Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where Rio de Janeiro actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Rio de Janeiro actually eats.
Academia da Cachaça pours cachaça and serves feijoada on Rua Conde de Bernadotte in Leblon, a Rio de Janeiro bar-restaurant open since 1985.
OrderThe house feijoada, served with rice, collards, bacon, farofa and orange.
TipLive chorinho plays every Thursday from 19:00 to 22:00, and the Leblon house takes reservations through its website.
Adega Pérola lines a glass counter with more than 50 petiscos on Rua Siqueira Campos in Copacabana, a Rio de Janeiro bar founded by Madeirans in 1957.
OrderSardinhas em escabeche, polvo à vinagrete and provolone à milanesa from the glass counter.
TipGo with two or three friends so you can share several petiscos; the bar is closed on Sundays.
Nova Capela is a Lapa bar-restaurant on Avenida Mem de Sá in Rio de Janeiro, known for roast kid with broccoli rice and draught chope until 02:00 on weekends.
OrderRoast kid (cabrito assado) with broccoli rice, roast potatoes and toasted garlic.
TipThe house stays open until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, so it suits a late meal after a night in Lapa.
Velho Adonis is a Portuguese boteco in Benfica, in Rio de Janeiro's Zona Norte, pouring chope with a head beside bolinho de bacalhau and sardinhas ao forno.
OrderBolinho de bacalhau, sardinhas ao forno and the Maladrinho de 70 rice dish for four.
TipThe bar is closed on Mondays and shuts at 19:00 on Sundays, so plan lunch or an early evening visit.
Majórica grills cuts to order on Rua Senador Vergueiro in Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro, pairing Brazilian churrasco with Mediterranean dishes since 1961.
OrderTriângulo de ponta de picanha from the grill, with batata soufflé on the side.
TipThe operator's menu prices some cuts for two, such as the coração de alcatra at R$193.50, and sides including batata soufflé are ordered separately.
Bar Lagoa has served German-leaning dishes and moqueca on Avenida Epitácio Pessoa since 1934, a Lagoa restaurant in Rio de Janeiro with bow-tied waiters.
OrderTornedor à Lagoa with bacon, peas and palm hearts, or the joelho de porco.
TipWaiters work the white-tablecloth room in bow ties, so treat it as a sit-down lunch rather than a quick chope.
Galeto Sat's grills galeto and meats over embers in a small green-tiled room in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, with more than 300 cachaças behind the counter.
OrderPão de alho and coração de galinha from the grill, or the cheese-and-meat sandwich.
TipThe Copacabana house serves until 04:00 or 05:00, so it works as a late stop at the end of a night.
Casa Urich serves German sausages, schnitzel and smoked kassler on Rua São José in Centro, a Rio de Janeiro restaurant founded in 1913 by Edmund Urich.
OrderSalsichinhas alemãs mistas, the schnitzel and the kassler defumado à mineira, then the apfelstrudel with cream
TipWeekday service only, 11:30 to 22:00; waiters wear bow ties and white jackets in a room that keeps its original wall tiles.
Hora Extra Bar Gourmet won Comida di Buteco 2026 in Rio de Janeiro and nationally with discostela, beef rib and watercress fritters on cassava cream.
OrderDiscostela: fritters of beef rib and watercress on cassava cream, the 2026 contest winner.
TipWeekdays it opens at 18:00 and weekends at 13:00, shut on Mondays; discostela was priced at R$40 for the contest, so confirm it is on the regular menu.
Tio Juca, on Rua General Espírito Santo Cardoso in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, placed fourth in Comida di Buteco 2026 with a pressed beef rib on a crisp base.
OrderThe pressed beef rib, seared on the griddle on a crisp base with watercress sauce.
TipDoors open at 18:00 Tuesday to Friday and at 13:00 on weekends, and everything closes at 22:00; the R$40 rib was the contest entry, so ask before you go.
Vigal Bar, on Rua Lopo Saraiva in Tanque, Rio de Janeiro, took third place in Comida di Buteco 2026 with tapioca fritters filled with shrimp, steak and pork.
OrderTapioca fritters with provolone: shrimp and leek, steak and watercress, pork and taioba, sausage and kale.
TipMonday service stops at 16:00 while other days run later; the R$40 fritters were the contest entry, so ask whether they are still on the card.
Bento Pizzeria Napoletana bakes Neapolitan pizzas on Rua Afonso Pena in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, and ranked 11th in 50 Top Pizza Latin America 2026.
OrderThe Bento pizza: pomodoro pelati, fior di latte, house calabresa, gorgonzola and chilli oil.
TipThe room seats 55 and opens Tuesday to Sunday evenings only, from 18:00, so arrive early on weekends.
