Brazil for Insiders: Rio restaurants

Showing posts with label Rio restaurants. Show all posts

Oct 24, 2009

Rio's best pastry and cofee shops, juice bar and finger food

My friend and hard-core chocoholic Constance Escobar lives in Rio and spends good part of her free time eating out and testing out the city's cofee shops, pâtisseries and juice stands. She was invited by renowned mag Veja Rio to vote for the best addresses in several food categories (for their annual restaurant issue), so she dove into more taste tests, with great relish. She's been kind enough to share with us her votes and her expert and unbiased opinions. Here it goes:

BEST CHOCOLATE
Aquim

Chocolates are delicate and refined. The ganaches are expertly well-balanced. The bonbons are never too sweet.
Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, 1321, Leblon, tel. 2274-1001. 10 am to 8 pm

BEST BRIGADEIRO
Beth Chocolates

Brigadeiros are chocolate candies that are soft and chewy and enrobed in chocolate sprinkles. A Brazilian delicacy that is completely addictive. Beth serves her velvety brigadeiros in tiny cups (pictured below), and sprinkles them with bittersweet Callebaut chocolate. First-rate.

BEST ESPRESSO
Rubro Café

Great blend of beans from the hills of Minas Gerais. Efficient baristas.

BEST BREAKFAST
Escola do Pão

A bit pricier than the competition, but makes up for that in quality. It's a veritable feast: artisanal breads, sandwiches, delicious cheese gratin, corn porridge, etc etc etc. All of it impeccable.
Rua General Garzon, 10, Lagoa, tel. 2294-0027 or 3205-7275

CREPE
Le Blé Noir

Owned and run by an expat from Bretagne. Light, golden crepes made with top-quality ingredients.
Rua Xavier da Silveira, 19, Copacabana, tel. 2267-6969. Dinner only.

PASTRY SHOP
Garcia & Rodrigues

The best selection in town: queijadinhas, tartelettes, éclairs, petit-fours; tiramisù, pastéis de Belém.... all excellent.
Rua Ataulfo de Paiva, 1251, Leblon, tel. 3206-4100 (204 lugares). 8am to midnight, daily

BAR MUNCHIES
Aconchego Carioca

The bolinhos and croquetes (fritters) made her are true icons of Rio's pub food. Be sure to try the manioc fritters with shrimp bobó, absolutely delicious. As are the feijoada croquettes.

SANDWICHES
Bazzar Café

Top-notch hot dogs, burgers, falafel sammies and croque-monsieur.

ICE CREAM
Garcia & Rodrigues

Made artisanally, its texture is unbeatable.
Rua Ataulfo de Paiva, 1251, Leblon, tel. 3206-4100 (204 lugares). 8am to midnight, daily.

JUICE BAR
Líquido

They take extreme care with their juices, divided on the menu in categories so clients know if they're made in a blender, a juicer or whatever else, and what is added to the final result. Great combos like the pineaple, lime and grape juice. All made to order, of course.

And here, a link to Veja Rio's annual restaurant edition.

Sep 26, 2009

São Paulo's best pizzeria, Bráz, opens an outpost in Barra da Tijuca, Rio

Photos: Constance Escobar

It's an old running joke between paulistas (natives of São Paulo) that the cariocas (from Rio) don't know a thing about pizza. Like every joke, this one, too, has a little bit of truth to it. But in recent years Rio restaurants - and pizzerias - have greatly improved.

Last month the owners of São Paulo's top pizza place, the Bráz, opened a second Rio outpost, in the glitzy Barra da Tijuca district (near the famed Barraca do Pepê beach kiosk).

The place is stunning, like all other casas Bráz, in a retro way. Exclusive to the Barra branch, the Barra Speciale is a pizza made with the exquisite burrata cheese, so delicate and soft.

