Eat, Sleep, Play - Brazil

« Return to Eat, Sleep, Play    « Return to Brazil

Remember, these are only the places I managed to get to, representing not a splash in the ocean, a fart in a hot tub, a mullet in a trailer park, a…you get the idea. Consult your Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Lets Go, Fodors, Local Shaman for dozens of other options. Sometimes, I wish I had.

EAT

Foz do Iguazu

Buffalo Branca - In Argentina, they cook you meat. In Brazil, they drown you in it. Although this was a little pricey, the salad and buffet bar was amazing, and the guys walking around every three minutes with choice cuts of spiced meat is too tempting to resist. Rua Reboucas 530.

Rio

Kilogramo- Here you weigh your food, chosen from a large buffet selection (including sushi, meats, salads etc) and pay your weight. There are various chains, and this one is a bit more upmarket, but the quality was excellent. Various locations, I ate at the one in Ipanema.
Monchique Churrascaria - So you want to experience the authentic Brazilian churrasco, where men in uniform come by your table dropping slabs of meat, accompanied by a large salad bar and buffet, until you stop or you pop. But you can’t layout the $R30 ($15US) it normally costs.
Monchique - is your daddy. On Monday to Wednesdays, its only $R12 ($6), from Thursday to Sunday its $R17. Eat yourself into a stupor. On the main street, one block from the beach in Copacabana. Ave Nossa Sehnora de Copacabana, 796.
Porcao - One of the most popular churrascaria’s in Rio, and deservedly so. The meat comes in unrelenting waves, different cuts of beef, lamb, chicken, seafood - all perfectly grilled, salted and ready to melt in your mouth. A buffet of salads, sushi, and more tempts you, but leave room for the meat and see if you can eat your $30 worth. Trust me, it isn’t hard. 101, Barra da Tijuca, Ipanema.

Jericoacoara

Tempero da Terra - Restaurants are quite expensive in Jeri, unless you find the gems like Tempero, which serve up large plates of fish, chicken or beef for $2US. Tell Amanda the crazy gringo sent you…she’s only 11 but she serves like gray-haired diner waitress. Other budget options are eating chicken kebabs off the street (yummy), the bakery (open 24hours, great pies and pizza) and the other $2 joint whose name I can’t recall.
Restaurante Carcara - If you feel like spending a little more, Carcara serves up the yummies with delicious steaks, pastas, fresh bread, seafood and probably the best fresh juice I had all week, which is saying a lot. Rua do Forro 530.

Olinda

Street Food - While it could benefit greatly from a few buns or starchy equivalent, the chicken and beef kebabs we ate off the street for R$1.50 each, dipped in tapioca flour, were delicious, especially with a few drops of Ingles sauce (Worcester sauce)
Tacaruna Food Court - I love food courts. Always have, always will. Obviously it’s not about the food, it’s about the choice, the sheer selection available, from different countries, different cultures. Tacaruna has two courts, one more expensive than the other. The Chinese was pretty bad, the buffet was pretty good. Naturally, I stayed clear of the MacDonalds.

Salvador

Restaurante da Tia Gloria - Amidst the tourist eateries in the old Pelourinho area, Tia Gloria offers sumptious and generous lunches and dinners for a whopping R$5 ($2US). It’s the usual chicken, fish or beef with rice, beans and salad, but itss good and its cheap and the place is friendly and well run. The large, fresh juices are a bargain too. Rua do Carmo 42.

Morro de Sao Paulo

Restaurante Tia Dadai - Huge portions, good value, tasty tasty. At the top of the main road towards the harbour, turn left and walk down about 20m.
Third Beach - Along third beach there is a mom and pop outift with the usual beef, chicken or fish deal, except it is unusually good and one of the few places that you can eat for under R$10. Don’t remember its name, if it had one, but walk along the path until you see two tables on a patio next to two small pousadas.

Sao Paulo

Restaurante a Mineira - An all you can eat buffet of the highest order. The meats, salads, stews, soups and sides can make this your all day activity. Costs about $R25-30 per person. Drink a few glasses of kashasa from the oak barrel for digestion. Ahem. Alameda Joaquim Eugenio de Lima 697
Kazan Sushi - All you can eat quality sushi? Large cuts of sashimi? Grilled Japanese chicken, beef and salmon, sunomonoyounomano? They bring it til the wasabi drips down your nose. Get your sushi fix here and you won’t need another dose for at least a…few days. $R25 per person, with dessert. Four locations in Sao Paulo.
Magic Chicken - A local favourite offering, take a guess, no really, think of something, anything! If you thought “chicken” you were right! Fried chicken, calamari, and the best polenta I’ve tasted yet. Plus they fixed us a BBQ mayo on request. Drink it down with the beer/wine cocktail that tastes like Fanta Grape with edge. Four locations in SP. http://www.magicchicken.com.br

