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rio de janeiro

Marvelous city, where I was born. Lived for 18 years.

discovering rio de janeiro

I was born in Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio as we call it, and lived there until the age of 18. It is a beautiful city, where nature and colors take over. It's truly one of the most stunning places I have been. It is mostly an outdoors city, with beautiful beaches, trails and view points. It is known as the marvelous city, but it also holds a lot of history. The city was named after the Portuguese during the age of discoveries, believed that they arrived on a river ( which was actually a bay). River in portuguese is Rio. They arrived on January; Janeiro in portuguese. Therefore, that's where the name comes from. It also used to be Brazil's capital, before Brasilia was built for such purpose. Make sure to check out historical pieces of the town as well as the breath taking nature. And of course eat Brazilian food and do some nice shopping!

keep in mind

> Rio is one of my favorite places on earth, but it's also not the safest. Make sure to not walk around wearing jewelry, valuable watches, or showing off anything too much. Be careful with your phone. Keep it as simple as you can.

> People are very nice, but not everybody speaks English, so prepare some words before going there. Por favor (please), obrigado (thank you), oi (hello) are a place to start. 

> Put on some sunscreen before going to the beach and have repellent if you hear there is a mosquito situation going on, or if you are going to a trail. 

> If you will be driving, don't worry. There is a lot of valets and places to park. Make sure though that you know where you are going and be careful when using g.p.s. Some of them might send you through a fastest route through a favela and you really want to avoid that. Most of the favela population are the nicest, good people, but there are some really bad people there as well. Ask your hotel for the way first. 

> A lot of historical sites to visit sell tickets online and that's the best way to buy them. 

where to stay

Ipanema

  • Fasano Hotel: a modern, 5 stars, beach front hotel, with an infinity pool overlooking Ipanema beach.

Copacabana

  • Copacabana Palace: a more traditional 5 stars, purely chic and stunning hotel. Many celebrities have stayed before as Lady Di with Prince Charles and Madonna. It overlooks the Copacabana beach. It also has a stunning swimming pool.

  • Emiliano: being one of the best hotels in São Paulo, this 5 star luxurious hotel just opened in Rio. It has views to the Copacabana beach, a nice swimming pool and a great restaurant. 

note: many hotels in Santa Teresa are also very nice and well known. The reason why I am not recommending it here, is because the region has been considered less safe. 

Where to Stay

WHERE TO EAT

Chinese, Japanese and Fusion

  • Mr.Lam: Carrying the same style and similar menu as the world famous Mr.Chow, Mr.Lam is a fancy and delicious Chinese restaurant situated in Lagoa. Make sure to reserve. 

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  • Sushi Leblon: Situated in the neighborhood Leblon, it is one of Rio's most famous and delicious Japanese restaurants. Make sure to reserve as the lines are usually quite big. 

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  • Yumê: Yume is all about the ambiance, think about dinning sitting on cushions, right above an aquarium floor. It's a cool environment and the food is also very good. It's located in Jardim Botânico. 

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  • Gurume: Carrying the same style and similar menu as the world famous Mr.Chow, Mr.Lam is a fancy and delicious Chinese restaurant situated in Lagoa. Make sure to reserve. 

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  • Origami: A great Japanese restaurant, with various locations across Rio. More simple environment but really good food. 

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Italian

  • Gero: If you like Italian food, thats definitely one of the best ones. They have two locations: one in Barra and one in Ipanema. The food is amazing. 

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  • Zuka: From the same group as sushi leblon and located right in front of it, it's a very good Italian restaurant. The "brigadeiro de colher" desert is one of the best. 

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  • Picci: Delicious food on a nice setting. One of the most tasty. Valet available.

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  • Gula Gula: Its an Italian chain of restaurants with many locations in Rio. The food is very good, I definitely recommend trying out the "pastel" for appetizer (specially the brie one) and the Paillard com Fettucine for main course. If you have room for desert, the dulce the leche gateau is out of this world. 

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  • Capricciosa: Its an italian restaurant known for it's pizza. They serve really tasty food and have different locations. I usually go to Ipanema or Jardim Botânico. I highly recommend for appetizers the burrata, the foccacia di grano padano and the capriccio caldo for desert.

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  • Braz: Its a pizza restaurant originally from São Paulo. It's known to be one of Rio's best pizza places so if you are craving one, check this one out. 

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French

  • Olympe: From the renowned french chef, Claude Troisgros, it's one of the most upscale and better restaurants in Rio. It's located in Lagoa. 

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  • Formidable Bistro: Located in Leblon, it's kind of new and very good!

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  • Chez L'Ami Martin: One of the most well known french restaurants of Rio, located in Fashion Mall.  

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  • CT Brasserie: Also by the great Claude Troisgros, its more casual then Olympe but really good.  It has two locations, Fashion Mall in São Conrado and Leblon. 