But... truth be told, I'll stick to the original Bráz, in the Jardim Botânico district, much closer to Ipanema and Leblon, if I ever get a craving. Barra, for me, is just a little too far on the other side of the tracks. Or tunnels, rather...

Bráz Barra – Rua Érico Veríssimo 46

Tel.: (21) 2491-9533

Bráz‎ Jardim Botânico

Rua Maria Angélica, 129

Tel.: (21) 2535-0687

And more dining in Rio on this blog:

May 11, 2009

10 Reasons to visit Rio de Janeiro

1 – Santa Teresa (pictured above)
Taking a cab up one of the steep cobblestone roads that lead into Rio's most bohemian neighbourhood, perched on a hill, feels like leaving the city altogether. Colorful townhouses with wrought-iron gates, friendly neighborhood grocery stores and birds chirping in the trees replace the hustle and bustle of downtown. For decades, poets, musicians and other artsy folk have spent a good part of their days debating and drinking chilled beers at the same old bars – Goiabeira and Santa Saideira - their tables and tiled floors worn down by the years. The main square – where lovely old cablecars make stops every half hour - is picture-perfect, with its washed-out little church, a big tree in the middle and the stunning view of the city below. Before taking the cablecar back down to the city, save time for inexpensive lunch at Aprazível or Bar do Arnaudo, Santa Teresa’s most picturesque restaurants.
Aprazível: Rua Aprazível, 62, T: 55 21 2508-9174
Bar do Arnaudo: Rua Almirante Alexandrino 316-B, T: 55 21 2252-7246,

2 – Sugarloaf
Rio tends to evoke many clichés: samba, girls, soccer and… the Sugarloaf. The landmark deserves its fame: from the top of Pão de Açúcar hill (the Sugarloaf) one has a 360-degree view of green peaks and sea hugging high-rises and the Guanabara Bay. Not surprisingly, the gondolas that take tourists on the two-part trip to the 287 meter-high belvedere are always full on clear days. As the gondola starts to rise and the panorama unfolds, one hears cameras clicking and oohs and aahs in all languages, from German to Japanese. The morning is the best time for photos, with the sun rising from the sea and lighting up the lush green mountains that enclose the city. T: 55 21 2546-8400

3- Copacabana Palace Hotel
Cariocas, as the inhabitants of Rio are called, have a special bond with this grand hotel, which is the jewel of Copacabana beach. Nicknamed Copa, it is known for its gigantic pool, white stucco façade and, above all, the glitzy gala dinners, weddings and Carnival balls it hosts, attended by Brazilian TV royalty and bejeweled socialites. Extensive renovations, started in 1989 when it was bought by the Orient-Express chain, have restored Rio’s classiest five-star to its former glory. Stop in for a caipirinha cocktail by the pool, or for the traditional – and quite hearty - feijoada (the typical Brazilian stew of black beans with meats, sautéed kale and orange slices), served on Saturdays. Or, if your budget allows it, make it your home base: rates for the stately and elegant rooms start at US$ 270. Avenida Atlântica, 1702, Copacabana, T: 55 21 2548 7070

4- Posto 9, Ipanema
The girl from Ipanema is now the middle-aged mom of a Playboy cover girl, yet the beach that inspired the tune continues to be Rio’s coolest, even if its waters aren’t always the cleanest. Different crowds – gays, mothers with babies, surfers - hang out at separate spots of this 2-kilometer long stretch of sand. Their “territories” are marked by the tall, numbered towers which house public showers and restrooms. The younger, more scantily-clad cariocas (and tanned, pretty girls from Ipanema) congregate near tower number nine, or Posto 9 . Arrive early, open a tab with one of the beach vendors (who will serve you ice-cold beers and caipirinhas all day), and look around as the beach fills up: this is people-watching at its finest!