Casa Club - Yep, it’s under the hostel review too, but the restaurant is too good not to include here. For one, it’s located in trendy Vila Madalena, for two, the prices are fantastic (being in a hostel and all), for three, it’s got a great atmosphere buzzing with locals and travellers, and five, the food is just bloody delicious. Grilled eggplant wrapping sundried tomato, roast beef sandwiches with spicy dijon, great burgers and tasty steak bites. Rua Mourato Coelho 973, Via Madalena.
Tia Ma - All the restaurants on the corner of Mourato Coelho and Rua Aspicuelta are quality, but can be quite pricey if you’re on a budget. Tia Ma is a self-service place just a block further up, good quality, good prices. Rua Aspicuelta, 450, Vila Madalena.

SLEEP

Rio

Che Lagarto - Well run, clean, modern and slightly sterile youth hostel in Ipanema, the one in Copacabana has more of a vibe. This chain has hostels in Chile and Argentina too. I stayed in the Ipanema hostel, where the staff are really friendly and the bar provides a neato meeting point. Be warned though, at $20US for a dorm bed, it’s not the cheapest option, even if it is the (supposed) safest one. http://www.chelagarto.com
Mellow Yellow - The Milhouse of Rio, with all the amenities one would expect from a party hostel: bar, pool table, foozball, DVD library, daily activity board, club guide, cheap, good food, nice breakfast, attractive staff, jacuzzi?! Somewhat pricey, but “this is Rio” justifies everything. The speakers playing tunes in the bathrooms is a nice touch, but the cold showers and stairs weren’t. If you’re looking for the vibe hostel in Rio, this is it. Rua General Barbosa Lima 57, Copacabana.
Stone of a Beach - You’re really not off to a good start when your reservation is mixed up and your room is a closet with a double bunk bed. The upstairs bar and hot tub has hosted many a party I’m sure, and the DVD room is cool (if the DVD’s weren’t scratched), but trust me, you could do better.

Paraty

Geko Hostel - Paraty on a good day is one of the highlights for any visitor to Brazil. And for a the best social vibe, the only hostel in town is Geko. It’s right on the beach, a short walk from the Old Town, and has a friendly staff always up for having a good time. They also organize transfers, bar crawls, activities, and don’t miss out on the amazing boat trips out to the islands. Av. Orlando Carpinelli, 5 | Praia do Pontal, +55 (0) 24 3371 2507

Jericoacoara

Chalet das Dunes - I looked at several options for accommodation, and in Jeri my feeling is the people you meet will determine the success of your stay. Das Dunes has air con, friendly staff (even if noone speaks English), fresh sheets, great hammocks, and truly chilled out vibe. There are only 4 cabins, and it is a few minutes from town, but this is beach living as it is meant to be. Costs about $10US a night. A really good vibe.
Isalana Praia Hotel - Although I didn’t stay here, all the cool people we met did, so in effect, it became a trail between our two hostels. This is more of a hostel than a beach vibe, but the staff are friendly, they take VISA, the rooms have air con, and it’s right on the main strip, a few steps from where the bus drops you off.

Olinda

Pousada d’Olinda - We loved the swimming pool, and the swooping bats, and the great breakfasts, and the funky fellow travelers, and the central location. We hated the damn mosquitos. Splat! Praca Jaoa Alfredo, 178 (089) 3494-2559

Salvador

Nega Maluca - Astrid took my book in Rio and wrote “The Best Hostel in the World”, which is quite a compliment. Owned by Inbal (Israeli) and Natalia (Columbian) and determined to remain out the Lonely Planet, Nega is funky and friendly and homely. Free Internet, in Pelourinho, word of mouth attracts the right kind of people. Cats and dogs (who hump pillows), dorms and doubles. http://www.negamaluca.com

Sao Paulo

Casa Club Hostel - Easily a contender for one of my favourite hostels anywhere, you really should look no further than Casa Club if you’re staying in Sao Paulo. The location is brilliant, the staff incredible, the attached bar and restaurant lively, and the mix of locals and travellers dynamic. Few hostels do things right the way these guys do. Can’t recommend it enough. Rua Mourato Coelho 973, Via Madalena.
Praca de Avore Hostel - The HIN in a safe neighbourhood with a traveler family-ish atmosphere. Quite a few young Brazilians stay here as they learn English in the city, and long-term foreigners too. It’s all very relaxed and homely.. A 10 minute walk to the Santa Cruz mall and Praca de Avore subway. Rua Pageu 266.

