The best of Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The best restaurants in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / best food / good restaurants / where to eat in Ipanema / places to eat
The best restaurants in Ipanema
Where to eat in Ipanema? Where to find the best food? Are there really good restaurants in the neighborhood? Yes, there are great restaurants in Ipanema, but don’t expect a bargain. The square meter is expensive, so are the best restaurants and the best places to eat in Ipanema, especially if you order a good bottle of wine to accompany your full-course meal (an appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert).
Some of the lunch and/or dinner places below are newer, others have been around for years (Gero, Zazá). They are all great options. You can’t go wrong choosing any of them. These are, without a doubt, among the best restaurants in Ipanema.
Opening hours vary from restaurant to restaurant. Some open only for dinner, others open for lunch and dinner. Making reservation in advance is recommended for some days and some restaurants.
Zazá Bistrô Tropical
Address: Rua Joana Angélica, 40 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Gero Rio (Italian)
Address: Avenida Vieira Souto, 80 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Gajos D’ouro (Portuguese food)
Address: Rua Aníbal de Mendonça, 31 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Babbo Osteria (Italian)
Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 632 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Rancho Português (Portuguese food)
Address: R. Maria Quitéria, 136 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Warning: It is easy to spend from 100 to 200 dollars per couple on a dinner at a nice restaurant in Ipanema (any of those listed above). However, there a few good cheaper options for those on a budget (you may spend half of it, or less). Read “the best cheap restaurants in Ipanema” down on this page.
The best steak restaurants in Ipanema
Any of these restaurants are an excellent option if 1) you don’t eat much, 2) you prefer ordering one single steak dish, or 3) you have already experienced the all-you-can-eat Brazilian style steakhouse in Brazil or somewhere else, and you are not interested in trying different cuts of meat until you say “no more”.
So, the restaurants below are specialized in steak, but they don’t offer the all-you-eat experience. You choose a dish on the menu and order it. You pay by what you order.
Pura Brasa Ipanema (steak)
Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 248 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Churrasqueira RJ (steak)
Address: Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 130 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Esplanada Grill (steak)
Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 600 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best churrascaria rodízio in Ipanema (flat-fee, all-you-can-eat steakhouse)
This churrascaria in Ipanema offers a good value for money. If, however, you want to go to a more upscale all-you-can-eat steakhouse, try Churrascaria Palace in Copacabana, which is one of the best in Rio de Janeiro (if not the best in terms of service and quality).
Churrascaria Carretão (all-you-can-eat steak; you pay a flat fee)
Address: Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 112 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best feijoada in Ipanema
Bar do Beto is casual, simple restaurant that serves feijoada daily. If, however, you are up for a more upscale place, try Casa da Feijoada (pricier, though).
Bar do Beto (Brazilian food)
Address: Rua Farme de Amoedo, 51 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best fish / seafood restaurants in Ipanema
Satyricon has been around for quite some time. Even Madonna ate there. The other two restaurants are newer but also a good option for fish and seafood lovers.
Satyricon (seafood)
Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 192 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Posì Mozza & Mare (seafood)
Address: Rua Anibal de Mendonça, 158 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Masserini Osteria di Mare (seafood)
Address: Avenida Vieira Souto, 320 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best sushi in Ipanema
Ipanema is a great neighborhood (if not the best) to eat at excellent sushi restaurants. If you love Japanese food, you are in the right area. Here is a selection of great restaurants that serve sushis, sashimis and much more.
Gurumê Ipanema (Japanese food)
Address: Rua Aníbal de Mendonça, 132 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
T Maki Club Ipanema (Japanese food)
Address: Rua Aníbal de Mendonça, 55 – store F – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Chan Chan (Japanese food)
Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 247 – store B – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The Box Sushi – Ipanema (Japanese food)
Address: Avenida Henrique Dumont, 65 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best vegan restaurant in Ipanema
This vegan restaurant in Ipanema is definitely one the best of Zona Sul (Rio’s South Zone). It is a great option even for those who are not vegan, but are willing to try Brazilian vegan cuisine.