5- Gero restaurant
Getting a table at Gero is an exercise in patience. Waits are long not just because this is, hands down, Rio’s best Italian restaurant, but also because it is the best spot in town to be and be seen. The classic Northern Italian menu – think risotto with partridge and raddichio, ossobucco alla milanese, white polenta with squid, etc. – is quite like what is served at the flagship Gero, which has been one of São Paulo’s top restaurants for nearly a decade. Owner Rogério Fasano usually does the rounds of the tables, quietly greeting politicians, socialites and celebrities. Dinner for two with a bottle of wine, at about US$ 100, is relatively expensive, but worth it for the rare glimpse of Rio’s high society.
Gero: Rua Aníbal de Mendonça, 157, Ipanema, T: 55 21 2239-8158

6- Prainha beach
When cariocas want to escape the city and swim in clear, clean waters, they drive about half an hour south to Prainha, which is Portuguese for “little beach”. A favorite of surfers and their bronzed girlfriends, gets as crowded as Barra da Tijuca and other more urban beaches on weekends, when young boys charge as much as US$ 5 to “keep an eye” on cars, but is blissfully quiet during the week. This small stretch of sand and sea is especially recommended to travelers who might feel queasy about the notices that often run in local papers warning that well-known beaches such as Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca are “improper for bathing”, because of polluted waters. Plan on spending the day, to make the long cab ride worth it. For a spectacular taste of home-cooked seafood, drive up a steep cobblestoned hill and have a late lunch at Tia Palmira on the way back. A fixed price of approximately US$ 13 per person buys a true banquet. A succession of shrimp, crab and fish fritters, dumplings, stews and escabeches is served in a sun-drenched patio overlooking the sea. Waitresses will keep on bringing more and more of their tasty shrimp specialties, until you beg them to stop. Tia Palmira: Caminho do Souza, 18, T: 55 21 2410-8169

7- Bracarense bar
Botequins – casual, cheap bars open to the street, which mostly serve chilled draft beer and finger food – are the soul of Rio. On any given weekend afternoon, the city’s botequins will be filled with loud groups of friends gathered around small tables, many still sporting their bathing suits and flip-flops. The Bracarense is the most famous and crowded of all, despite the unattentive waiters and the shabby interior. Why, then, is it so successful? Because its draft beer has a deliciously creamy foam and the manioc and shrimp fritters are heavenly. Also, its location, in a leafy block of fashionable Leblon district a mere two blocks from the beach attracts intellectuals and pretty young things alike.

8- Handgliding over the Tijuca national park
Running off a platform mounted on a steep wooded cliff, then gliding over a stretch of tropical forest – even when accompanied by an experienced instructor – is not for everyone. Those who choose to take the plunge, however, are rewarded with breathtaking vistas of the Gavea and Bonita rock peaks, and the magical feeling of floating 600 meters above sea level, without a noise but that of the wind hitting the glider’s colorful wings. Experts agree that Rio is the most gorgeous urban setting in the world for this sport: on a clear day you can see not only Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, but the Sugarloaf and even the skyline of Niteroi, a neighboring city. Outfitters like German sportsman Konrad Heilman charge approximately Can$ 130 for the flight, including the transfer service to and from your hotel in an air-conditioned van. Filmed proof of your courageous adventure, saved on a DVD, will set you back another $ 65. T: 55 21 9843-9006

9 – Botanical gardens
An alley lined with 137 imposing Imperial Palms divides the beautifully landscaped 141 acres of the Botanical Garden, founded in 1808. Most plant species are cultivated outdoors, around ponds and bronze busts of botanists. One of the prettiest alleys is the one lined with century-old mango trees covered with orchids and bromeliads. A large portion of the garden reproduces a typical Amazonian forest, complete with 30-meter tall trees, waterplants and mangroves. The restored blue-and-white colonial farmhouse where King John VI of Portugal used to stay during his visits now houses a coffeeshop and stores which sell books and souvenirs. Rua Jardim Botânico, 920, T: 55 21 2294-9349

