Salvador, Bahia: the 5 best tips for visitors

Photos: Constance Escobar

My friend Constance Escobar, who is a Rio-based foodie, just got back from a trip to Salvador, the capital of Bahia. She's got impeccable taste and was kind enough to share with us her 5 top tips.

Salvador by Constance Escobar

Every city has its must-sees, or “les incontournables” - but I admit that my must-sees are often quite different from everyone else's. On my first day in Paris I surely didn't run to the the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre, but preferred to visit the pastry shops Ladurée and Pierre Hermé - my cup of tea. Same goes for Salvador. Instead of lunching at perennial favourite Dadá, which has become a bit of a tourist den, I chose to go instead to Paraíso Tropical, where I ate the best moqueca (seafood and coconut milk stew) of my life.

Here are my top 5:

1 - Lunch at Paraíso Tropical
Best food in town. Very simple, but serves amazing moquecas.
Rua Edgar Loureiro, 98-B (Cabula), tel. (71) 3384-7464







2 - Lunch Amado
Not only is the food marvellous, but you eat with a stunning view of Todos os Santos Bay.
Amado: Av. Contorno, 660, Cidade Baixa, Tel. (55-71)3322-3520

3 - Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia
From Amado, it's an easy stroll to Solar do Unhão, where a historic manor houses the Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia. Fantastic spot.
Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia: Avenida Contorno, s/n, tel. (71) 3117-6141



4 - Old Downtown, a.k.a. Pelourinho
Cobbled streets, colonial candy-colored houses, magical atmosphere. Make time for a stop at the Le Glacier Laporte ice cream shop or have a tapioca milk shake at Sorveteria da Ribeira.

5- Convento do Carmo
Poshest hotel in town, set, as the name implies, in an old monastery.
Convento do Carmo: Rua do Carmo, 1, tel. (71) 3327-8400