The dishes to try
- Feijoada: the national dish, a rich black bean and pork stew with rice, collard greens and orange. Many spots serve it on Saturdays.
- Churrasco: grilled meats carved at your table in a rodizio, with picanha as the star cut.
- Moqueca: a coconut and palm oil seafood stew, best with rice and farofa.
- Pao de queijo: warm, chewy cheese bread, the perfect snack with coffee.
Snacks and street food
Carioca life runs on small bites. Order a coxinha (a teardrop of shredded chicken in fried dough), a pastel from a market stall, or grilled queijo coalho on the beach. For something sweet, a brigadeiro, the chocolate fudge ball, is everywhere.
What to drink
The caipirinha is the icon, cachaca muddled with lime, sugar and ice. On the sand, nothing beats agua de coco from a chilled coconut, or an ice cold chopp. Brazil also grows excellent coffee, so a small strong cafezinho is the standard afternoon pick me up.
Acai, the carioca way
In Rio, acai is served as a thick frozen bowl, usually topped with banana and granola. It is sold at juice bars (lanchonetes) on almost every corner and is the classic refuel after the beach or a hike.
Taste it all on a tour
A guided food and samba experience bundles several classics with a local host who knows the best botecos, then rolls into a night of live music in Lapa. It is the most fun way to eat your way through the city in one evening.
Eat your way through Rio
Book a food and samba night with a local host and small group.
Frequently asked questions
Rio is known for feijoada, a hearty black bean stew with pork traditionally eaten on Saturdays, churrasco grilled meats served rodizio style, pao de queijo cheese bread, acai bowls, and street snacks like coxinha. The signature drink is the caipirinha.
The caipirinha, made with cachaca, lime, sugar and ice, is the national drink. On the beach, agua de coco straight from the coconut and an ice cold chopp (draft beer) are the local favorites. Brazil also makes good coffee and fresh fruit juices.
Yes, especially on a first visit. A food tour takes you to botecos and markets you might not find alone, explains how to order, and lets you taste several classics in one evening, often paired with live samba.
