.

OrderGarganelli with lamb ragù, or the zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and anchovy

More about Artigiano →

See every restaurant in Rio de Janeiro →

Where to eat by neighborhood

Botafogo

Rua Conde de Irajá and its side streets hold two-starred Lasai, starred Oteque, vegetarian Brota, natural-wine bars and busy cocktail bars.

Best for: Bars, Wine bars, Fine dining, Brunch

Copacabana

Beach kiosks on Avenida Atlântica, the Copacabana Palace's starred Mee, Portuguese adegas and galeterias that keep serving until dawn.

Best for: Late night, Bars, Beach kiosks, Fine dining

Ipanema

Rua Barão da Torre and Rua Maria Quitéria pack Michelin-listed bistros, seafood houses and Italian kitchens a block or two from the beach.

Best for: Restaurants, Fine dining, Seafood, Italian

Centro

Rio's old downtown: Confeitaria Colombo and Casa Cavé, Saara snack counters, the Rua da Carioca brewpubs and weekday lunch houses.

Best for: Cafes, Breweries, Budget eating, Food tours

Leblon

Rio's priciest dining blocks: starred counters on Rua Conde de Bernadotte, chope bars on Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva and juice counters near the beach.

Best for: Fine dining, Bars, Juice bars, Bakeries

Tijuca

A Zona Norte boteco district: blue-and-white tiled Bar Varnhagen, Bar do Momo's petiscos, bakeries and a growing coffee scene.

Best for: Botecos, Bakeries, Coffee

Eat your way through Rio de Janeiro

Hotels

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Where to eat in Rio de Janeiro: editor-picked starting points

5 institutional venues to anchor a Rio de Janeiro food trip

  • Lasai (botafogo) · Modern Brazilian, chef Rafa Costa e Silva
  • Oro (leblon) · Contemporary Brazilian, chef Felipe Bronze
  • Casa 201 (jardim-botanico) · French, chef João Paulo Frankenfeld
  • Madame Olympe (leblon) · Creative French, chef Claude Troisgros and Jéssica Trindade
  • Oteque (botafogo) · Modern Brazilian, chef Alberto Landgraf

Signature Rio de Janeiro dishes

  • Bolinho de bacalhau Bolinho de bacalhau is a fried fritter of salt cod and potato, a fixture on Rio botequim counters, eaten hot with a cold chope
  • Pastel de feira Pastel de feira is a thin rectangle of wheat dough filled with cheese, meat or shrimp and fried to order, the fair-day snack that Rio pairs with a glass of caldo de cana
  • Coxinha Coxinha is a teardrop of dough around shredded chicken, breaded and fried; in Rio's botequins it is a petisco, with a rabada version at Bar do Momo and a coxinha fondue at Bar da Frente
  • Empada Empada is a small crumbly pie with a lid, baked with shrimp, siri crab, palm heart or chicken; Rio's botequins sell it from the counter next to a draught chope
  • Moqueca Moqueca is a stew of fish or seafood with tomato, onion and coriander, brought to Rio from Bahia; vegetarian versions use heart of palm in place of the fish

Best Rio de Janeiro neighborhoods for food

  • Botafogo Rua Conde de Irajá and its side streets hold two-starred Lasai, starred Oteque, vegetarian Brota, natural-wine bars and busy cocktail bars
  • Copacabana Beach kiosks on Avenida Atlântica, the Copacabana Palace's starred Mee, Portuguese adegas and galeterias that keep serving until dawn
  • Ipanema Rua Barão da Torre and Rua Maria Quitéria pack Michelin-listed bistros, seafood houses and Italian kitchens a block or two from the beach
  • Centro Rio's old downtown: Confeitaria Colombo and Casa Cavé, Saara snack counters, the Rua da Carioca brewpubs and weekday lunch houses

Where to stay in Rio de Janeiro

A sample of Rio de Janeiro hotels from our booking partner, who list 73,999 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.