10 – Dias Ferreira Street
There is no better way to get around Rio’s beaches than on foot (except maybe jogging, if you ask the thousands that go for their morning runs on the well-kept beach boardwalks). That is especially true in Leblon, the tony neighborhood that is separated from Ipanema by a canal. Here you can stroll by most of the city’s nicest boutiques and restaurants. Make sure you don’t miss Dias Ferreira street, which has the city’s highest concentration of top addresses. On it are Rio’s finest ice cream parlor (Mil Frutas), where fresh tropical fruits like açaí and cajú are churned into creamy scoops of heaven, the most popular salad restaurant (Celeiro) www.restauranteceleiro.com.br and best magazine shop (Argumento) . Other precious finds include the restaurants Carlota and Sushi Leblon.

Apr 15, 2009

Le Pré Catalan, in Rio: when hotel dining is done right

I'm always wary of hotel restaurants in Brazil - many tend to be souless and corporate-feeling, especially when they're in a big chain hotel.

Rio`s Le Pré Catalan is an exception to the rule. It's located in the mezanine of the Sofitel and serves some of the most refined and inventive food in Rio. Chef Roland Villard, a Frenchman, bien sur, serves high-end food that combines French technique and Brazilian ingredients. Examples? Rack of tambaqui, a huge Amazonian fish.

Some dishes don't seem the most appropriate for the tropics - like his rigatoni stuffed with shredded quail and foie gras, au gratin.

Le Pré Catalan's claim to fame is its dessert cart, also done à la française. Think crème brulée, mousses and fruit tartelettes. But the view, too, is hard to beat: the salon faces famed Copacabana beach.

Le Pré Catelan (Hotel Sofitel Rio)

Av. Atlântica, 4240, Copacabana
tel: (55-21) 2525-1160

More Rio in Brazil for Insiders:

Carnival

Dining

Hotels

Fashion and Shopping

Attractions/ Sightseeing

Apr 12, 2009

Rio: where to eat good cod (bacalhau), Portuguese-style

One of my all-time favorite blogs is called D.O.C. (De Origem Carioca), and is written by Veja Rio's restaurant critic Fernanda Thedim. Recently, she listed her favorite spots to eat bacalhau (salted cod) in Rio. Portuguese cuisine is alive and well in Rio - hence the abundance of places serving the country's national dish. In fact, Rio boasts even more Portuguese restaurants than São Paulo, which is Brazil's foodie capital. Here are some of the ones Fernanda recommends:

A MARISQUEIRA
Rua Barata Ribeiro, 232, loja A, Copacabana, tel. 55-21 2547-3920
Bacalhau à mário soares: cod pan-fried with garlic, served with potatoes and a sauce of peppers, tomatoes and onions (R$ 110 for two).

ADEGÃO PORTUGUÊS
Campo de São Cristóvão, 212, loja A, São Cristóvão, tel. 2580-7288/8689; Avenida das Américas, 7777, 3º piso (Rio Design Barra), Barra, tel. 2431-2958 e 2438-1178.
Bacalhau à lagareiro (roasted with olive oil, potatoes and broccoli; R$ 88,00 )

ALFAIA
Rua Inhangá, 30, loja B, Copacabana, tel. 2236-1222 e 2255-8882.
Bacalhau à patuscada, with fried garlic, broccoli, boiled potatoes and black olives (R$ 123,00 for two)

ANTIQUARIUS
Rua Aristides Espínola, 19, Leblon, tel. 2294-1049.
At Rio's most famous (and best) Portuguese restaurant, they serve bacalhau nunca chega (R$ 89,00): shredded and tossed with onion, chopped ham, eggs and shoestring fries.

BACALHAU DO REI
Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 11, loja A, Gávea, tel. 2239-8945.
Bacalhau à gomes de sá (casserole of shredded cod, potatoes, garlic, onion, eggs and olives; R$ 104,00 for two).

