Rio de Janeiro - Food & Drink

Brazil is a country of many immigrants, who have brought their eating habits with them. Rio fuses national and international cuisine, and spoils you from breakfast to dinner.

Zona Sul is a good place to find diversity. With the largest Japanese community outside Japan, it shouldn't come as a surprise that sushi is to be found in Brazil in big quantities and good quality. Italians brought with them pasta and pizza, and other recipes were packed in the cases of the Portuguese, Arabs, French, Spanish, and Germans. Go Brazilian or Afro-Brazilian with typical feijoada (meaty bean dish), moqueca (fish dish), galeto (chicken dish), or churrasco (barbecued meat).

The central business area has a lot of places where people eat on the run. In a quilo (‘food by the kilo'), you weigh your food and pay per gram, while in casas de suco (juice houses) eat a snack or sandwich standing up, and choose a freshly prepared juice from an impressive list of exotic fruit. Don't leave Rio without tasting açai, a soft drink made from a dark-violet Amazonian fruit.

Lapa is the epicentre of bar life in Rio. It's a good spot in which to find your favourite ice-cream parlour, crèperie, or patisserie. Most bars have a broad selection of finger-food, nibbles and small portions to provide a good base for your stomach. Try late-night caldinho de feijão (bean soup)… it's great in helping prevent the next day's hangover.

If you come back from a late night with a rumbling stomach, there is only one option: the Cervantes in Copacabana. Its opening hours are from 12pm to 4am (6am Fridays and Saturdays). It is worth going there just to watch the clientele. Restaurants in Rio de Janeiro often include a service charge in the bill. Check the items on your bill carefully and don't be scared to ask before tipping a discretionary 10-15%.