The places in Rio de Janeiro the guidebooks miss.
The places in Rio de Janeiro the guidebooks miss. locals-only counters, after-hours rooms and the spots tourists walk past.
Leiteria Mineira, on Rua da Ajuda in Centro, Rio de Janeiro, is the last working leiteria in the city, serving mingau, coalhada and arroz doce.
Why locals goThe last leiteria still working in Rio sits on Rua da Ajuda near Carioca metro; it serves weekdays only, 08:00 to 18:00, with a lunch plate that changes daily.
TipOrder the mingau, coalhada or arroz doce, or the day's lunch plate; it is closed at weekends, so plan the visit for a weekday.
Bar da Portuguesa, on Rua Custódio Nunes in Ramos, Rio de Janeiro, is a family botequim known for bolinho de bacalhau and aipim fritters with shrimp.
Why locals goIn Ramos, away from the tourist zones; the small inner room is the owner's family living room, and chilli plants grow in the street beds outside.
TipThursday broth is usually siri and Friday's mocotó; ask for the aipim fritters stuffed with shrimp and the house chilli.
Rotisseria Sírio Libaneza has sold esfihas and kibbeh from Galeria Condor at Largo do Machado, Rio de Janeiro, since 1972, from a tight counter.
Why locals goThe original shop is a counter with fixed stools inside Galeria Condor at Largo do Machado, with a larger sit-down room in another corridor; closed Sundays.
TipThe meat esfiha is the standard order; for a sit-down meal use the larger room in the next corridor of the gallery.
Casa Porto serves petiscos and a daily plate on the second floor of a sobrado at Largo da Prainha in Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, with shelves of books.
Why locals goIt sits on the upper floor of a sobrado at Largo da Prainha, laid out like a living room with bookshelves and framed pictures on yellow walls.
TipPetiscos lead the menu, such as the sliced onion beef and the jiló chips; the daily plates include a picadinho carioca.
Velho Adonis is a Portuguese bar in Benfica, in Rio de Janeiro's Zona Norte, pouring chope with a head beside bolinho de bacalhau and empadas.
Why locals goA Portuguese bar in Benfica, in the Zona Norte, recognised as Carioca Cultural Heritage in 2013; it opens Tuesday to Sunday and closes Mondays.
TipOrder the chope with a head beside the bolinho de bacalhau, fried alheiras or jiló à milanesa; a weekly menu adds one special plate a day.
Casa Omolokum cooks terreiro food and acarajé beside Pedra do Sal in Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, under chef Leila Leão, open Friday to Sunday afternoons.
Why locals goA weekend-only kitchen on Rua Tia Ciata beside Pedra do Sal in old Pequena África; it opens Friday to Sunday afternoons and is closed the rest of the week.
TipThe acarajé is the signature: a black-eyed pea fritter fried in dendê and filled with vatapá, vinagrete and dried shrimp, with pepper added to taste.
Adega Flor de Coimbra is a Portuguese house in an old Lapa sobrado in Rio de Janeiro, opened as a grocery in 1938, known for slim bolinhos de bacalhau.
Why locals goSet in an old sobrado in Lapa, opened as a grocery in 1938 and a few metres from the Selarón steps; it shuts at 21:00 and all day Monday.
TipStart with the thin bolinhos de bacalhau, then the sopa lisboeta with butter beans, a favourite of the painter Candido Portinari.
Rampinha has served Portuguese plates in Praça da Bandeira, Rio de Janeiro, since 1989, from bacalhau Zé do Pipo to octopus, rabbit and roast suckling pig.
Why locals goA Portuguese house in Praça da Bandeira, in the Zona Norte, started to feed the offices nearby; it serves 11:00 to 18:00 only and is closed on Mondays.
TipTry the bacalhau Zé do Pipo, gratinated with cheese over mash and garlic broccoli; the codfish plates are sized for up to three people.
Bar do Thomaz is a Camorim boteco in Rio de Janeiro that entered Comida di Buteco 2026 with a black and white bean broth with kale, torresmo and shrimp.
Why locals goYou enter by the side street of the Mercado Unidos in Camorim; its Comida di Buteco 2026 dish was titled Do preto gostoso ao branco metido à besta.
TipWeekday service starts at 18:00, or 19:00 on Friday, and Monday is closed; at weekends it opens at 13:00 and runs to 01:00 on Saturday.
Biroska do Camarão is a Cacuia boteco in Rio de Janeiro; for Comida di Buteco 2026 it topped fried aipim dough with pork knuckle and caramelised onion.
Why locals goA Cacuia boteco in the Colônia Z-10 part of the neighbourhood; its Comida di Buteco 2026 dish, Joelho atrevido, came with a spinach sauce.
TipIt closes at 18:00 from Sunday to Tuesday and stays open to 23:00 from Wednesday to Saturday, so go midweek for an evening visit.
Bar da Áurea is a Leme boteco in Rio de Janeiro that turned feijoada into a charuto roll with orange molasses and yellow farofa for Comida di Buteco 2026.
Why locals goUp the Ladeira Ari Barroso in Leme; its Comida di Buteco 2026 dish, Brasileirinho, rolled feijoada into a charuto with orange molasses and farofa.
TipIt opens every day except Monday, from 12:00 to 21:00, so lunch and the afternoon are the window rather than a late dinner.
Bar do Mozoca is a Méier boteco in Rio de Janeiro whose Comida di Buteco 2026 entry was sweet-potato dough stuffed with sun-dried beef, cheese and broccoli.
Why locals goOn Rua Leite Ribeiro in Méier, away from the Zona Sul beaches; its Comida di Buteco 2026 dish was named Delícia do Mozoca.
TipThe listing gives the same hours every day, 11:00 to 22:00, with no closing day, so it suits an early lunch or a mid-evening stop.
Boteco do Russo, on Estrada de Jacarepaguá in Anil, Rio de Janeiro, entered Comida di Buteco 2026 with a rib marinated in spices and roasted for six hours.
Why locals goOn Estrada de Jacarepaguá in Anil, in shop B; its Comida di Buteco 2026 dish, Costela do Montela, was a spiced rib roasted for six hours.
TipMonday service ends at 16:00 while Tuesday to Sunday runs to 23:00; the 2026 plate came with rosemary calabresa potatoes, corn cream and watercress.
Bar do Luisinho is an Encantado boteco in Rio de Janeiro whose Comida di Buteco 2026 entry was pork-rib croquettes in broccoli dough, breaded in panko.
Why locals goIn Encantado, on Rua Dois de Fevereiro; its Comida di Buteco 2026 dish, Ossinho da Roça, used the pork rib bone as the handle of two green coxinhas.
TipIt opens at 11:00 every day except Monday, closing at 23:30 on weekdays and 22:30 on Sunday; the 2026 croquettes were breaded in panko.
Bar do Gilson is a Vila Isabel boteco in Rio de Janeiro that reworked vaca atolada for Comida di Buteco 2026 with blue cheese, beef rib and bacon farofa.
Why locals goA Vila Isabel boteco in shop B on Rua Sousa Franco; its Comida di Buteco 2026 dish, Vaca Atrevida, reworked vaca atolada with blue cheese.
TipIt stops at 15:00 from Monday to Wednesday and runs to 21:00 on Thursday and Sunday and 22:00 on Friday and Saturday.
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