Mapplr’s favorite restaurants in Rio de Janeiro

UPDATED on 12 July 2011

Now that I’ve posted my favorite hotels in Rio, let’s find a good place to eat. Fortunately the city is filled with good restaurants. It’s hard to choose. But I have to put together a short list of my favorite restaurants in Rio. Most are in the Ipanema-Leblon area because that is where I stayed.

Ipanema and Leblon

Ten Kai
Rua Prudente Morais, 1810
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2540 5100
www.cozinhajaponesa.com.br/restaurante/tenkai
Sushi

Fasano al Mare
Avenida Vieira Souto, 80
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 3202 4000
www.fasano.com.br
Seafood/Italian (in the luxurious Fasano Hotel)

Via Sete
Rua Garcia D’Ávila 125
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2512 8100
Elegant, cool covered patio dining area is buzzing with people; excellent salads, organic food, fish, meat dishes.

Gero Rio
Rua Anibal de Mendonça 157
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2239 8158
Italian

Porcão
Rua Barão da Torre, 218
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2554 8535
www.porcao.com.br
South American/Brazilian grilled meats, amazing buffet includes salads, sushi and soups, all you can eat

Sushi Leblon
Rua Dias Ferreira, 256
Leblon
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2512 7830
www.sushileblon.com

Venga
Rua Garcia d’Avila 147
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2247 0234
www.venga.com.br
Tapas bar-restaurant serving excellent Spanish and Catalan tapas, good wine list. They also have a Venga in Leblon, on Rue Dias Ferreira 113B.

Felice
Rua Gomes Carneiro, 30
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
55 21 2522 7749
One block from Ipanema beach, excellent place for lunch, serves delicious salads and healthy soups as well as Italian dishes and pasta; good value for money, especially at lunch time. Also has a small gelateria if you want gelato. Free Wi-Fi.

Terzetto
Rua Jangadeiros 28
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2247 6797
www.terzetto.com.br
Italian cuisine; excellent breakfasts with good coffee, croissants, bread and pastries, but no Wi-Fi.

Livraria da Travessa cafe-restaurant
Shopping Leblon
Afrânio de Melo Franco, 290 (2nd floor, 205 A)
Leblon
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
www.travessa.com.br
Beautiful bookstore in the elegant Shopping Leblon center with a cozy cafe-restaurant on the mezzanine level. They sell foreign magazines and English books. Free Wi-Fi.

Santa Teresa

Espirito Santa
Rua Almirante Alexandrino #264
Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2508 7095
www.espiritosanta.com
Amazonian cuisine

Aprazível
Rue Aprazival 62
Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2507 7334
www.aprazivel.com.br
Brazilian nouvelle cuisine

Other neighborhoods in Rio

Gohan
Rua Joaquim Silva 127
Lapa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2232 0479
www.gohanrio.com.br
Only a few doors down from the famous Lapa Steps, Gohan serves terrific sushi — the fish is very fresh and the portions are huge — prices are reasonable, far lower than what you would pay in Ipanema or Leblon; if you like sushi, this place is a must. It is surprisingly very good, considering the street on which it is located is a creepy and rundown.

Roberta Sudbrack
Rua Lineau de Paula Machado 916
Jardim Botânico
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 3874 0139
www.robertasudbrack.com.br
Brazilian nouvelle cuisine

Olympe
Rua Custódio Serrão, nº 62, Lagoa
Jardim Botânico
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2539 4542
www.claudetroisgros.com.br

Barracuda
Av. Infante Dom Henrique
Marina da Glória
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2265 4641
www.restaurantebarracuda.com.br
Seafood