BARRACUDA
Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, s/nº, loja 6, (Marina da Glória), Flamengo, tel. 2265-4641/2205-3346.
Tigelinha de bacalhau à conde da guarda: shredded cod mixed with potato mash and cream, served au gratin (R$ 31,00).

More dining in Rio:

Jan 25, 2009

Rio: index of all posts, by subject

Carnival

New Year's

Rio's mayor hires Madonna to sing at the Copacabana New Year's Party

Dining and bars (botecos)

Hotels

Fashion and Shopping

Attractions/ Sightseeing

Jan 24, 2009

Roberta Sudbrack: best restaurant in Rio?

Until I went for dinner at Roberta Sudbrack's restaurant, I hadn't fully understood what all the fuss was about. The city is not known for its gastronomic scene as São Paulo is, and I was a bit skeptical. But... what a dinner! The only thing that ever came close, in Rio, was dinner at Claude Troisgros' Olympe with the man himself, but then again... how could it not be great, right?

But back to Roberta Sudbrack: the girl is one hell of a cook!

Dinner started with amazing breads, warm from the oven, the best butter and perfect little gougères, warm fluffy pastry clouds.

Our tasting menu started with her signature okra "caviar": the seeds mimic that ploc-ploc mouthfeel. Alongside, shrimp, brunoise of tomato and a generous drizzle of an outstading olive oil.

The same incredible oil was present in the next dish, tuna in a very light confit (chef says she doesn't do it sous vide, but simply does a quick version of the traditional confit mehod, using olive oil). The paper thin toasted bread gave the ensemble the needed crunch.

Then came a very delicate broth made with lagostim shells, in a bowl similar to those used by Brazilian indians. In it came mushrooms and fat morsels of lagostim (a small cousin of the lobster). Uncannily light and complex, each individual flavour alive and whole.

The main course had been pre-ordered by food lover and blogger Constance Escobar. Suckling pig with ever-so-tender flesh and a golden, crisp crust.

As a side, an impossibly silky portion of mashed potatoes, Robuchon style. An aside: to see a full report of this same dinner on Constance's blog, please click here.

We were content - very content - but still hungry for more.

I'm a bit ashamed to confess that I asked for seconds of our first dessert, the best banana ice cream I've ever had. It's made with the ripest bananas Roberta can find - their peels full of black spots already - and nothing more, not even sugar. Banana in its purest possible guise.

The second dessert had, of course, to be an anti-climax. It was a donut-style pastry dusted with sugar and paired with crème anglaise. Good, not great.

And what could I possibly say about the mignardises? Beautiful, dainty, delicious. Candied marmelo (a Brazilian fruit), chocolate candies that tasted of an old childhood treat called Kri. Brigadeiro, another childhood favourite, in a spoon. Mignardises comfort-chics.

It was a perfect dinner. Perfect company, perfect food, perfect wine (Chassagne Montrachet Vielles Vignes 2005, Pillot, Bourgogne, app. US$ 130/bottle).

Roberta Sudbrack: Av. Lineu de Paula Machado, 916, Jardim Botânico, tel. (21) 3874-0139

Post script: it came to my attention in July 2009 that a reader of this blog followed my recommendation, dined at the restaurant and had a bad experience. It could have been an off-night, but I though it might be fair to other readers to hear what he had to say:

"Dear Alexandra,

First of all, thank you for your very useful blog on Brazil for Insiders. I was just in Rio and made great use of it. I am a big foodie and I love to travel across the world to try new opportunities.

Your advise was almost 100% correct. The only exception was Roberta Sudbrack, which was a TERRIBLE disappointment. I went there last Saturday night and had one of the worst meals I have ever had in a restaurant of this class. First of all, I arrived at 9:30 PM to find I was the ONLY table there for that night – on a Saturday! That set off alarms in my head, but I decided to stay anyway, hoping maybe it was just the economy that was scaring people away.

