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Northeastern BrazilianPraca Da BandeiraChef Kátia Barbosa
Aconchego Carioca in Praça da Bandeira is chef Kátia Barbosa's house, birthplace of the bolinho de feijoada, with Northeastern dishes, in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderThe bolinho de feijoada, filled with kale and topped with pork crackling, with a lime batidinha
TipThe moqueca of peach-palm hearts with banana-da-terra suits vegetarians; the beer list runs to about 50 labels, many from craft brewers.
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BrazilianZona PortuariaChef João Diamante
Dois de Fevereiro serves Bahian-inflected cooking from chef João Diamante in Pequena África, with pavement tables on Largo da Prainha, in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderLunch plates such as sun-dried beef with Afro-Brazilian gremolata, or the shrimp bobó
TipThe room is dressed for Iemanjá, with Senhor do Bonfim ribbons and blue boats; Saturday is the only evening, with service until 22:00.
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BrazilianCentroChef Saulo Jennings
Casa do Saulo at the Museu do Amanhã brings chef Saulo Jennings's Tapajós cooking from Pará to Rio de Janeiro, with pirarucu, tambaqui ribs and tacacá.
OrderThe smoked pirarucu carpaccio, tambaqui ribs and the feijoqueca with pirarucu and shrimp
TipThe Rio house sits inside the Museu do Amanhã on Praça Mauá, so it closes at 18:00 and shuts on Wednesdays, when the museum is closed.
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Middle EasternCopacabana
Amir is a classic Arab restaurant in Copacabana, still run by the 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.
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ItalianJardim BotanicoChef Nello Garaventa
Grado cooks Ligurian-inspired Italian food from chef Nello Garaventa in a 1940s Jardim Botânico house with a wood oven and open kitchen, in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderThe fixed three-course menu, with the spaghetti with clams or the breaded pork rib
TipThe sourdough bread basket opens the meal; a lobster linguine is offered as an extra on top of the fixed menu.
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BrazilianJardim BotanicoChef Roberta Sudbrack
Sud, O Pássaro Verde is a home-style Jardim Botânico house where chef Roberta Sudbrack cooks a daily-changing menu from small producers in Rio de Janeiro.
OrderThe dish of the day from the wood oven, then the bolo de chocolate molhadinho
TipYou knock to be let in; the open kitchen and wood-fired oven are visible from the main room, and the cake never leaves the menu.