 |
| The view from Porcão Rio's |
Miam Miam: My go-to restaurant of choice. It's whimsical, kitsch, and most importantly, offers delicious comfort food with a Brazilian twist. And the drinks are to die for! The owner recently opened another restaurant: Oui Oui, but I haven't tried it yet.
Colher de Pau: Best sweets in town. It's THE place to go for a quick dessert, specially brigadeiros. The two locations are the corner of Rita Ludolf with Ataulfo de Paiva in Leblon and Farme de Amoedo with Prudente de Morais in Ipanema.
 |
| The decor at the original Colher de Pau |
Cafeína: Best coffee shop in town. Various locations. It's also a great place to grab breakfast.
Palaphita: A really cool bar by Lagoa's lakeshore. It has a romantic ambiance, especially when the weather is nice. The bar has an "Amazonian" feel to it, since the outside tables and benches are all raised on palaphitas, lie the houses on the Amazon river that are on stilts. A blogger friend, Mari, reminded me that they have amazing exotic caipirinhas.
Da Graça: Best described by quirky and kitsch. It's a cute little bar, with amazing decor, fabulous appetizers, delicious drinks and a great ambiance. It's in Jardim Botânico, on Street Pacheco Leão 780.
 |
| Da Graça outdoors and kitschy indoors |
Círculo Militar da Praia Vermelha: This is a great casual date spot. Thiago and I used to go here quite often. The food (and service) are so-so (order pizza, always a safe bet!) But no one goes here for the food. It's for the ambiance and the AMAZING view of the Sugarloaf.
 |
| This is the view from the Circulo Militar, where we celebrated Thiago's 23rd birthday. |
Devassa: With various locations across the city, Devassa offers the best chopp (draft beer) in town, in my opinion. The beers are all named after women: Loura (Pilsner), Ruiva (Pale Ale), Negra (Dark Ale), Índia (Pale Ale), Sarará (Weiss) and the new Bem Loura. My favorite is the Ruiva, or redhead if you will. I seriously miss that beer...
Prefácio: A bistro hidden in a cute bookstore in Botafogo. The food is delicious, the environment is cozy, and the prices are friendly. *this is another one of Jackie's recommendation. I haven't been there yet, but it's now on my list of places to try :)
Mil Frutas: A necessary pit stop for all ice cream lovers! Over 180 flavors of ice cream, most of them fabulous fruit combinations. Don't be intimated, go ahead and try the exotic guava and cheese ice cream, fig and coconut water flavor or bacuri, my favorite from the northeast!
 |
| Tiny, tiny sample selection from Mil Frutas |
Gula Gula: Bossa nova cuisine! For a simple, delicious meal, visit any of the Gula Gula locations around town. They serve an awesome picadinho (Thiago's favorite beef stew), have amazing salads, and make the most delicious Chocolate Mousse Pie (my favorite! Ask to have it warmed up and served à la mode).
Rio Scenarium: One of the landmarks in Lapa. It's famous for its decor (it used to be an antiques store), live Brazilian music and "posh" atmosphere (within the context of down to earth, casual Lapa, that is!). My recommendation: make reservations for a late dinner (appetizers, drinks and desserts) and then stay for the music!
 |
| The decor at Rio Scenarium |