Florianopolis

Sunset Backpackers - On the road towards Praie Mole is a hostel that you’ll book for a few days, and easily end up staying a week. Sunset has a number of things going for it. It’s got the best view of the lagoon, a very relaxed, friendly and social atmosphere, plenty of services and activities, and a popular pumping night club 40 steps away (although you won’t hear it at night). If it feels like a family house, that’s because it’s run by a family. Facilities are good and Junior has some interesting plans to make them even better, there’s a little whirlpool (watch out for Finnish girls), and it’s a short walk to the beach and town (with a workout hill). Highly recommended.

Ilha Grande

Pousada D’Pillel I originally booked at a hostel but met Pillel on the pier, and his lovely pousada was triple the comforts at cheaper the price. Great breakfasts, Pillel will advise on all the best places to visit, big points for the DVD/TV in every room, and closer to all the restaurants than the hostels. Email: pilleldiver@gmail.com

PLAY

Rio

Lapa - This is a neighbourhood which explodes at night into one big street party. Makeshift bars line the streets selling cheapo caprihineas, it’s hot, sweaty and sexy and typifies Rio. A few steps past the arch are a number of bars featuring live Brazilian music, all of them packed and pumping.
Estrela da Lapa - I went to this new, modern live music bar on two seperate occasions and had a great time at both. First it was a 9 piece samba band, the second was a great band playing an acoustic tribute to Dave Matthews. I love the way the bar staff totally are into the music! Definitely a local yuppie vibe, but a friendly one at that. Tell Adriana at the door the gringo journalist sent you, and check out the website for upcoming shows. Rua Mem de Sa 69, Lapa. http://www.estreladalapa.com.br
Help - Don’t go here. It’s a whorehouse. But its an institution, so I thought I would mention it. On Copacabana.
Club 69 - A very hip, very loud club banging away solid house and techno in Ipanema. It’s not cheap, but clubs in Rio usually aren’t. Definitely an option for Friday nights, when it cooks. Get there about 1am. Favme de Amoedo, right next door to Devassa.
Be A Local< - There are a number of companies offering Favela Tours in Rio. These guys are the only ones that include a thrilling mototaxi up the hill (like the locals do), and a walk through Rocinha to the bottom. They also offer tickets to soccer games, and late night favela parties.

Jericoacoara

Skybar - On the beach, where everyone gathers, take a drink outside and look at the star shine for you. Inside they play Forrho, a cheesy, sexy Brazilian dance music. It’s cheaper to drink from the street bars though.
Planet Jeri - Next to Skybar, Planet Jeri hosts nightly parties that pump until dawn. Itamar always has a smile, and the music ranges from techno to techno to techno. Get up on the low tables in the middle of the dance floor and show the locals what you’ve got.

Olinda

Street Party - We looked for places to go for a few nights before discovering the best vibe was right under our noses. At the church on the hill, there is a massive street party every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sunday is meant to be the best, and it was. Reggae, capaoera , drumming, street bars, and loads of people.

Salvador

Street Party - Tuesday nights is a mini-Carnival in Salvador, with bands and drums on every corner, tons of people, bars overflowing. We found some traditional fohro dancing in a couple of squares on Thursday, jammed with locals and tourists. For the more daring, the Fashion Club in town is the place to go on Saturday.
Lugalegal - A live music/salsa bar with a small cover that keeps the chaos from the streets away. Popular with locals (who know how to bust a move), the band was awesome, keeping Tuesday night going with your sanity intact. Rua Frei Vicente 07, Pelourinho.

Sao Paulo

Samba Rock - I’m not even going to begin to claim where this was or how I got there, but if you’re hanging with any locals, ask them about an underground samba rock party that takes place in an old theatre, with about 500 people going nuts.
Asia 70 - An upmarket new establishment that combines a cool sushi restaurant with a pumping dancefloor. If you don’t get there before 9:30pm, expect to queue for 4 hours, if you get in. (Or ask for the manager Gus and explain your special status in the tribe of Modern Gonzo). Beautiful people, well fed and dancing to remixed Right Said Fred and Kylie, with huge screens projecting people partying at raves arounnd the world. Such fun! Not cheap, but the sushi you eat comes off the cover.

Tweet

Photographs and Words Copyright © Esrocking the World Media Inc, 2005-2012

Modern Gonzo - Robin Esrock - Travel Writer is proudly powered by WordPress
Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).