Ella Pizzaria bakes wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas in a casarão on Rua Pacheco Leão in Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, and now opens for weekend lunch.
OrderThe Lombo pizza: Canadian loin, smoked scamorza, crisp Parma and chilli jelly.
TipWeekend lunch runs 12:00 to 16:00 with the full menu, and the room seats 56, so the lunch slot is the easier time to get a table.
Capricciosa Pizza D.O.C. serves pizza on Rua Maria Angélica in Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro, and placed 20th in 50 Top Pizza Latin America in 2026.
OrderThe capricciosa pizza: tomato, ham, artichoke, mushrooms, bacon and egg.
TipThe operator lists a second house on Rua Vinícius de Moraes in Ipanema; this entry is the Jardim Botânico one, open evenings only.
Bracarense pours chope and serves shrimp bolinhos and empadas on a Leblon corner in Rio de Janeiro, a botequim registered since 1961 with a weekday set lunch.
OrderThe shrimp and Catupiry bolinho from the warming cabinet, with a draught chope.
TipWeekday set lunch (almoço executivo) runs 11:00 to 15:00, Monday to Friday, when the corner is quieter than at night.
Bar Urca sells pastéis and empadas de camarão from a counter on Rua Cândido Gaffrée in Urca, Rio de Janeiro, to eat on the Guanabara Bay wall opposite.
OrderEmpada de camarão or siri, bolinho de bacalhau with Serra da Estrela cheese, fried sardines.
TipOrder at the counter and carry the plates across the street to the mureta for the bay view; the bar opens at 09:00.
Maria e o Boi serves grills and baião de dois in a former painters' studio on Rua Maria Quitéria in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
OrderSlow-braised beef ribs with truffled cheese purée, or the sertão-style parmigiana with baião de dois.
TipPortions are generous and priced for sharing; the Michelin Guide says the house does not take bookings through it, so call the restaurant.
Bar Varnhagen has kept its blue-and-white tiles and formica counter on a Tijuca square in Rio de Janeiro since 1944, serving rabada and bolinho de bacalhau.
OrderRabada with potato, watercress, rice, beans and farofa, or the mini feijoada.
TipIt closes at 17:30, so treat it as a lunch stop; on Saturdays bird breeders hang their cages on the trees outside.
Adega D'Ouro has served cod in many forms beside Vicente de Carvalho metro station in Rio de Janeiro, a Portuguese house now run by its third generation.
OrderBacalhau à moda da casa: fried cod with boiled potatoes, tomato, palm heart, onion and olives.
TipThe full cod dish is sized for up to five people, so order it for a group and start with the bolinho de bacalhau.
Novooeste, a Santa Teresa boteco on Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno in Rio de Janeiro, entered Comida di Buteco 2026 with a bouquet of crisp cauliflower.
OrderBuquezinho de couve-flor: crisp cauliflower florets with green mayonnaise and sweet-and-sour sauce.
TipIt opens only from Wednesday to Sunday, at 16:00 on weekdays and noon at weekends; the cauliflower was a R$40 contest entry, so check it is still served.
On Rua Almirante Alexandrino in Santa Teresa, Bar do Tino is a Rio de Janeiro boteco that entered Comida di Buteco 2026 with smoked pork rib and collards.
OrderSmoked pork rib, shredded, with collards sautéed in bacon and fried cassava strips.
TipThursday to Sunday only, 11:30 to 19:00, so this is a daytime stop; the R$40 pork rib was the contest entry, so ask whether it is still on the menu.
Ladeira 7 Bar is a Morro da Conceição boteco on Ladeira João Homem in Rio de Janeiro; its Comida di Buteco 2026 entry was ora-pro-nóbis and beef rib fritters.
OrderFour rustic fritters of ora-pro-nóbis, shredded beef rib and coalho cheese, with guava-and-mustard sauce.
TipOpen every day but Monday until 20:00; the R$40 fritters were the contest entry, so ask whether the bar still serves them.
Bar da Frente serves Porquinho no Quimono and Fondue de Coxinha at its Praça da Bandeira house in Rio de Janeiro; it placed fifth in Botecar 2025.
OrderPorquinho no Quimono, a harumaki with pork rib and herb requeijão, and the Fondue de Coxinha.
TipThis is the Praça da Bandeira house; the Copacabana branch keeps its own hours, daily 11:00 to 23:00. This one is shut Monday and Tuesday.
Petisqueira Martinho cooks seafood on Praia do Jequiá in Ribeira, on Ilha do Governador in Rio de Janeiro, and placed fourth in Botecar 2025.
OrderBolinho de bacalhau, casquinha de siri and camarão crocante from the petiscos list.