I was wrong. The food was boring, bland and strangely textured. I requested the 8-course tasting menu with a small amount of wine to be matched to each course. For the jamon serrano with melon ice cream (not exactly an original or difficult dish to create), I was given a glass of sweet Brazilian sparkling wine! For the next course (a single piece of cold white asparagus with some crunchy almonds on top which my 12-year old daughter could have made), I was given another Brazilian sparkling wine, this time a dry one!

My main course was duck confit, paired with a very cheap Chilean red wine that I could have picked up in a wine store for 5 euros a bottle back home. The wines were all uniformly cheap and terrible, but each glass was billed to me at 25 Brazilian reals each – by far the most I have ever been charged for a glass of wine. I would not have minded if the wines were good quality or even if they were well matched to the food, but none were.

The food had no theme, no identity. No use was made of local ingredients – the asparagus was Peruvian, the ham from Spain, the duck confit might as well have come from France. It was the most boring, unimaginative food I have been served in many years. And the final insult was delivered by the bill – one of the most expensive meals I have ever eaten. Oh, and no credit cards accepted unless it’s MasterCard.

Rio has a lot of great restaurants – I greatly enjoyed Satyricon the next night, which rescued my memory of Rio after the horrendous disappointment delivered by Sudbrack.

I would ask you to consider removing your endorsement of the restaurant from your blog so other people don’t travel to Rio and have another experience like mine. Your experience in January clearly does not seem representative of what’s going on at that place. Certainly the people of Rio seem to agree – nobody showed up on a Saturday night.

Sincerely,

E.J.

Jan 4, 2009

Terzetto Café: great breakfast spot in Ipanema, Rio

Although I love to stay at the Fasano Rio hotel whenever I go to Rio, I find that their breakfast is way too expensive, so I prefer to walk to a nearby café.

The best one near the Fasano is the new Terzetto Café.

The Terzetto Café is a mere 2 minute walk from the Fasano, and is right nextdoor to the Terzetto restaurant, which gets very good reviews and one star out of 3 in the Guia 4 Rodas.

The new café serves an excellent breakfast. There are 3 options: simples (7 reais, incluiding breads, cake, butter, jam, requeijão), executivo (9,80 reais, includes all that plus juice ) and the huge Terzetto (19 reais, all of the above plus scrambled eggs with sausage).

I had an excellent turkey and white cheese sandwich on pão francês and 2 perfectly-done capuccinos.

I hear the lunch is not so hot, though...

Terzetto Café: Rua Jangadeiros, corner of Visconde de Pirajá, tel. (55-21) 2247-3243.

Dec 31, 2008

The best restaurants in Rio according to the experts

A while back, I read a terribly written and researched story published by Bloomberg about Rio restaurants. It was disappointing. That's why I was very glad that soon thereafter a second story in English was published about the Rio dining scene, this time in National Geographic Traveler, based on tips given by local experts.

It includes some Rio classics such as Olympe, Roberta Sudbrack and Antiquarius – which incredibly enough were absent from the Bloombert piece – and other restaurants that I am not familiar with, recommended by the pro Ricardo Castanho, editor of Guia Quatro Rodas, such as Quinta, in Vargem Grande. The piece says it serves “delicious baked mallard with seasonal fruit jelly, caramelized sweet potato, red cabbage, and apple and mango chutney.”and is a "comfortable tree-surrounded house, 45 minutes from Copacabana. Watch for sagüis (small monkeys) and exotic birds from porch; peaceful beaches close by". Sounds lovely.

Another praised restaurant is the Galani, at the hotel Caesar Park, which, on top of having great panoramic views, offers “the most civilized way to try Rio’s famous feijoada (black bean and pork stew).”Great spot to take foreigners.

This article is a definite must read. Here's the link again.

The best hotels in Leblon, Rio

Leblon, for those who don’t know, is the Southern half of the same beach which, to the North, is called Ipanema. They’re separated by a narrow canal.