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  • Lorenzo Bistro: A french-italian restaurant located in Jardim Botânico.  

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Contemporary 

  • Lasai: From the aclaimed chef Rafa Costa, its a superb restaurant, located in Botafogo.

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  • Irajá Gastro: A charming, great restaurant in Botafogo that got well known for it's desert: the chocolate cake. It's a must have. Irajá is contemporary with Brazilian influences. 

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Brazilian

  • Oro: From the aclaimed chef Felipe Bronze, its a sophisticated Brazilian restaurant, that holds a Michelin star. It has two fixed menus, which include "finger foods," main courses and desert. It's located in Leblon.

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  • Aprazível: Located in charming Santa Tereza, this restaurant not only has a very nice view but also makes you experience the nature in Rio de Janeiro. Serving rustic Brazilian food and drinks, it's definitely one of the most charming spots to eat in the city.  

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  • Bira de Iguaratiba: Definitely lunch with a view kind of place, surrounded by nature and with a view to the "restinga da Marambaia." Many of it's places are made with seafood, in a Brazilian fashion. If you take a taxi there, schedule one for the way back because there no taxis available around the restaurant. 

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  • Balada Mix: Want to eat something faster and more simple? Balada Mix is a great choice. They serve mostly Brazilian food. The best one to go is the one in Ipanema because of the ambiance, but there are many locations for you to choose from. 

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Meat & Barbecue

  • Oasis: I find it the best Brazilian barbecue place in Rio in terms of taste. Like the rest of the barbecue restaurants in Brazil, it's an all you can eat with servers offering you meat to your table and a buffet. You can order some side dishes to the table - definitely recommend ordering the pastel. 

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  • Fogo the Chão: You might have heard of this barbecue steakhouse before since it opened on a few locations around the globe. The one in Rio is great and has a nice view to the sugar loaf. It follows the same style of all you can eat - meat being served at your table and a buffet. 

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  • Rubayat: A fancy meat restaurant, a la carte, with a view to Jockey Club, where you can sometimes see horses racing or practicing. It has a very nice environment.

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Healthy

  • Graviola: If you want to find the most healthy choices, Graviola is definitely the place to go. It just recently opened in Leblon and it's a quick meal spot. It has a charming environment and many vegan options. 

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Seafood

  • Satyricon: Simply the best seafood restaurant in Rio, with a chic ambiance and amazing food. 

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Burgers 

  • TT Burger: It serves the high quality burger from the chef Thomas Troisgros. It has 4 locations.

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  • B de Burger: Milkshakes, fries, onion rings, hotdogs and their delicious burger. It's best known for the rib burger. It has four locations. 

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Snack & Dessert

  • Momo: Best ice-cream shop in Rio. They have delicious flavors, like brigadeiro! You can have it with waffle. They also serve coffee there.

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  • Italia: One of the most known ice-cream shops in Rio, famous for their fruit flavors. Their popsicles are amazing! Great bet for the summer!

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  • Bacio di Latte: Italian ice-cream, located at Shopping Leblon. It's a great soft texture and flavor.

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  • Fabiana D'Angelo Kiosk: When in Brazil, it's a must to try our most typical and loved desert: the brigadeiro. The best ones in Rio can be bought at Fabiana D'Angelo kiosk, which are located in Shopping da Gávea, Rio Design and Shopping Leblon. 

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  • Colher de Pau: Think about the most amazing moist cake. Now add marshmallow on top and a whole bunch of chocolate. That's my favorite in the world, but it's just one of the great things they offer. 

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  • Oficina do Pastel: Pastel is one of our typical snacks. If you can't picture it, imagine a fried empanada with delicious fillings. This place has a pastel menu and serves the best ones in town. 

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  • Casa do Pão de Queijo: Pão de Queijo is the famous Brazilian Cheeseballs - and this is the home of it. Add a filling and enjoy! I recommend trying it filled with dulce de leche or requeijão (cheese spread).

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  • Confeitaria Colombo: One of the most traditional and historical places in the City Center of Rio. It is more than 120 years old and it is elegantly decorated with mirrors and it serves great sweets and salty snacks. It serves afternoon tea seasonally. 

  • Confeitaria Colombo Forte de Copacabana: As good as Confeitaria Colombo in the City Center, but with an exceptional view to the sea. I highly recommend going for an afternoon snack during sunset to catch beautiful views.

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  • Casa do Alemão: Enjoy the best croquettes in town and a great sausage sandwich.

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  • BB Lanches: The typical after beach snack. Have a beef or shrimp and catupiry pastel and an açai!

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  • Riba: Bar, snack and possible lunch spot. Have one of their famous sandwiches - the best is the pork rib. The Ipanema beach front location is my favorite, since you have the most beautiful views. 

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  • Aghata Chocolates: A place to go have a coffee and enjoy a delicious slice of cake! Also try the Nido pastel with Nutella!