TipThe menu has an executive lunch section; the house is shut on Mondays and closes at 17:00 on Tuesdays and Sundays.
Piccola Fattoria bakes wood-fired Neapolitan pizza on Rua Professora Luiza Nogueira Gonçalves in Recreio, Rio de Janeiro; a 2026 50 Top Pizza pick.
OrderThe Caprese pizza with buffalo mozzarella and olive pesto; banana and Ovomaltine for dessert.
TipIt opens Tuesday to Sunday evenings only; the address is Bloco 02, Loja 115, in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes complex, so check the unit.
Aconchego Carioca in Praça da Bandeira is chef Kátia Barbosa's Northeastern-leaning boteco, birthplace of the bolinho de feijoada, in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderThe bolinho de feijoada with kale and pork crackling, and a lime batidinha.
TipCamarão do Gui took third place at Botecar 2025; the moqueca of peach-palm hearts suits vegetarians, and the beer list runs to about 50 labels.
Yayá Comidaria Pop Brasileira cooks chef Andressa Cabral's Afro-Brazilian dishes on Rua Gustavo Sampaio in Leme, steps from the sand, in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderPeixe à Inajá: fish in moqueca sauce with sautéed prawns and Inajá rice.
TipFeijoada is served on Fridays, and the house hosts samba rounds on saints' days such as São Jorge and Cosme e Damião.
Casa do Sardo serves Sardinian cooking in São Cristóvão, away from the beach, from chef-owner Silvio Podda, who opened it in 2012, in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderAgnello alla Vernaccia, lamb cooked in wine, with mushroom or red onion risotto.
TipThe house is in São Cristóvão, well away from the beach districts; it closes on Mondays and at 16:00 on Sundays.
Dois de Fevereiro serves Bahian-leaning lunches by chef João Diamante on Rua Sacadura Cabral in Saúde, near Largo da Prainha, in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderLunch plates such as sun-dried beef with Afro-Brazilian gremolata, or the shrimp bobó.
TipSaturday is the only evening, with service until 22:00; in April the house joins the São Jorge feijoada circuit at Largo da Prainha.
Amir serves Arab food on Rua Ronald de Carvalho in Copacabana, run by its founding Baouchi family, with sidewalk tables by Praça do Lido, in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderHummus, coalhada seca and babaganoush to share, then arroz com cordeiro, lamb with rice.
TipPortions are large and made for sharing; the weekday executive menu runs from 12:00 to 16:00 and the tables face Praça do Lido.
Rancho Português serves suckling pig and salt cod on Rua Maria Quitéria in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, and won Veja Rio's Portuguese category in 2025.
OrderLeitão à Bairrada, the suckling pig, or the bacalhau da terra.
TipThe menu also lists a Trás-os-Montes feijoada and tomato rice; the group's wine list passes 700 labels.
Bar do Momo, a Tijuca botequim on Rua General Espírito Santo Cardoso in Rio de Janeiro, is known for its bolinho de arroz with calabresa and cheese.
OrderBolinho de arroz with calabresa and cheese, or the 'entre o torresmo e a moela' on sweet-potato purée.
TipFeijoada runs from Friday to Sunday; the bar is shut on Tuesdays, and Sunday service ends at 18:00.
Dona Donzília Gomes runs Bar da Portuguesa, a Ramos botequim on Rua Custódio Nunes in Rio de Janeiro known for bolinho de bacalhau and aipim croquettes.
OrderBolinho de bacalhau, the fritada de bacalhau or camarão, and the aipim croquette with carne seca.
TipIt placed second at Botecar 2025 with a trio of cod bolinhos stuffed with whole shrimp; it is shut on Mondays.
Bar do Bode Cheiroso has served sardinha frita, roast pernil and torresmo on Rua General Canabarro in Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, since 1945, a heritage bar.
OrderTorresmo de tira, which the house calls its barrinha de cereal, with roast pernil and fried sardines.
TipDishes of the day are listed on the board; cozido is served on Wednesdays, and dobradinha and feijoada are also house specialities.
Cachambeer is a Cachambi botequim on Rua Cachambi in Rio de Janeiro, open since 2002 and known for costela no bafo and a Patrimônio Cultural Carioca title.
OrderCostela no bafo, then the Infarto Completo or the Filezão Metido a Besta to share.
TipIt is closed on Mondays, opens only from 17:00 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and stops serving at 18:00 on Sundays.
Restaurante Salete has served empadas and shrimp risotto on Rua Afonso Pena in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, since 1957, in a kitchen with Spanish influence.
OrderEmpadas with chicken, palm heart or shrimp, then the shrimp risotto, sized for two or three.
TipWeekend and holiday service ends at 20:00, and the room is shut on Mondays; the risotto portion feeds two or three.
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