Teva (vegan)
Address: Avenida Henrique Dumont, 110 – store B
The best pizza place / best pizza in Ipanema
Most pizza places do not open for lunch because locals usually don’t eat pizza at lunch time. As a result, most pizza places open at 6 p.m. Sunday evening is extremely popular for pizza. It is hard to find a vacant table on Sundays after 7 p.m. at very popular pizza places. Some don’t accept reservation either. Plan ahead and go before the crowd. If you love pizza, you can’t go wrong going to any of these three pizza places in Ipanema.
Pizzaria Camelo
Address: Avenida Henrique Dumont, 57 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Ferro e Farinha Ipanema
Address: Rua Maria Quitéria, 107 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Cappriciosa
Address: Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 134 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best cheap restaurants in Ipanema / cheap eats / cheap food / lunch spots / have lunch
The best cheap restaurants in Ipanema
There is nothing really cheap in Ipanema, especially cheap and good. So, don’t expect to find dirty cheap food in this neighborhood or nearby. But there are some good lunch spots worth-going such the first and the second restaurants on the list below. If you were wondering where to have lunch in Ipanema (more specifically cheap lunch), Puro Sabor and Paz e Amor are the ones.
The last one on the list (Balada Mix) focus on serving healthy food. There you can find plenty of healthy options, including great freshly-squeezed juices. You may even go only for the juices and sandwiches if you are not that hungry, or if you want a reasonably cheap eatery, popular among health-conscious locals.
Restaurante Puro Sabor de Ipanema (Brazilian cuisine)
Address: Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 303 – store 319 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Restaurante Paz e Amor (Brazilian cuisine)
Address: Rua Garcia d’Avila, 173 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Balada Mix (Brazilian cuisine/healthy food)
Address: Rua Farme de Amoedo, 39 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best breakfast places in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The best breakfast places in Ipanema
The best breakfast places in Ipanema (and in Rio de Janeiro, in general) get busy on weekends from the moment they open the door until late morning (at least). Get there a few minutes before opening time on weekends or holidays. Most of them open at 8 a.m. and don’t have many tables.
Empório Jardim na Praia
Address: Rua Maria Quitéria, 62 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best brunch in Ipanema
Nusa Café Brunch & Bistrô
Address: Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 129 – Loja B – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Nusa Café is also a great place for having a regular breakfast. In addition, it offers vegan and vegetarian options.
Gringo Café
Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 240 – A – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Gringo Café is a small and simple place that serves typical American breakfast/brunch, which may include eggs benedict, bacon, waffles, pancakes, toasts, cakes, and more.
The best burger in Ipanema
As burger places are getting more and more popular in Rio de Janeiro, new ones open up here and there. There are, in fact, several good ones. Here are some of the best burgers in Ipanema.
Burgers Rio – Ipanema
Address: Rua Aníbal de Mendonça, 55 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The Pub Truck
Address: Rua Alberto de Campos, 214-222 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
TBT House – Ipanema
Address: Rua Farme de Amoedo, 52 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best acai in Ipanema
Açaí (not “acai” as it is written in English) is extremely popular not only in Ipanema but pretty much everywhere in Rio de Janeiro. So much so that several franchisers recently popped up such as Maria Acaí with more than 90 franchisees in different states in Brazil. They might know a thing or two what a good açaí tastes like.
Maria Açaí Ipanema
Address: Avenida Henrique Dumont, 68 – store G – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Maria Açaí Farme de Amoedo
Address: Rua Farme de Amoedo, 76 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
GoGordo Açai Ipanema
Address: Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 53 – store B – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Rio Açaí Gourmet
Address: Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 121 – store B – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best restaurants in Leblon
Despite this post being about Ipanema, I couldn’t resist mentioning a few top-rated restaurants in Leblon (neighborhood adjacent to Ipanema). By the way, do not underestimate the restaurants in Leblon, just because Leblon is not as famous as Ipanema. Leblon has a high concentration (or even higher) of upscale restaurants and places to eat.
