The best bistros and brasseries - Rio De Janeiro in 2025

Practical information : Take a break Rio De Janeiro

Timetable

All cities offer pastry shops, cafés and tea rooms. Here again, the opening hours vary greatly, depending on the city, the season and the day of the week. Generally, they are open from 9am to 6pm, or even 10pm in some cases when they are part of a café. The days they are open vary. On Sunday, in the city centers, remember, everything is deserted because everything is closed. For example, the magical Confeitaria Colombo is closed on Sundays at its address in downtown Rio. On other days it closes at 6 or 5 pm. In its branch in the cultural center of the Banco Do Brasil, it is only closed on Tuesdays. It is closed on Mondays in its Copacabana Fort address. Bars often close at midnight on weekends, or even later, until the last customer. During the week, if there is little traffic, they close earlier. Many bars also offer food.

Budget & Tips

Eating a few desserts and having a drink are generally inexpensive pleasures. Some very jet set bars offer very expensive cocktails, of course. Brazil is not a cheap country anymore. The price of gourmet breaks and alcoholic drinks is relatively similar to those in Europe. The price of salty or sweet snacks is maybe a little cheaper. Some things are more expensive, however, wine, for the same quality will be a little more expensive than in France. The price of a basic 600 ml bottle of beer varies between R$ 7 and R$ 11 in the bars of Belo Horizonte and São Paulo and R$ 6 for a mug, and R$ 3.5 for a shrimp pastel. Nowadays, the happy hour fashion is more and more present in the big Brazilian cities. This is an opportunity to mix with the local bonita at a lower price. Of course, the crowd is more important at this time; for a tête-à-tête in love, it is a little more complicated

Age restrictions

Brazilian law prohibits the sale and service of alcohol to minors. The legal age of majority is set at 18 years old as in France. Therefore, you cannot consume alcohol if you are under 18 years old. However, it is very rare that customers are asked to prove their age with identity papers

What's very local

Chatting in a boteco, making new friends, watching Atletico Mineiro or Flamengo, is very local. The tradition, especially in Rio, is to meet up with friends in the late afternoon, after work, or more prosaically after the beach, in "your" botequim, a neighborhood bar with a strong identity. It is from Friday evening that this social practice is in full swing. People talk about the world, comment on the last game of their favorite soccer team and talk about the future. In the beach bars or small establishments, the regulars have the habit of putting the beer bottles under the table and during the final bill, they serve as "bills". Some clever people sometimes slip their bottles into the neighbors' piles. The heaps of beer bottles are often impressive at the end of the evening. The tradition of the cafezinho offered to the guests seems to be a tradition that resists, somehow, to the evolution of the Brazilian society. Like cachaça, one can serve oneself or be served small doses or a cup in some traditional Brazilian bars and restaurants. This subject is so serious in Brazil that some doctoral theses have been devoted to it.

Kids

Children are allowed in cafés, of course, and in bars. The legislation does not forbid the presence of minors in the bars... as long as they do not consume alcohol of course

Smokers

As in all closed places intended to receive the public, it is forbidden to smoke in bars and cafés. As in France, you will have to leave the establishment if you miss nicotine

The best bistros and brasseries Rio De Janeiro

GARCIA & RODRIGUES

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