The influential Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking is hosting its 2024 event in Rio – indicative of the city’s importance in regional dining. While São Paulo, Lima and Buenos Aires have become powerful gastronomic powerhouses, Rio has a more cosmopolitan crowd of international visitors as well as a large group of wealthy residents. A key difference here is that setting – beach, terrace, cool neighbourhood – and vibe are as important to cariocas as fancy “cuisine”.
Brazilians – especially in the south – have traditionally been serious carnivores. Churrascarias (grill restaurants) are found everywhere as are (largely average) pizzerias. The simple but heavy beauty of a Friday feijoada (pork and black bean stew, with trimmings) is worth trying – just make sure you breakfast light on that day. The extensive coastline makes fresh seafood and sushi widely available. A new generation of chefs like Rafa Costa e Silva (Lasai) and Alberto Landgraf (Oteque) are rediscovering Brazil’s indigenous ingredients and conjuring creative modern dishes, while others, such as Nathalie Passos (Naturalie Bistrô), are doing wonders with vegetarian cuisine.