Leblon is one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Rio, because not only it the beach great but it also has great boutiques, tranquil residential streets, some of the best casual bars in town (such as the ultra-famous Bracarense) and a street called Dias Ferreira where several of the top restaurants of Rio are located (more on that in a later post).

Here are the best places to stay in Leblon:

Marina Palace
Rua Delfim Moreira, 630
Tel. (55-21)2172-1000
This is run by the same owners as the Marina All Suites and is just across the street, also facing the ocean.

Ritz Plaza
Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, 1280
Tel. (55-21) 2540-4940

Marina All Suites
Avenida Delfim Moreira, 696
Tel. (55-21)2172-1100

This is considered the hippest hotel in town by many. Rooms are actually on the small side, except for the oceanfront suites named after precious gems, each decorated in a different style by famous local designers. There’s a pool on the rooftop, a very nice business center/internet room and a cool restaurant/bar called Bar d’Hotel, which is hopping most nights. My tip? Go there for drinks and to take in the ambiance, but not for dinner: the food is not great but very pretentious. As their site says, “Options include medium rare filet mignon with foie gras and balsamic, salt flower, apples and caramelized potatoes; Duck confit with hoissin sauce and shitake pasta; Fig ravioli with tomato and thyme sauce, and Goat cheese ravioli with pesto rugula sauce and almonds. All deserts are mouthwatering: Hot apple Tarte Tartin with cinnamon ice cream, Nutella crepe and creme Brullé to mention a few.”

The Bar d’Hotel is also where the generous yet not-so-great-tasting breakfast buffet is served.

Dec 18, 2008

São Paulo restaurants open Rio outposts

While São Paulo boasts a star-studded list of world-class restaurants, Rio has never been known as a dining destination, but rather as a city of laid-back sensuality and stunning natural beauty: beaches, rock cliffs, lush rainforest… That reputation is changing with the recent opening of outposts of some São Paulo’s top eateries.

First came Nakombi, in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood, which introduced São Paulo’s high-style sushi to the cariocas (as Rio natives are called), in a dazzling space with an open grill and a carp-laden pond. Sadly, it has since gone bust and closed.

Only steps away, Casa Bráz is a top-notch pizza place with beautiful retro décor (think antique tile floors and dark wood cabinetry holding old glass bottles). As at the São Paulo flagship, waiters in white jackets and bow-ties serve impeccable pizzas topped with specialty cheeses and marinated eggplant and zucchini, and its famous ice-cold draft beer. On weekends, the wait for a table can be longer than two hours.

But the most talked about arrival is the Fasano Al Mare, a seafood-heavy version of Fasano, which is São Paulo’s most chic restaurant. Occupying the ground floor of newly-opened Fasano hotel, in Ipanema, with a dramatic entrance with a seashell display (below), wind-blown curtains and lighted plaques designed by none other than Philippe Starck, the Al Mare has become Rio’s number one place to eat, see and be seen.

Chef Luca Gozzoni, brought in from Florence after twelve years at the Michelin three-star Enoteca Pinchiorri, cooks up a menu of carpaccios, assorted fish in light Italian-leaning preparations and the signature dish, the bollito di mare, brimming with all things aquatic in an aromatic broth.

Bráz: Rua Maria Angélica, 129, Rio, tel. 55-21-2535-0687, www.casabraz.com.br
Fasano Al Mare: Avenida Vieira Souto, 80, Rio, tel. 55-21-3202-4000, www.fasano.com.br

Writer and photographer Antonella Kann, globetrotter since birth, has been covering travel for 15 years. She contributes to several Brazilian and international magazines, such as the TAM and TAP inflights, Destinations (New Zealand), Rio's O GLOBO newspaper. She has a column in IATE magazine, about nautical travel. At the end of2009, she launched Instantes do Mundo, her fist photography book, with nearly 120 images taken in her last 2o years of travels. A confessed travel-addict, she still has plenty to explore.