  • Jobi: One of the famous bars of Leblon, it has the BEST "bolinha de queijo" (fried cheese balls).  Take a break for a cold beer, and enjoy one of these!

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Breakfast 

  • Emporium Jardim: My favorite breakfast spot in Rio. It's very charming and the food is really good. 

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  • Talho Capixaba: Simply delicious, one of the most famous spots in Leblon. You can also buy breakfast baskets there to take it home or surprise someone. 

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  • Casa Carandaí: Located in a charming house in Jardim Botânico, its a great spot to have breakfast and buy differentiated food products, as quality cheese and chacuterrie.

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Where to Eat

THINGS TO DO

If you are all about shopping

Malls

  • Shopping Leblon: is one of the most modern and well situated malls in Rio and with the best selections of stores. They also have a movie theater and some restaurants, like the great Gero café on the ground level.

  • Shopping da Gávea: as you can guess its the mall located in the neighborhood Gávea. It has a smaller but also good selection of stores and restaurants, a cinema and an actual theater for performing arts. The shop is less modern but it’s still one of the most famous ones. Try the pastel from Oficina do Pastel.

  • Rio Design: It is located right in front of Shopping Leblon and it has some stores to complement your shopping experience as well as restaurants.

  • Fashion Mall: Located in San Conrado, it has a smaller selection of stores but it’s also one of the best. If you go there, I recommend eating at Gurume Japanese restaurant. It also has a movie theater . 

  • Village Mall: This one is very far, unless you are staying in Barra. Still it is the place to go for a luxurious shopping experience, fancier restaurants and chic stores. It also has a fancy cinema. 

Stores

  • Adriana Barra: Located in the ground level of a charming building in Leblon, called Palm Beach (Rua Dias Ferreira 64), it’s one of the fancier shops, where every piece of clothing is a work of art. Expect beautiful designs and colorful patterns.

  • Daniella Martins: Also located in Palm Beach building, on level 2, it sells one of the trendiest and nieces clothes, all with very chic patterns that can be used on a day by day look or on a night out. Definitely worth checking it out. 

  • Farm: One of the most successful shops in Rio, it represents very well the Brazilian fashion. The clothes are colorful and full of patterns. During summer they make some very good promotions. Its cheaper than the first two I mentioned and it’s great. You can find it in almost every mall. 

  • Richards: Think about a store that mixes the French and the Brazilian style all together and you’ll have Richards. It has a laid back, beach city style and the clothes are really nice. I mostly recommend it for shopping for men. 

  • Osklen: It goes for a more high end beach style, with expensive clothes. My favorite thing in the store are the tennis shoes which are the most comfortable ever. It’s mostly a men’s shop. It also available in most malls.

If being outdoors is your thing

  • Go to Leblon or Ipanema Beach and enjoy the sun. Order a coconut water, and eat some biscoito Globo which is a must for us “cariocas”(people from Rio) while we are at the beach.

  • Go hiking, there are nice trails you can do including: Pedra da Boa Vista and Pedra da Gavea. Check the way and the level of the hike before going. Bring water as there is nothing available on the trails.

  • Go to more far away yet beautiful beaches as Grumari. 

If turism and sightseeing is your thing

Tourism in Brazil is mostly outdoors and there are some very nice views to checkout.

  • Christ the Redeemer: The first one, is of course, one of the world wonders, the Christ. Book your ticket online or pay cash there. Try your best to go on a good/clear weather day so that you can actually see the gorgeous view. 

  • Sugar Loaf (or as we call it: Bonding do Pão de Açucar): You have two stops to see the beautiful view of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Give yourself enough time to see both stops. The sunset from there is absolutely beautiful. When you go there, take advantage of being close to praia vermelha and go check it out. It’s one of the beaches with the nicest views, just not the best to spend the day at. 

  • Walk around the city center, that is where the historical part of the city is. Check out the old streets, museums and make a stop at Confeitaria Colombo for a snack. 

  • Museums worth taking a look at: Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow), MAM (Modern Art Museum), Museu do Indio (small museum, but worth it if you want to learn a bit about the Indian culture) an Museu de História Nacional (National History Museum).

If you are into nightlife

The nightlife in Rio is mostly bars and parties to which you can get tickets. Keep an eye online to see which parties are happening while you are there. We don’t go a lot to clubs, this is more of a São Paulo thing, even though there are some in Barra. Also, don’t worry about dressing up too much, Rio has a chill style.

  • Londra: the lounge/club of Fasano hotel. It keeps getting more popular and it has a nice British feel to the environment.

  • Palafitas: An outdoors bar/club, where cariocas love to go! There are many events there and the lines can get big.

  • Jobi: One of the most popular bars in Rio, it can get very crowded. People go to drink, socialize and get the famous fried cheese balls!

  • Other bars worth checking out: Riba, Belmonte.

Things to Do
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