Resturants....?

Question

My fiance and I will be in Rio and Salvador de Bahia in the next few weeks for our honeymoon. We will be at each location for a week. Can any one recomend any good resturants?

Answer 1

wow. i cannot recommend any for the sake of never being there but i will tell you this much. i am jealous. have a great time on the honey moon.

Answer 2

Rio: The first place that springs to mind is Bar do Mineiro in the artsy Santa Teresa neighborhood.  Part of the fun will be getting there: A trolley (featured in this season's premiere of CSI: Miami, and said to be the last one running in South America) runs up the hill from Centro (the business district).  "Mineiro" means their food reflects the tastes of Minas Gerais (state).  They serve feijoada, the national dish, for lunch on Saturdays.  Let's just say it's not for vegetarians.

(Which district are you staying in?  The Metro runs from Copacabana to Centro (and beyond), and the Metro and trolley stations are across Avenida Paulista from each other.)

There's a lively after-work cafe scene in Centro, and you can get a bite to eat.

Sushi is cheap in Brazil, and it's everywhere.  Kotobuki in Botafogo overlooks the harbor and Pão de Açúcar from the seventh floor of Praia Shopping (a mall -- but without mall atmosphere).  (At Wikipedia's Pão de Açúcar page, there's a photo of the view.)  Miako in Centro is in a 19th century building at 45 Rua da Ouvidor.

Confeitaria Colombo in Centro at 32 Rua Gonçalves Dias has fantastic "dessert bars" in a baroque Tiffany dining room.

There are places called "quilos,"  where you pay by the weight of your food.  

The Lagoa (Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas) has several outdoor restaurants for romantic lakeside dining.

P.S. Lonely Planet produces an excellent little plastic fold-out map of Rio, which I recommend to you for orientation.  It includes Metro lines and beach posts.

Answer 3

In Rio a very romantic and well priced restaurant is Zaza in Ipanema (Prudente de Moraes Avenue). Lovely lighting and good food. Also try Zuka on Rua Dias Ferreira in Leblon for an upscale see and be seen atmosphere. Carlota on the same street is excellent too. Lots of Brazilian celebs eat there. (not that you'll know who they are but you'll enjoy the eye candy nonetheless) I agree about Confetaria Colombo downtown. It's gorgeous. Also try their branch in the fort between Copacabana and Ipanema.  Also, if you eat meat go to Porcao Rios. It's a rodizio (all you can eat meat meal) with an excellent salad bar that overlooks the bay/Sugarloaf mountain. Any cab knows how to get there.

In Salvador the main square in the Pelourinho area has a neat restaurant that is run as a school. The cooks, waiters, hosts, etc are all training. That said, it's a buffet of authentic Bahia food and is truly delicious. Check it out!

In general though, when you want a quick meal just go to any por kilo restaurant. Good selection and prices.

Answer 4

Restaurants that feature on websites are usually very high priced. Best is to walk into those traditional Brazilian ones located on streetsides and taste their local stuff. Giraffas, a fast food place that serves set meals remains my favorite.