Rio Earth Located in Rio de Janeiro (Santa Teresa), Rio Earth is within a 15-minute walk of Selaron Steps and Museu d... Check dates Gamboa Rio Hotel Gamboa Rio Hotel is centrally located in Rio de Janeiro, a 4-minute walk from Valongo Wharf and 9 minutes b... Check dates Go Inn Rio de Janeiro Lapa Go Inn Rio de Janeiro Lapa is centrally located in Rio de Janeiro, a 4-minute walk from Praca da Cruz Verme... Check dates ibis budget Rio de Janeiro Nova America With a stay at ibis budget Rio de Janeiro Nova America in Rio de Janeiro, you'll be 3 mi (4.9 km) from Estd... Check dates Days Inn Rio de Janeiro, Lapa With a stay at Days Inn Rio de Janeiro, Lapa, you'll be centrally located in Rio de Janeiro, just a 4-minut... Check dates B&B Hotels Rio de Janeiro Norte With a stay at B&B Hotels Rio de Janeiro Norte in Rio de Janeiro (Zona Norte), you'll be within a 10-minute... Check dates ibis Rio de Janeiro Centro A stay at ibis Rio de Janeiro Centro places you in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, within a 5-minute drive of ... Check dates ibis budget Rio de Janeiro Centro With a stay at ibis budget Rio de Janeiro Centro in Rio de Janeiro (Lapa), you'll be a 4-minute walk from S... Check dates Golden Park Rio de Janeiro Aeroporto A stay at Golden Park Rio de Janeiro Aeroporto places you in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, within a 10-minut... Check dates Selina Lapa Rio de Janeiro A stay at Selina Lapa Rio de Janeiro places you in the heart of Rio de Janeiro, within a 5-minute walk of S... Check dates ibis Rio de Janeiro Nova America Located in Rio de Janeiro (Zona Norte), ibis Rio de Janeiro Nova America is within a 15-minute drive of Est... Check dates Ramada Rio de Janeiro Recreio With a stay at Ramada Rio de Janeiro Recreio in Rio de Janeiro (Recreio dos Bandeirantes), you'll be steps ... Check dates

Also compare: Booking.com in Rio de Janeiro · Expedia in Rio de Janeiro

Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

Map of Rio de Janeiro

Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Rio de Janeiro, pinned. Click a pin for the page.

Trip planner

Plan your Rio de Janeiro trip

Pick your dates: we line up the festivals on, what is in season, where to eat on the days you are in town, and experiences you can book for those dates.

When to come hungry in Rio de Janeiro

Peak food season: Year-round. Comida di Buteco runs from April into early May, festa junina arraiais fill June weekends, Rio Gastronomia and Mondial de la Bière arrive between September and early November, and Carnival takes over the streets in February or March.

Local dining hours: Lunch from about 12:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 19:00, with many kitchens serving until midnight and later at weekends. Botecos pour from late morning, and a few, such as Galeto Sat's in Copacabana, serve until 04:00 or 05:00.

Tipping: Restaurants and bars commonly add a 10% service charge (taxa de serviço) to the bill; it is a suggested amount, not an obligation. You can decline it without giving a reason, though most customers pay it when the service was good.

Rio de Janeiro food, FAQ

What food is Rio de Janeiro known for?

Rio de Janeiro's signature dishes include Feijoada carioca, Bolinho de feijoada, Bolinho de bacalhau, Pastel de feira, Coxinha. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.

What are the best food neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro?

TableJourney editors map Rio de Janeiro by district. Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema, Centro are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.

Where should I eat fine dining in Rio de Janeiro?

Editor picks in Rio de Janeiro include Lasai, Oro, Casa 201, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.

Are there food tours in Rio de Janeiro?

TableJourney covers 7 editor-picked food tours in Rio de Janeiro, with what each shows you and how much to budget.

Does Rio de Janeiro have good vegetarian or vegan food?

TableJourney's Rio de Janeiro dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.