10 Foods and Drinks to Sample in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is a smorgasbord of culinary influences, making for a truly unique food scene. Whether you’re sampling street food or pulling up a chair somewhere upscale, Rio provides a wide variety of unforgettable cuisine. But, since tourists only have a limited time to visit, here are 10 of the best foods and drinks to try during your stay.

Pichana at Churrascaria Palace

No trip to Rio is complete without a stop at a churrascaria, a traditional barbecue restaurant. Churrascaria Palace is a local favorite, serving up choice meats for over 60 years. Picanha, beef top sirloin with a layer of fat, is the prime beef cut at Brazil’s churrascarias, and Churrascaria Palace makes it melt in your mouth.

Ordem & Prosecco at Subastor

Brazil is known for its cachaça, a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Rio is full of cocktails made with cachaça, but the Ordem & Prosecco at Subastor stands out. Blending Yaguara cachaça, Calvados, and prosecco, this bubbly cocktail showcases the best of what cachaça can do.

Feijoada at Casa de Feijoada

Feijoada is a traditional bean and meat stew, a true Brazilian staple. It’s regularly consumed for lunch on Saturdays, but at Casa de Feijoada you can enjoy this hearty feast any day of the week. Served in miniature cauldrons, with a number of possible sides, feijoada is a Brazilian classic you can’t pass up.

Arnaldo’s Tapioca 

You can’t fully appreciate Rio’s street food scene without sampling some tapioca, and thankfully there’s no shortage of it. Some of the best, however, comes from a man named Arnaldo, who wanders the streets of Flamengo and Botafogo. He doesn’t have a fixed location or website, but his variety of fillings and no-frills approach to preparation provide the quintessential tapioca experience.

Tia’s Cachorro Quente

Cachorro quente—Brazilian hot dog—stands are all over Rio, but Tia uses a special sauce and private supplier for her meats. A local hit, you’ll often find a long line of people thronging to her cart. There’s also a brick-and-mortar location, however, so you have no excuse for not trying one of these tasty treats.

Ciriguela Caipirinha at Kiosque do Portugues 

This father-son caipirinha bar serves up a wide variety of creative caipirinha while providing guests a lovely view of the nearby lagoon. Particularly noteworthy is their ciriguela (red mombin) caipirinha. The red mombin are a particularly crisp and sweet fruit, combining with cachaça for a truly unique and refreshing beverage.

Acai at Tacaca do Norte 

There is no shortage of acai in Rio, but much of it is overly-sweetened and commercialized. Tacaca do Norte serves theirs with guarana, a flavorful red berry, and only lightly sweetens it. The unique berry slushy will most definitely hit the spot on a warm Rio afternoon.

Heart of Palm at Zuka

You’ll find hearts of palm all over Brazil, but Zuka’s chef Soeiro makes a dish to die for. She makes palm hearts into a tagliatelle, then serves them with lightly-seared tuna and wasabi cream sauce. Preparing stellar Brazilian contemporary cuisine on open flames in an open kitchen, Zuka is the place to choose for a nice night out.

Rainha do Baoa at Restaurante Aprazivel

Restaurante Aprazivel sits on the highest point of Santa Teresa, providing diners with a lovely view of the surrounding city. But this fine establishment is also one of the best places to try Amazonian fish. The rainha do baoa is particularly noteworthy—a crispy, salty fish course complemented with just the right amount of bacuri, an Amazonian berry.

Pastel de Nata at Confeitaria Columbo 

If you’re looking for Brazilian sweets, look no further than Confeitaria Colombo. This sweet shop has been around since 1894, and their tantalizing treats prove they know what they’re doing. Be sure to try pastel de nata (also known as pastel de belem), a flaky pastry with smooth custard.

Craving Brazilian cuisine and ambience?  Contact Gavel International for more information about travel incentives and meeting planning in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.