Rio de Janeiro’s best restaurants

Rio de Janeiro’s best restaurants are known for the country’s exotic products, the abundant Atlantic coast, with traces of the gastronomy of the world’s main countries. And if you haven’t visited them yet we’ll show you some of the best places to eat in Rio.

From Michelin-starred restaurants to more sensational local specialties, here are the best restaurants in Rio de Janeiro.

Lasai

This place is the summary of the best food in Rio, proudly celebrating its main attractions like organic produce and seasonal simplicity. With a very organized and clean laboratory-like kitchen, it is one of the most famous and spectacular restaurants in the city. 

Behind this calm and strategic move are the hands-on couple Malena Cardiel (who manages the dining room) and Rafa Costa e Silva (head chef) who, together, have championed local fish farmers and harvested from their gardens and small farms on the outskirts of Rio since opening in 2014. The menu, scribbled on a whiteboard and bearing the famous Michelin Star, shows us its quality.

A roasted leek on a bed of radish and fresh coconut; tender pork ribs topped with broccoli and beans; dispensers of homemade honey lined over different types of Brazilian cheeses; a sheep’s milk ice cream pudding soaked in lemongrass oil; A delicate floral pudding from Alsace as dessert closes your evening in this beautiful restaurant.

Mee

In contrast to the whitewashed splendor and golden interiors of the hotel, the Mee restaurant tells a more futuristic story with sexy red walls, cool screens, and a psychedelic sushi bar. 

The same can be said for the entrée dishes, like the orange-sprinkled pork rind cookie with hoisin sauce or the grilled salmon with egg yolk and marinated miso. 

The rich foie gras dim sum prepares for different kinds of slow-cooked dishes, which seek to pass you one of the best experiences in Rio de Janeiro’s gastronomy. It’s good, that’s for sure. 

Deep, rich, and delicious, without the excessive and often sticky offerings of less qualified Asian restaurants. Explore the prowess of sparkling wine, with recommended pairings, or try the sake combination, which goes well with Asian flavors. The eccentric cocktail menu also includes Japanese sake and shochu in a list based on the tropical flavors of our country.

When visiting Rio de Janeiro, be sure to check out the Mee restaurant, which is not only beautiful but offers amazing cuisine that will make you want to come back many times.

Sud, the Green Bird

Push through an unassuming wooden gate marked 35 and follow the pink-tiled path into one of Rio’s hidden stars, Sud, the Green Bird, one of the most amazing restaurants you must know. 

The tiles spread throughout a Mediterranean-style house and patio, with waiters’ shirts and chef’s bandanas matching the color scheme of the environment bring a lot of peace and harmony. 

The unpretentious atmosphere with a huge wood-burning oven in the center already gives the place a distinctive touch. A homey sensibility permeates, from the ovens with slow-cooked lamb (easily cut with a spoon) to the open kitchen and traditional fringed napkins. 

At the helm is 2015 Latin America’s Best Female Chef Award winner Roberta Sudbrack, who traded her culinary throne for a more rustic approach to cooking at this unreserved spot. 

In the restaurant you can also have warm and fluffy cheese rolls (one of the best you will ever experience in your life), grilled leek and egg seasoned fish roe, slow-cooked meat and vegetables with rice and with a spicy sauce that warms the soul, already makes you want to come back without even leaving. 

In short, this restaurant has the most authentic Brazilian dishes with a chef’s touch at the top of the game. And the beauty of the Sud, the location of the Pássaro Verde and with its wine and the divine clafoutis pudding with fruit and cream as its dessert, make you enchanted not only with the gastronomy of the restaurant but also with the beauty of the place.

Urca Bar and Restaurant

Enjoy delicious, freshly baked pastries in a variety of flavors at Bar Urca. Bar e Restaurante Urca is inspired by Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine, the delicious dishes and snacks that this place offers will satisfy the most demanding palates. 

Located in a postcard setting on the shores of Guanabara Bay, with a view of Christ the Redeemer, the Urca bar and restaurant is perfect for a different, quick, and delicious meal. 

The specialty is seafood and fish that always come fresh and include tasty dishes such as bobó de camarão (shrimp bobo), caldo de marisco (seafood and bean broth) with fried sardines, caldeirada à portuguesa (Portuguese stew), and much more.

CT Boucherie Restaurant, Bistro, Brazilian, French, Steakhouse

Located in one of Rio de Janeiro’s trendiest neighborhoods, Leblon, CT Boucherie is a restaurant and steakhouse like no other. 

The restaurant was founded by the well-known and talented French chef Claude Troisgros and is now run by his children Thomas and Carolina. The cuts of meat are always fresh and tender. But not only is the meat delicious, so are the side dishes that are continuously brought to the table. The service is also exquisite.

Gourmet Tropical Restaurant

Gourmet Tropical is a gastronomic hub, as such, the restaurant itself is located in a green environment, surrounded by beautiful plants in a very serene atmosphere. 

The interior design is charming, with rustic furniture and local artisanal decoration with artwork scattered throughout the restaurant. Gourmet Tropical specializes in international cuisine, but customers can also buy Italian condiments, oils, and pasta to cook at home. In addition, they offer delicious wines to complement every choice.

Restaurant San Remo at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas

Within one of the most popular gastronomic centers in Rio de Janeiro, Lagoon Gourmet, is the restaurant San Remo, also a bar that connects all the other restaurants in the complex. 

Located in a beautiful setting on the shores of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, the extraordinary food and wine bar also offers first-class drinks and impeccable service. It has a covered area and a beautiful veranda with a panoramic view of the lagoon.

Zazá Bistrô

Zazá Bistrô is inspired by trips around the world and the flavors encountered along the way. Following the statement that ‘you are what you eat, they offer only healthy food and use organic ingredients as much as possible. 

The dishes here are quite different from what we usually find in Rio restaurants, but just as delicious. The drinks are also excellent.

If you come to visit Rio de Janeiro, stop by Zazá bistro restaurant, we are sure you won’t regret it.

Sushi Leblon

Sushi Leblon offers a great variety of fresh fish, a great ambiance, a trendy location, and excellent service. 

Sushi Leblon is by far one of the hottest restaurants in Rio de Janeiro. Every night, people line up in front of the door to enjoy their magnificent dishes, and reservations are hard to come by. Sushi Leblon is one of the best sushi restaurants in town.

Prana Vegetarian Restaurant

Prana Vegetariano offers delicious and sophisticated vegetarian dishes. Every day, Chef Marcos Freitas, a carioca and lover of healthy eating, uses his creativity to combine the most diverse flavors to create the perfect recipes. 

The freshly made juices are incredible and the açaís are also a must in Rio, making the vegetarian Prana restaurant also one of the best restaurants in Rio de Janeiro.