It is hard to choose the best restaurants in Ipanema and Leblon. Both neighborhoods are famous (locally) for good restaurants as locals living in this area of Rio de Janeiro are demanding food-wise.
Since I already mentioned several good restaurants in Ipanema on this page, I will list below only good restaurants in Leblon.
Oro (vanguard Brazilian cuisine)
Address: Avenida General San Martin, 889 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
Giuseppe Grill (steak)
Address: Avenida Bartolomeu Mitre, 370 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
Nola
Address: Rua Dias Ferreira, 247 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
CT Boucherie (French)
Address: Rua Dias Ferreira, 636 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
Degrau Restaurante (Brazilian food)
Address: Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, 517 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
The best restaurants in Copacabana
Copacabana is just a few minutes by taxi from Ipanema. If you are staying in a hotel (such as Fasano) or in an AirBnB in Ipanema on the side closer to Arpoador neighborhood, you can even walk to Copacabana. However, at night it is safer to take a taxi. Regardless of where your accommodation in Ipanema is located, it is definitely worth trying some of the best restaurants in Copacabana.
Churrascaria Palace (probably the best all-you-can-eat steakhouse in Rio)
Address: Rua Rodolfo Dantas, 16 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
Joaquina (Brazilian)
Avenida Atlântica, 974 – store A – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
Pérgula
Address: Avenida Atlântica, 1702 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro (inside Copacabana Palace Hotel)
Le Blé Noir (French, specialized in crapes [French pancakes])
Address: Rua Xavier da Silveira, 19 – A – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro (reservation required any day of the week!)
Alloro al Miramar (Italian)
Address: Avenida Atlântica, 3668 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro (inside Miramar by Windsor Hotel)
The best bars in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The best bars in Ipanema
The first two bars are also great for lunch or dinner or appetizers, besides drinking. Belmonte gets busy all day long on weekends (especially on beautiful sunny beach days). If you want to get a table at the rooftop on weekends or holidays, you have to get there at the opening time, otherwise you may stand in line for a while (or quite a while).
Belmonte
Address: Avenida Vieira Souto, 236 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Boteco Boa Praça
Address: Avenida Vieira Souto, 110 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Shenanigans Pub
Address: Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 112 A – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best cocktail bar in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / best caipirinha in Ipanema
The best cocktails in Ipanema
Up for the best caipirinha in Ipanema? Try Etta bar for caipirinha and other great drinks.
Etta bar
Address: Rua Teixeira de Melo, 53 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best beach bars in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The best beach bar in Ipanema
Unfortunately, there aren’t many great beach bars in Ipanema. Try this one.
De Lamare
Address: Avenida Vieira Souto, 110 Posto 8 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best beer place in Ipanema
This is one of my favorite in Rio. I have been there many times, even to watch World Cup games and drink several draft beers.
Delirium Café
Address: Rua Barão da Torre, 183 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best live music in Ipanema / nightlife in Ipanema
The best live music in Ipanema
Depending on the bar, the day of the week and time of the day, you can listen to different music styles such as samba, bossa nova, rock, MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), and others. Nightlife in Ipanema can start at any of these venues.
Osório Bar
Address: Rua Gomes Carneiro, 130 – store A – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Barthodomeu Ipanema
Address: Rua Maria Quitéria, 46 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Restaurante Vinícius e Bossa Nova Bar
Address: Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 39 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
The best coffee in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / best cafés in Ipanema / coffee shop
The best coffee in Ipanema
One of these coffee shops might be at walking distance from your hotel, or go for my favorite: the street-front coffee shop on # 261. Both coffee shops are very popular among Ipanema locals who can’t resist a good “café” (as we say “coffee” in Portuguese). There you can have the best coffee in Ipanema (or one of the best). If you miss Starbucks, heat to Rua Visconde de Pirajá # 206 – store A.
Armazém do Café
Address # 1: Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 261 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro
Address # 2: Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 414 – store 114 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro